south of the LAX Transit Center via Airport TRANSIT UPDA TES BI, Century and Aviation. Culver City #6 also serves the new "Bridge Access to the platforms at Union Station Mall" on Howard Hughes Parkway. will be limited to the pedestrianl tunnels per the January Mat1lersnewsletter. The EI Segundo shuttle as·of Sept. 2001 [The catering tru~k will still be available but added three more stops and now runs new gates wiJIliJlTlitaccess for vehicles and an extra half hour, from 11:30 a.m. to 2 pedestrians .. ' p.m. (this information supplied by a cliPWingfrom J.K. Drummond) Santa Monica Big Blue Bu~ is holding a Drummond also reports that Palos Verdes series of meetings dealing with route Transit plans to acquire three new, larger changes and a possible fare increase this buses:.Several PVTransit runs are at summer. PJI'oposedchanges are·: capacity now• • increased service (including more frequent service later' at night) on #1, 2, 7 SantalClarita Transit now serves a new and 12 ' transit center, located near Valencia! • fewer trips on #10 to Main/Pine due to McBeanParkway. This facility replaces the low ridership , existing temporary transit center located • #13 would serve Pico to Cheviot Hills on Citrus. All regular local bus routes, as only well as express routes #790, 795 and • new #15 would serve Olympic, Sawtelle some #793 trips will be routed to the new and the V.A. Hospital (with a possible transit center. This witt,cause changes in extension south to Venice BI.) current schedule times by up to five minutes. Culver City Bus has e,aended its Route #6 (Sepulveda Blvd) to serve the Aviation Metro Green Line station. ~uses continue

Cecil Carpio attended the Dec. 7 SCAG MEMBERS IN ACTION Transportation Conformity Working Feb. 2,the Railroad PassengerAssociiation Group meeting. of California has its annuaEmeeting at the Santa' Ana Amtrak station '(we will have a Ken Rubell', Alan Michelson, Mark Panitz, report John Ullo1thon the program in next: Charles Hobbs and Anthony Lo~i month's. newsletter). Members'. attending attended t~e Jan. 26 included Woody Rosner, Dana Gabbard, community meeting at the Ken Edwards John Ulloth, Bart Reed, Barry Christensen, center. Dana Gabbard and Ken Ruben Jerry Pass, Eric Griswold, Kirk Schneider attended the Jan. 29 meeting at the. main and Ken Ruben. Kirk and Ken were elected Santa Monica library. Joe Dunn participated Directors during the business part of the in the Feb. 1meeting at Tom Bradley Youth meeting. and Family Center.•

Page 2 THE TRANSIT ADVOCATE February 2002 PCH exploration.

New MTA system maps are available for free at Nix Check Cashing locations. For the· one nearest you call (310) 538• 2242, ext. #301.

The Riversidle Transit Agency is holding a series of Public Meetings to gather Our thanks: to the many members who community input on proposed short-term promptly renewed their membership for route adjustments and long-term transit 2002. A special thanks to those able to needs, as well as the location of Park 'n' include an additional donation to Rides and Transit Centters. Dates, times assist our burgeoning activities. and locations are listed in the Calendar. Comments may be submitted to RTA via Dan Leavitt of the California High Speed e-mail ([email protected] ), Rail Authority is the guest speaker mail (RTA Planning Department at the Sierra Club Angelus Chapter P.O. Box 59968, Riverside, CA 92517) or Transportation Committee Tuesday Feb. phone [(909) 565-5164]. 12. The meeting starts at 7 p.m. and non Sierra Club members are welcome to Access Services, Inc. (the ADA mandated attend. This is at the Chapters' office, paratransit provider for L.ACounty) will 3435 Wilshire Blvd Suite 320 (one be holding community meetings on block east of the Red Line Normandie proposed changes to its services:: station). Wednesday Feb. 13 At our January meeting Tim Fox of 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Viacom Decaux LLC made a presentation Braille Institute on the streetscape contract his company 714 N. Vermont Ave. (at Melrose), has with the City of , Los Angeles followed by a question and answer session. Tim promised to return at a Wednesday Feb. 13 future meeting with a status report on 6 p.m.-8 p.m. implementation ..We hope at our Marrch West Covina Senior Center meeting to have John Catoe of MTA as 2501 E. Cortez Ave., West Covina our speaker. A workshop on freight movement along Also at the January meeting we endorsed the Interstate 10 corridor will be: held the Alliance for a New Tramsportation Wednesday Feb. 13 in the MTA Board Charter. Further details: Room (3rd floor of MTA's headquarters http://www.transact.org building at Gateway Transit Cent~r) frrom 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Further information: At our Feb. 9 meeting we hope to set (866) 441-0'399. (to page 10) dates for our first two study tours of the year: the 2002 night owl trip and the

