Sigh. Not again.
For the fifth time in the past three years, torrential rains have interrupted service on Metrolink and the Pacific Surfliner in Orange County due to a crumbling coastal bluff in San Clemente. As of yesterday, no timeline was set for service to resume.
The Orange County Transportation Authority has already undertaken several short-term measures to shore up the hillside and protect the only passenger rail corridor connecting San Diego and Los Angeles, but a long-term fix will likely require rerouting service through an inland tunnel. The cost of that undertaking is in the billions of dollars, and is years away from happening.
The problems in San Clemente, as well as the struggle to regain pre-pandemic ridership levels on Metrolink and San Diego's Coaster, have prompted new calls to consolidate and reform the currently fragmented governance of the LOSSAN rail corridor between San Diego and San Luis Obispo.
View of the new Rosecrans Avenue BridgeMetro
In better news for the LOSSAN corridor, Metro announced the completion this week of the $156-million Rosecrans Avenue Bridge in Santa Fe Springs. The 581-foot-long bridge removes an at-grade rail crossing which has been identified as one of the most dangerous in California, with an estimates 45,000 vehicles and 135 trains passing through daily. Between 2013 and 2019, the California Public Utilities Commission has records of 31 collisions between trains and motorists, resulting in six deaths and seven injuries.
Here's what we're reading this week:
We asked; You voted! Introducing the Southeast Gateway Line, our new name for the West Santa Ana Branch (WSAB) Corridor Project "This name was submitted by multiple people and garnered over 4500 votes. We can only speculate why it resonated so much, but we suspect that the access and opportunities that the light rail line will bring to the 1.4 million+ people who inhabit the Gateway communities (South Gate, Huntington Park, Bellflower, Paramount, and many more) has a lot to do with it. " (The Source)
Environmental Reviews Are Holding Up New Affordable Housing In LA, Despite Mayor's Promise "Other complaints have centered on perceived impacts to nearby property values and neighborhood crime levels. Manhattan Beach resident Allen Pachtman owns an apartment building next to the proposed 44-unit building. He helped organize the CEQA appeal filed by a group calling itself Missouri Avenue Neighbors." (LAist)
Former L.A. Councilman Jose Huizar sentenced to 13 years in prison in corruption case "Former Los Angeles City Councilmember Jose Huizar was sentenced Friday to 13 years in prison for his role in a sprawling set of criminal schemes that involved cash payouts, casino chips at Las Vegas hotels and other bribes from developers seeking to build glittering downtown high-rises." (LA Times)
Looking North on Alameda Street from Main StreetLA ART
L.A. Councilmember wants to pause Dodger gondola project traffic study "Hernandez, whose First District includes neighborhoods of downtown Los Angeles, including Dodger Stadium, wants to pause the proposal until the Department of Transportation completes an assessment of Dodger Stadium traffic and accessibility. The proposed gondola would require using public land and airspace, flying over Los Angeles State Historic Park." (Eastsider)
Proposed CA bill would electronically restrict cars from going over speed limit "Another part of the measure would require large trucks to install side guards to prevent pedestrians, cyclists, or other vehicles from getting sucked underneath the truck during a crash." (ABC 7)
Rent prices are down in California’s largest cities, except one "In California’s largest city, however, rent prices were up year-over-year. The analysis found that Los Angeles saw median rents rise to $3,515 per month in December, 4% higher than December 2022." (KTLA)
At New Wilshire Subway Stations, Metro Ignoring L.A. City Street Standards "Metro rail construction appears to follow city street standards only when they mandate increasing car capacity, not when standards mandate safety and walkability" (Streetsblog LA)
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