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Southern California Transportation The Missing Link

Southern California Transportation The Missing Link. To Sylmar, Santa Clarita, Lancaster. Regional Rail - The Missing Link. Burbank. Lankershim (Red Line). Van Nuys. Airport. To Oxnard. Chatsworth. Northridge. Burbank. Glendale.

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Southern California Transportation The Missing Link

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  1. Southern California Transportation • The Missing Link RR-02-2004-10-15-Presentation #1

  2. To Sylmar, Santa Clarita, Lancaster Regional Rail - The Missing Link Burbank Lankershim (Red Line) Van Nuys Airport To Oxnard Chatsworth Northridge Burbank Glendale Present and Future San Fernando Valley Transportation • Regional Rail • From S.F. Valley to Union Station • From S.F. Valley to the Santa Clarita x Clarita and the Antelope Valley • From S.F. Valley to Oxnard / Montalvo • Imagine • From Union Station to LAX / South Bay • From S.F. Valley to Santa Barbara / xGoleta • From the Antelope Valley to LAX • From Oxnard to the South Bay Union Station Inglewood METRO Blue Line LAX @ Aviation/Imperial South Bay RR-02-2004-10-15-Presentation #1

  3. Proposed Regional Rail Map • Proposed and existing stations Bart Reed, The Transit Coalition: Next revisions to this map: Extend to show Lancaster, Extension to Goleta RR-02-2004-10-15-Presentation #1

  4. San Fernando Valley Transportation Today • Roads: Local, Secondary & Primary arterials, freeways • Grade Separated Heavy Rail: (Red Line) • Stations: N. Hollywood & Universal City • Metrolink Commuter Rail: • Stations: Chatsworth, Northridge, Van Nuys, Burbank Airport, Burbank Downtown, Sylmar, Sun Valley & Glendale • Bus: Local, Limited & Rapid RR-02-2004-10-15-Presentation #1

  5. Roads • Freeways at capacity • Strong local opposition to freeway widening • Recent experience with 101 widening proposal • Road enhancements just shift the problem • To the next bottleneck • More parking • More traffic on local streets • Degradation of neighborhoods • Result: long journeys at slow speeds • Less time for family and other activities • Frustration and stress in everyday life • But … currently no good alternatives for xmost people RR-02-2004-10-15-Presentation #1

  6. Grade Separated Heavy Rail: (Red Line) • Red line subway serves only small part of xthe San Fernando Valley • Access to the Red Line is important • Orange Line Rapidway will help • City of Burbank adding connection xbetween Red Line and Burbank xemployment centers • The “Achilles Heel” of transit may be the x“last mile” between station and final xdestination • Problem made worse by low density and xdesign for the auto, not the pedestrian Nice train! Now how to I get home? RR-02-2004-10-15-Presentation #1

  7. Metrolink service • No longer just a morning/evening commuter service • Popularity requires additional capacity • Cars leased & service added (Daily News; Oct 1, 2004) • But: • Only 10 round trips per day on Ventura County Line • Only 12 round trips per day on Antelope Valley Line • No weekend service on Ventura County Line • Limited Saturday service on AV Line • No Sunday service on AV Line • Limited reverse commute service • No evening service • No entertainment or sports event service • Source: Metrolinktrains.com RR-02-2004-10-15-Presentation #1

  8. Bus Transit • Operates in heavy traffic • Slow speeds, long journey times • Local bus: 9-12 mph • Rapid bus: 15 mph • (average auto speed: 33 mph) • Typical 10-30 minute traffic condition xdelays for bus • Even “Rapid Bus” is slow • Unsuited to the long commutes of many xin Los Angeles RR-02-2004-10-15-Presentation #1

  9. Case Study - Northridge to Union Station • Metro Bus Line 166 and Red Line • Total elapsed time over 100 minutes • Source: MTA traffic planner • Bus service is irregular, unreliable • Transfer connections not guaranteed • Transfer wait often lengthy • Actual time often worse, unpredictable • Source: Bart Reed, passenger • Will Orange Line help? • Two changes of vehicle • Local Bus, to Orange Line Rapidway, to Red Line • Not much better • Must cross major arterial to transfer to/from Red Line • Metrolink • 40 minutes, with five stops! • Source: Metrolinktrains.com • Reliable, speedy, but limited service RR-02-2004-10-15-Presentation #1