February 2002 http:// socata .Ierctr.org Page 3 prospects during the drafting of TEA3 she noted given new financial realities it is unlikely the new bitl will be larger than the current TEA-21.

Also at the CAC,meeting several members who recently underwent Passenger Count Training and spent a day in the field reported on their experiences. This is the same training BRU members underwent to produce point-check data for evaluating On behalf of our members I sent a letter consent decree compliance. The to expressing consensus of the participants was our appreciation at their reaching an producing counts is more difficult than it agreement with MTA to accept MTA perhaps seems at first glance and their passes on all their Jines. Way to go, experiences made them question the Montebello! accuracy of the counts MTA and the court are currently relying on. Unexpectedly Senator Alarcon revised his moribund MTA Board reform legislation Karen Ruben's "Bus Station Blues" in the (Senate Bill 18) and arranged for it to be Jan. 22 San Gabriel Valley Tribune on the heard by the Transportation Committee. EI Monte Bus Station quoted me on the he new version was a weird hodgepodge deplorable condition of the bathrooms and with one provision mandating a seat on how important the facility is (" ... the the MTA Board be reserved for a anchor of the most successful representative of the Bus Riders Union! transportation project in the past quarter• Consulting with our Executive Committee I century in Los Angeles County".) prepared and faxed a letter of opposition Thankfully is undertaking a which was duly noted in the analysis of long overdue renovation of the station, the bill. Thankfully Senate Transportation including a revived transit store. Bravo to Committee chair Kevin Murray arranged Foothill! for a further amending of the bill to instead have it mandate a study of the I had great fun at the Jan. 24 US 101 composition of the MTA Board. Hey, we Freeway Corridor Community Workshop may even support that! held at Los Angeles City College mingling with consultants, agency staff, interested Claudette Moody, Director of MTA residents, etc. (another attendee was Government Relations, made an excellent member Isa Meksin). I was puzzled at one presentation at the MTA Citizen's Advisory entry in a list of already approved transit Council Jan. 23 meeting. She stated improvements in the corridor called the opposition by the local Congressional Westlake Community Based Intercept delegation seems to have aborted any Intermodal Facility. Eventually one of the action on the GAO recommendation to consultants explained they had found it on reallocated L.A. County transportation the list of Items receiving funding from corridor funding. Regarding our region's MTA's Call for projects. The only other

Page 4 THE TRANSIT ADVOCATE February 2002 tidbit they 4:ould offer was the project had?' is the most in-depth and knowledgeable been submitted for funding by the city of I've encountered in the popular press. Los Angeles. A subse«juent search of the LA. City Council! File Index revealed this I had to guffaw at L.A. County Supervisor is a project at MacArthur Park Red Line Zev Yaroslavsky using words like "bolki" station near where I live! But what is its and "courageous" in soundbite comments status? appearing in the Jan. Metro.politan Irwestment Report offering predictions for Interesting Board Member Comment of the coming year. Yes, we need those the month: Foothill Transit Executive attributes in our leaders. Sadly lev (ever Board Vice-President Bob Huff in the ready to swiing whichever way the political minutes of the Dec. 1.4 meeting is winds blow) is the last person one would recordled as stating that the Executive expect to exhibit such attributes. Instead Board"s fiduciary duty is to provide glOod Zev is 4:urrently pompously pontificatting service at a reasonable price, contrary to and posturing that the San Fernando the contractor's objective to remain valley Transit Zone will continue apace profitable. He noted that the Board's duty even though it is now obvious reality (and is not personal but good business, and realistic financial numbers) are quickly that a contractor's service is not consigning this misguided effort to indispensable. oblivion.

