Damien Newton
Recent Posts
West Hollywood Officially Launches WeHo Pedals, Region’s Newest Bike-Share
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Yesterday at noon, the City of West Hollywood officially launched WeHo Pedals, the fourth bike-share system in the region operated by CycleHop. WeHo Pedals has 150 bicycles at seventeen stations throughout West Hollywood with rates ranging from $7 an hour to a yearly pass at $99. There is currently a discount for the yearly pass, […]
LACBC’s Tamika Butler Honored by Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals
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On Friday, the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition (LACBC) announced that Executive Director Tamika Butler will receive the 2016 Professional of the Year – Nonprofit Sector award from the Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals (APBP). A statement from APBP noted Butler’s growing role as a national leader in the movement to create safer, more […]
A Visual Representation of L.A.’s Rail Growth Under Measure M
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We’re working on a couple of larger stories for later in the week, but in the meantime we thought readers would appreciate this map by Adam Linder. Linder’s map shows how Metro Rail and Metro Rapid Bus will grow in the coming years from where it is now (including lines under construction) to where it would […]
#DamienTalksSGV 16 : Mayor Sam Pedroza and Bike SGV’s Jose Jimenez
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This week, #DamienTalks with Claremont Mayor and Foothill Transit Board Member Sam Pedroza and Bike SGV Education Director Jose Jimenez. The conversation with Mayor Pedroza is pretty wide- ranging, but covers three major areas: the expansion of Livable Streets in Claremont, the flexibility of Foothill Transit as it seeks to maximize the value of its […]
With Legal Challenges Completed, What’s Next in Beverly Hills Subway Drama
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Late Friday afternoon, I was already at a dinner meeting when I heard the news. Metro announced that the most recent, and likely last, lawsuit against the Purple Line Subway Extension under Beverly Hills has been completed. Despite some testy language against the transit agency and the Federal Transit Agency which approved the project, the ruling […]
#DamienTalksSGV 15 – Wes Reutimann and a Big Update on Bikes and Open Streets
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This week, #DamienTalks with Wes Reutimann, the executive director of Bike SGV. The nearly 20 minute interview covers a wide range of topics, from the Union Street protected bikeways plan, to an update on the 626 to, of course, Pokémon Go. Union Street in Pasadena runs parallel to that city’s more famous Colorado Avenue. The city decided […]
#DamienTalksSGV 14 – Metro Board Chair John Fasana and Measure M
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Today #DamienTalks with Metro board chair and Duarte City Councilmember John Fasana. Actually, it is more like #DougTalks, as Doug Lewis completes his internship with us by conducting the majority of our interview with the Metro boss. Earlier this week, the L.A. County Board of Supervisors took the last step in placing what will almost […]
#DamienTalksSGV 13 – Amber Hawkes and a New Wayfinding Campaign
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Welcome back to #DamienTalksSGV. This week, we are discussing a best practice from outside the SGV, a new pedestrian wayfinding signage campaign in Glendale.The campaign combines traditional wayfinding with a call to action to get involved with Glendale’s process to develop a news pedestrian safety plan. Outreach for the campaign includes the signs, a social media […]
California Brings Home Four TIGER Grants, Three for Passenger Rail
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The State of California earned four federal Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grants to improve transportation from the federal government totaling $40 million, Senator Diane Feinstein announced earlier today. “Upgrading our transportation infrastructure is key for economic growth and improving the quality of life for Californians,” said Feinstein in a press release. “Our state is […]
New CA Law Requires Temporary Plates for Newly Purchased Cars
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Via Ted Rogers at Biking in L.A. comes news that the State of California will be joining dozens of other states in requiring all new cars to have temporary 90-day license plates. The goal of the law, A.B. 516, is to make it easier to identify drivers breaking the law, be they toll-lane scofflaws or […]
CAHSR Paints Rosy Picture, but Rail Line Is Still Political Hot Potato
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After years of being beat up on conservative talk radio and in numerous other press outlets, the California High Speed Rail Authority finally hit a positive streak running several months this year. The organization broke ground on a major part of the program in Fresno, cleared a legal hurdle, passed a new business plan that […]
#DamienTalksSGV 12 – Blair Miller and the Case for Reduced Parking Requirements in Pasadena
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Welcome back to #DamienTalksSGV. This week, #DamienTalks with Blair Miller, an organizer with the Pasadena Complete Streets Coalition. Pasadena was scheduled to vote on an ordinance that would have reduced, and in some cases eliminated, “parking requirements for new development near transit” on Monday, July 18. However, late opposition arrived, and the hearing was postponed […]