  10. Case Study #2 – S.F. Valley to LAX or El Segundo • No alternative to 405 Freeway • Auto • City of LA DOT Commuter Bus • Flyaway service to LAX • Direct Local/Limited bus service terminated 06/2003 • Rapid & Municipal Local Bus can take up to 3 hours • Elapsed time … anyone’s guess. • 405 HOV Lanes up to a decade away • Listen to traffic reports on the radio RR-02-2004-10-15-Presentation #1

  11. Looking into the Future - Base Case • Continued but slower population growth • California: 10.1 million to 11.3 million in 2040 • Continued growth in auto driving • US (from 1980 to 2000 per DOT BTS) • Drivers + 31.2% • Miles driven + 81.2% • San Fernando Valley • No reason to believe the trend is any different • Big housing developments in outlying areas • No major freeway enhancements • Some short term improvements searching for funding RR-02-2004-10-15-Presentation #1

  12. Regional Rail: Chatsworth to Union Station and Antelope Valley to Union Station • Interconnect with service to Orange County and San xBernardino for jobs, education and medical needs • Proposed increase in service • Significance of Union Station • Significance of other stations on route • Travel alternatives made possible • Connects long distance commutes from home to jobs • Connects event participants: Concerts, plays, regional xattractions, art, sporting events and meetings RR-02-2004-10-15-Presentation #1

  13. Bart Reed, The Transit Coalition: Eliza from Metrolink will get us a current map Metrolink Map • Existing xinfrastructure • Wide xgeographic xreach • Ridership and xsystem growth • Social benefits xsuch as air xquality RR-02-2004-10-15-Presentation #1

  14. Proposed Increase in Service • Increase service level from Chatsworth and Antelope Valley xto Union Station • No less than half-hourly, all-day weekday • Evening and weekend service • Additional service during peak travel demands • Stations already in place • Add Lankershim Station: direct connection to Red Line • Double track already in place East of Balboa Blvd • Track capacity is in place • Additional passing tracks as required between xChatsworth and Van Nuys RR-02-2004-10-15-Presentation #1

  15. Significance of Union Station • Regional Rail Hub - A Huge Potential Asset • Gold Line to Pasadena and East Los Angeles • Amtrak to San Diego / San Luis Obispo • Red Line • To Blue Line (South Los Angeles, Long Beach) • To Expo Line (USC, Coliseum, Exposition Park) • To Wilshire residential / office district • To Hollywood entertainment / office district • Employment Center • Office, Retail, Government, Wholesale, Nonprofit • Cultural and Sports • Staples Center and proposed developments • Dodger Stadium, Shrine Auditorium • Disney Hall, Music Center, The Cathedral • Chinatown, Little Tokyo, Loft / Art District RR-02-2004-10-15-Presentation #1

  16. Warner Center, Chatsworth, Northridge and Van Nuys • Warner Center Office Hub / Orange Line Terminus • Chatsworth Industrial Center • Los Angeles Pierce College • Northridge Mall Retail Center • Cal State Northridge • 28,000 students • 3,300 faculty and staff • Van Nuys • Served by Rapid Bus / Orange Line connection • Van Nuys Blvd. Government Center • Los Angeles Valley College • Sherman Oaks / Encino Commercial District RR-02-2004-10-15-Presentation #1

  17. Burbank and Glendale • Burbank Airport • Approx 400,000 passengers per month • Source: Burbankairport.com • Burbank • Major entertainment industry employment • Bus to Media Center employment • Close to Media District • Downtown Media City Center retail / entertainment • Glendale • Employment center • Trolley to Metrolink station is under study • Source: Daily News: Sept 1, 2004 RR-02-2004-10-15-Presentation #1

  18. Regional Rail from Union Station to South Bay • Would use MTA Harbor Sub Division (HSD) • Owned by MTA • Would require: • Flyover at Redondo Junction over the Alameda Corridor • Refurbish and upgrade track to bi-directional • Stations • Grade crossing improvements / full separations • Potential direct service from S.F. Valley to South Bay • Establish rail as commuter service of choice • Major speed advantage on long distance regional trips • Comparable bus service trip times are prohibitive RR-02-2004-10-15-Presentation #1