Posted on our website is the text of a Jan. Laugh of the month: here comes another 1.6 letter I sent MTA regarding the 3rd tier magic bullet transportation solution - concept. The gist of ill was a desire to - AVT Train (http://www.avt-train.com/). A have this component of the long Ramge high-speed train that runs parallel to Plan evaluated to make sure we have a freeways on elevated guideways carrying firmer grasp of what we can and cannot autos as cargo long distances. And they expect from it. claim to be able to do it at a profit. Words fail me. John Ulloth and I sat down after the Feb. 2 RailPAC meetimg we both attended I'll end this month by noting the recent and discussed prelimiinary concepts for passing Of Dr. Stephen B. Dobrow, one of the first phase of the the pioneers of transit advocacY who was campaign. John hopes to have prototypes involved with tramsit issues in the New at our Feb.9 meeting that we can look York area for 40 years; and founded the ewer during the work session after the Committee for Better Transit. _ main meeting.

Those wishing to monitor the situation at Amtrak are advised to consult the writings of journalist Don Phillips at the Washington Post (http://www.washingtonpost.com) . Member Ken Ruben brouglllt Phillips' reporting to my attention and It certainly

February 2002 http://socata.lerctr.org Page 5 SANTA. MONICA• Or at least that was my original plan. After seeing several MTA #4's glOby, without a ORANGE COUNTY SMMBL #1 in sight, 1 took one of the MTA ADVENTURE PT 1. buses. It was a bit of a trick because at Bundy/Santa Monica,. SMMBL stops nearside but MTA stops farside. Luckily the (Charles P. Hobbs) MTA driver let me on at the SMMBL stop. The #4 was about 1/4 full, mostly with It was; supposed to be a quick trip over the senior citizens, as we cruised down hill to Santa Monica (for one of their Santa Monica BI to downtown Santa service change meetings) and then via Monica. Culver CityBus to the Aviation Green Line station (to try out their new route). After Downtown itself was a bit of a nness, with that I'd ride back to Downtown LA, and construction of the Transit Mall (due to then, on the way back to the Valley, stop open in Mar-Apr 2002). But I picked my by the new Hollywood/Highland! mall. But ... way around all the barricades and made my way to the SMMBl meeting at the Ken I started around 8 a.m. with a Rapid Bus Edwards Center. (#750) along Ventura BI. ] got on at VictoryfTopanga, and! we went around the The meeting was no great shakes. Several block to the next stop down at Burbank BI. SO.CA.TA members (I saw Antlllony Loui, After about 10 minutes, a bus (not the Ken Ruben, Alan Michelson, and Mark forward-most one, however) loaded us, Panitz) were there, as well as SMMBL and we continued the trip. The bus filled officials and the general public. The biggest up at the Topanga!Ventura BI stop. changed involved creating a new Line #15 down Sawtelle and Olympic. (SMMBl might I got off at Sepulveda to wait for the #561 consider extending it to Venice BI if UCLA to West LA. After about 15 minutes, one keeps the "BrulnGo" student passes in showed up. I rode down to the Getty effect. There was also talk about the Center stop, then transferred to the Santa transit mall project). Monica #14. There were only a couple other riders on this bus until 1got off at After the meeting was over (It was around Santa Monica BI, to await their route #1. 11:00 or so), I walked along the 3rcll St.

