Dana Gabbard
Recent Posts
Memo to Metro: “Additional Details” on Bus Cuts AWOL – Updated
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(Update: As noted in the comments section, The Source linked to an update on January 13th in a short article on that site. Anyone interested in reading that update can do so here: http://www.metro.net/around/service-enhancements/metro-service-enhancements-proposed/) Metro states in its notice for the upcoming public hearings on its service change proposals for June 2011 or later that […]
Metro’s Conan Cheung Updates on Next 18 Months of Service Planning
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Metro’s Deputy Executive Officer of Service Planning and Scheduling Conan Cheung made nearly identical updates on service planning at the agency to the November 13th meeting of Southern California Transit Advocates and the November 17th meeting of Metro’s Citizens’ Advisory Council. Those who are unfamiliar with Metro’s practice of semi-annual service changes (known as “shake-ups”) […]
Mobility 21: Another View
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Gloria Ohland’s overview of the recently held 9th Annual Southern California Transportation Summit certainly provides a neat snapshot of the livability aspects of the event. But a lot else was going on, which is no surprise for such a large event, and I have some observations of my own from attending. The great irony is […]
Gabbard: Vote Yes on 22
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(Note: As we did in 2008, Streetsblog encourages the submission of op/eds about the ballot propositions on the November ballot. Have something transportation related to say? Feel free to email me at damien at streetsblog dot org. None of these op/eds should be considered an endorsement by Streetsblog.) Proposition 22 is the latest salvo in […]
This Weekend is the AltCar Expo in Santa Monica
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Friday and Saturday Oct. 1st & 2nd the 5th annual AltCar Expo will be held at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium. Admission is free. A map of the venue are on the event’s website along with a map showing which Big Blue Bus routes serve the site and a page extolling the free bike valet. […]
Subway Critics Attacks Based on Faulty Logic
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Earlier this month the L.A. Times headlined its coverage of the release by Metro of the draft environmental studies for the Purple Line westward extension “Proposed Westside subway will do little to relieve traffic congestion, report shows” as if this was a searing revelation. Just proof again of the sad decline of the Times these past few […]
What Just May Drive High Speed Rail to Reality
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About 10 years ago I attended a meeting of local activists held at the Southern California Association of Governments to hear a presentation about the proposed high speed rail network. This was back when few people were aware such an effort was underway. Attendance was heavily grassroots and environmentally oriented. Few present had knowledge of […]
Another Frantic Period of Transit-Related Meetings Is Upon Us
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Well, here we are on the cusp of another compressed period of hyper activity with multiple transportation meetings being held in the next 10 days or so. Here are the details: Wednesday, September 22, 2010 is the groundbreaking for the reconstruction of the El Monte Transit Center. 8:30am-9:00am is the Pre-Event Public Preview while the actual […]
TAP is being fixed, but the turnstile debacle will not go away
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Union Station. Photo: Jim91773/Flickr You might have noticed there has recently been much media attention centered on the problems of Metro’s TAP system and the gating of some of the Metro Rail stations. It all started when reporter Troy Anderson at the Daily News stumbled across this long festering situation that has been the object […]
Busway Linkage Obsession Puzzler
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Image: Metro I was recently cruising the web and came across a query posted on Curbed L.A. about the stub end of the Harbor Transitway north of Adams and whether there are any plans to extend it. Dredging up memories of events over the years relating to the topic I posted two monster sized paragraphs […]
Amtrak Customer Advisory Committee Recruiting Southern Californians
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A few years ago I joined Amtrak’s Guest Rewards program, which every month sends an e-mail showing my current point total. These also include a few tidbits of the latest Amtrak news. This is how I learned Amtrak’s Customer Advisory Committee (ACAC) is currently recruiting new committee members to fill impending vacancies from several areas, […]
Transit Saturday: Plan with the BRU or Explore Torrance Transit with SO.CA.TA
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Photo:bedlambalticavenue/flickr Saturday two transit events will be occurring that may be of interest, and by coincidence both commence at 9:30 a.m. The Bus Riders Union will have its monthly meeting at Immanuel Presbyterian Church (on Wilshire two blocks west of Vermont) with a light breakfast served at 9:30 a.m. followed by the meeting at 10 a.m. The […]