  19. Potential Stations • Long Beach Blue Line (interchange at Slauson) • 70,000 boarders per day • 40 minutes to Downtown Long Beach • Inglewood City Center • LAX / Imperial at Aviation • Proposed Intermodal Transportation Center • Fast “People mover” to Los Angeles International Airport • Interchange with Green Line, bus services • LAX and El Segundo employment • 55 million passengers in 2003(www.lawa.org) • Daytime population of 70,000 in El Segundo(www.elsegundo.org) • 59,000 jobs on or near LAX(www.lawa.org) • South Bay • Bus connections to Beach Cities • Walk to employment centers RR-02-2004-10-15-Presentation #1

  20. Metro Rail and the South Bay - Today • Green Line offers the “ride to nowhere” • No useful connections to beaches • Shunned by Beach City governments • We don’t want “those people” here • Not enough to excite South Bay residents • Affluent • Car owners • Concerns • Convenience • Timeliness • Safety Impressive but underused stations Welcome to the South Bay! RR-02-2004-10-15-Presentation #1

  21. Metro Rail - South Bay to Union Station • Tortuous journey to Union Station • 23 stops • Approximately 100 minutes • Two changes of train • Wait in Freeway median at Rosa Parks • 85 decibel noise • Personal decision • “No” to a $150K job in Burbank • “No” to commute from South Bay Why was it built this way? A simple sound barrier would have helped. RR-02-2004-10-15-Presentation #1

  22. Regional Rail and the South Bay • Fast, comfortable ride to important employment destinations: • LAX ITC (one stop) • Downtown Los Angeles (four stops) • Glendale (five stops) • Burbank (six stops) • Enough to excite South Bay residents or governments • Get serious about local feeder connections • Voila, Regional Rail can take you to the beach RR-02-2004-10-15-Presentation #1

  23. Case B - High Energy Prices - Passenger Miles per Gallon • Current Metrolink trains compare very favorably with other means of transport RR-02-2004-10-15-Presentation #1

  24. Bart Reed, The Transit Coalition: Ed Tennyson wrote me about this specific topic. He may provide us with good info. Electrification Option • Successful Metrolink lines may be electrified if and when xeconomic conditions are appropriate • Benefits of electrification • Higher person miles per gallon equivalent • Combined cycle generation more efficient than diesel • Electricity generated from fuels other than oil/gas • Coal • Nuclear • Renewables • No local pollution • Lower maintenance • Longer depreciation periods • Faster and quieter operation RR-02-2004-10-15-Presentation #1

  25. ConclusionsSome Benefits of Regional Rail • Fast, comfortable, viable transit alternative to auto • Expands a concept already proven to be popular • Eases long commutes • Allows reading, relaxation during commute • Uses existing infrastructure and ROW • Upgrade of infrastructure benefits goods movement • Removes trucks from the road • Leverages and enhances other transit investments • Energy efficient transportation in an era of much more expensive energy • Especially transportation fuels (oil and gas) • Can be electrified • Traffic mitigation RR-02-2004-10-15-Presentation #1

  26. Traffic mitigation • Some possible journey times with Regional Rail, including xuse of the Harbor Sub Division. • Northridge to LAX ITC, 70 minutes • South Bay to Glendale, 40 minutes • LAX ITC to Burbank Airport, 45 minutes • Glendale to Northridge, 30 minutes • Santa Clarita to Norwalk, 80 minutes • Chatsworth to Cal State Los Angeles, 55 minutes • Ontario Airport to LAX ITC, 100 minutes • Sources: Metrolinktrains.com, and our estimates of 30 minutes from Union Station to LAX, 10 minutes from LAX to South Bay. • Result: for many, a viable alternative to Freeways • Routes 5, 101, 118, 170 and 405 from Valley • Routes 105, 110 and 405 from South Bay RR-02-2004-10-15-Presentation #1

  27. Goal • Work with an MTA Board Member to get the Harbor Sub Division included in the Metrolink Strategic Plan. • Specifically … we would like the LA County Transportation Authority Regional Planning Department to request that the Metrolink Strategic Plan include a possible extension to LAX and the South Bay Galleria down the Harbor Sub Division . RR-02-2004-10-15-Presentation #1

  28. Regional Rail: The Missing Link12463 Telfair Ave. * Sylmar, CA 91342-3736 * V: (818) 367-1661 * F: (818) 362-7997www.transitcoaltion.org * www.regionalrail.org * www.friendsofmetrolink.orgPrepared by Andrew Shaddock and Bart Reed RR-02-2004-10-15-Presentation #1

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