STOP ANNOUNCEMENTS--COURTESY OR REQUIREMENT? '(from Transit Times Jan. 2002 published well as major intersections and any stop by Action Committee for Transit in requested Il>ya disabled passenger. The Maryland, reprinted by permission) rules allows an announcement to be made by personal voice if the vehicle is small Up to a decade ago, stop announcements enough to be aooible' otherwise the vehicle 00 fixed route transit systems were a must have a public address system. Some courtesy; it has been a requirement since' bus systems, e.g., Albuquerque's SunTran, the Americans with Disabilities Act [49 CFR have external speakers mounted so that 37.167] was enacted to meet the needs of the visually impaired can hear the route the visually impaired. These stops include number and destinatiion before boarding. _ transfer points (inter- or Intra- modal) as

Page 6 THE TRANSIT ADVOCATE February 2002 ~---- -T_- _ 'Promenade. Frankly~ I liked it less than 1m O:c. for' a while, maybe I'll go check it ' years past: fewer places to eat, more out. 1 boarded the nearly-full bus, flashed high-end boutiques, expensive my pass and paid $1 for the Orange restaurants and mall-type stores; County fare; the driver gave me an fewel1'street performers and more bums Orange County transfer. and people soliciting for charities of one sort or another. The farmers market was At Norwalkr a couple of skateboard kids, pretty cool, though. 1 walked away from who were headed for Knotts Berry Farm, the Promenade and had lunch on Santa got on. Three more got on along Monica BI, near one of the new transit Imperial. So all five were in the back of shelters (think an ultra-artsy-craftsy the bus, with their boards, chatting about version of the Rapid Bus shelters, done skateboards and stickers and such. We up in silver). It didn't look like it would do didn't pick up too mamymore passengers a good job of actually sheltering anyone as we stair-stepped through Norwalk at the bus stop from the weather (this toward the 1-5 freeway. 1say about 1/2 was another point of discussion at the of the passengers got off in Buena Park, meeting). and the rest got off at the end of the line at Disneyland. Anyway, 1 took a MTA #4 (there still didn't seem to be too many SMMBL#1's Since the last time I was there, the out) and rode to Sepulveda BI; there, 1 Disneyland bus stop had been improved transferred to Culver Citybus #6. This considerably. It was on Harbor Blvd, bus was Ii~htly loaded, except between where aCTA buses also stopped. The Venice and Fox Hills Mall, whemit carried monorail occasionally glided just over our a full load. All except for two other heads. Using my transfer, 1 caught passengers got off at the airport:; a third a southbound aCTA #43 (one of the big got on at the "old" post office on Century articulated buses). BI. The #6 followed the same route as SMMIBL#3 and MTA #561 down Aviation And boy, was that big bus needed. The to the Green Line station and boarded an bus was quite full when I boarded, eastboundl Green Line. It was one of and became standing-room only through those snalZZYnew trains, with the yellow Anaheim and Santa Ana. As we entered digital headslgn. Nice. I wished the Blue northern Costa Mesa, it emptied out Line ran these!) considerably thoug h.

Originally, I was thinking about going My original plan was to ride this bus all down to Long Beach, perhaps to ride the way to Newport Beach. then an Aquabus. But I decided to continue on catch the #57 to Brea, and ride #490 to Norwalk. Maybe I'd enter Orange back to LA. But due to all of the service County via Norwalk #4 and aCTA #20, changes in aCTA-land, the #43 now then ride back on the MTA #490. There terminated at ''Triangle Square'", a small would still be plenty of time to do that, shoppling mall In Costa Mesa.To get and get back home at a decent hour... further south would require a transfer to would therre be? (It was around 3 p.m. or #71, which ran every 30-minutes. so now.) At the platform, 1watched as MTA #270, Norwalk #2, and the Long (So .•.did I give up here, or continue on Beach buses arrived and departed. Then to Newport Beach? The answer will be a Line #460 pulled up. It's headsign found in the next issue of The Transit read "Disneyland". Hmm, 1 hadn't been in Advocate!) _

February 2002 http://socata .Ierctr.org Page 7 trains and shuttle riders to further destinations such as the Irvine Business Complex, John Wayne Airport, and UCI. OCTA "big bus" route 70 (on Edinger Ave.) stops just outside the station, with service to Huntington Beach, Mater Dei High School, Irvine Valley College, Irvine Spectrum, Leisure World, and Dana TRANSIT ADVOCATES OF ORANGE Point. By the way, vailid Metrolink tickets COUNTY - Mark Strlckert and Jane Reifer• are also good for rides on all OCTA local 866-476-2282 ext.4, or and in-county express buses on any [email protected] weekday.

