Readers of this blog (there are one or two) know that I often write about transportation issues, including mass transit. So I thought it was a bit odd that I never, ever rode public transportation in all of my time…
Riding the Expo Line
Category: Transportation
Reimagining L.A. Rail
While I am an advocate of public transportation, I have written several times against the Wilshire subway, arguing that a single East-West line with nearly no connections to other train lines would be virtually useless. So instead of my usual…
Staggered Left Turn Lanes
From the transportation files of “good idea in theory, bad in practice” comes the staggered left turn lanes. Not only are they a bad idea, they are potentially dangerous. Most intersections are symmetrical; the left turn lanes are exactly in…
Bad Idea: Extended Green Lights
Los Angeles has allegedly synced its traffic lights, but now the city has another problem to fix — extended green lights. On the surface, it seems like a good idea — make the green lights longer on major streets where…
Doing Bicycle Lanes Right
I think it is great that a bicycling wave is hitting Los Angeles; after all, our weather is perfect for year-round cycling as a way of commuting. The city has responded by installing miles and miles of bike lanes. However,…
Los Angeles Syncs Traffic Lights? Nope
So I was out of town when, with the flick of a switch a couple of weeks ago, Mayor Villaraigosa allegedly synced every traffic light in our fair city. My first reaction was “I’ll believe it when I seen it.”…
Crosswalk Buttons in Los Angeles; Why?
When I first moved to Los Angeles I was waiting on a corner to cross the street when the light turned green, but the crosswalk signal did not. I waited, figured it was a delayed walk signal. Much to my…
MegaBus: L.A. to Vegas or S.F. for $1!
Megabus and its insanely low fares are back in Los Angeles. Now you will be able to get to Las Vegas or San Francisco for just one dollar. Megabus was dubbed “megabust” during its first incarnation in the Southland in…
Terrible Fairfax & 6th Intersection
Here’s one intersection to avoid — 6th Street and Fairfax, specifically if you are going East on 6th. It is a nightmare. A few years ago apparently as part of The Grove Traffic Mitigation Plan, the city installed a short median…
Culver City Steps Needs Crosswalk
I have raved about the Culver City Steps several times in these pages. I was back there last weekend and I realized that something major is missing — a crosswalk. There is plenty of street parking on Jefferson, but you…