WHAT WILL PROPOSITION! 42 DO FOR The Laguna Niguel-Mission Viejo station is TRANSIT? expected to open in spring~ and is already iThe Transit Advocates of Orange County noted on the schedules for both the OC and Auto-Free Orange County invite you and the Inland Empire-OC lines. Said to the second in their'series of transit station will, however, have no StationLink lectures. Come hear what ballot! shuttle service at least at the start. Proposition 42 could do for transit in Orange County, and California in general, ORANGE COUNTY PEDESTRIAN SAFETY should the proposal receive a positive EXPERT SPEAKS response on the March ballot. Prop 42 Rock Miller, a transportation engineer at would require that sales tax from gasoline Katz, Okitsu & Associates of Orange purchases would be earmarked for County, spoke recently at the January fllJnding transportation, such as meeting of the Santa Ana Pedestrian highways, roads, and yes transit. Also Safety Task Force. He is a leading expert included will be an update on transit in pedestrian safety and his studies in projects in Orange County. The lecture will Santa Ana, Santa Monica, and other cities be held on Thursday, February 21, 6-8 have recommended effective ways to pm in the 4th floor meeting room of the improve pedestrian facilities. He also had Santa Ana Amtrak/Metrolink Station. some innovative thoughts on the Volunteers to help out are also welcome! appropriate use of crQlSswalks, and the Safe Routes to Schools program. NEW METROUNIK SERVICE FOR WEST IRVINE--I MEAN, TUSTIN A SUBCOMMITTEE IS MORE THAN JUST A All Orange County and Inland-Empire• GROUP THAT ORDERS SANlDWICHES Orange County Metrolink trains will now The Transit Subcommittee of the OCTA stop at the new Tustin station, which Citizens Advisory Committee recently opened for business on January 21st chose Irv Glasser of the Irvine after several delays. The station, located Transportation Commission, and Jane near Edinger and Jamboree in a quiet Reifer of Transit Advocates of Orange back corner of the city of Tustin, is jwst a County as their chair and vice-chair, 24 minute ride from Fullerton. Dedicated respectively. One of the group's goals StationLink buses 470 and 471 meet far the current year Is.to expand its scope

Page 8 THE TRANSIT ADVOCATE February 2002 'Orange, via the 91 "FasTrak" toll/HOV b~used, possibly incorporating public art .. lanes. This bypasses all the former stops CoincIdentally, Laguna Beach is also along Santa Ana Canyon Road, further looking into installing bus shelters and is cutting local bus service in Anaheim considering opening their bus shelter Canyon. project to local artists in a design competition. PEDESTRIANS FOR UGHT RAIL On Saturday, January 26, several TAOC BUS SHELTERS FOR LAGUNA BEACH? and RaU Advocates members walked the The Parking, Traffic and Circulation the proposed Centerline alignment from Committee of Laguna Beach has started approximately Irvine City Hall to Alton the process of getting bus shelters at bus and Sand Canyon. It was great to see the stops in their city. Many stops are shared alignment "close-up". The study notes by OCTA and Laguna Transit; others (including very detailed alignment maps) within the city are for Laguna Transit are now available; just ask for a copy. only. Jay Laessi, a member of the PTC Thanks to everyone who attended and Committee and also SO.CA.TA, wants the contributed to the successful study tour. shelters to be aesthetic contributions to the town as well as amenities providing BUS SHELTERS FOR DOWNTOWN comfort for riders. His main concern for FULLERTON? the practical comforts for riders is The downtown redevelopment committee that the shelters provide rain and sun recently discussed the issue of whether to protection and have maximum set-back recommend bus shelters on Harbor Blvd. from the curb. Laessi is suggesting that in the downtown. It was decided to the bus shelter design be opened to recommend that they be looked into on a local artists in a design competition. case-by-case basis for appropriateness. , Letters ot"support for new shelters can Special concerns were that the shelters be written to: Laguna Beach City Council, actually provide bus riders with shelter 505 Forest, Laguna Beach, CA 92651. from rain and sun, that they not block business signage or visibility, and Jay Laessi, the Executive Director of Auto• that they not include advertising. It was Free Orange County, can be reached at also recommended that a distinctive style (949) 452-1393 or www.auto-free.net. _

BAXTER ••",,'ARD,, 1919-2002 keptBoardthatof Supervisorsposition untilseat1980,in 1972.when Hehe We have received word that former Los was ousted by Michael Antonovich. Angeles County Supervisor Baxter Ward has passed away at 82. Baxter Ward was known for his early efforts to get rail transit into Los Angeles Baxter Ward was also a broadcast County. He proposed 230-mile, $7-billion system of elevated trains, called the ~ournalist, getting his start at a Seattle radio station when he was 16. His Sunset Coast Line. Although the voters broadcasting career took him to rejected it in 1976 and a more modest Washington DC, and then to Los Angeles, version in 1978, another of his projects, a where he became a news director and short-lived commuter train between Los anchorman for two TV stations until 1969. Angeles and San Diego, was somewhat more successful. Arguably, these early He entered political life in 1969, losing a efforts paved the way for the transit mayoral election, but winning a County projects we have now. _ February 2002 http://socata .Ierctr.org Page 9 :...:::t (Bulletin Board, from pg. 3) rules for transit buses can be placed on a There will also be an Openl House in San notification list bye-mailing Bernardino on Tuesday Feb. 19 at the [email protected] and mention rule County of San Bernardino Administration PNRl1192. Building. The Public ~tilities Commission maintains Thursday Feb. 21 SCAG and information only lists for Interested CongresswG>ma~ Juanita Mlillender• members of the public to receive rulings McDonald, who sits on the House and decisions on matters Committee on Transportation and before theagenc:y for free. The Pasadena Infrastructure, are sponsoring a Regional Gold Line grade crossing applications are Transportation Summit at Carson no.00-l0-Q12 et al. Requests to be placed Community Center (3 Civic: Plaza) in on its list can be sent to the PUC Process

Carsori from 8 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. Further Office A 505 Van Ness Ave.# San Francisco imformation: Charlotee Eckelbecker, (213) CA 94102. 236-1811. Congratulations to the Action Committee In the near' future (date and place to be for Transit of Maryland for adding set) SCAG and i~s Regional Transit over 500 new members during the past :Task Force will be holding a Transit year with an aggressiWe outreach effort. Funding Workshop. Also kudos to Mary Harris of Thousamd Oaks, long-time transportation Smart: Growth Without Borders is a summit activist on Ventura County issues, who has being held by the San Diego . been appointed to the Ventura Association of Governments on FridaiY County Transportation Commission's March 8 from 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Citizens' Transportation Advisory the San Diego Marriott Hotel. Further Committee/Social Services Advisory imformation: http://www.sandag.org or Coundl. (619) 595-5300. As always, The Transit Advocate needs Pepperdine University's Graziadlio School of articles, letters, Transit Tips, photographs Business and Management offers a and research from all members and :Transit and Para-Transit Management interested mon-members. All materials Program leading to a certificate. For should be sent to 3010 Wilshire #362, Los further details call Trithelle at (310) 568• Angeles, CA 90010. (or e-mailed to 2388. transitt@lerami. lerctr.org). Material for publication should be received two weeks Those wishing to monitor tthe Air Quality before the scheduled SO.CA.TA meeting. _ Management District's changes to

. ' Page 10 THE TRANSIT ADVOCATE February 2002