It's not Groundhog Day, but the rail corridor which shuttles Metrolink and Pacific Surfliner trains through San Clemente is set to reopen for passenger service (again) on Monday, July 17.
A Pacific Surfliner trainWikimedia Commons
This follows the latest round of emergency work to shore up the crumbling coastal bluff which sits above the tracks, this time by construction a temporary barrier. Work on a separate stabilization project to protect the tracks roughly two miles away is also proceeding.
Passenger rail service on the corridor has been halted intermittently this year, first on April 27 when the slope behind the Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens began to slide. After a brief resumption of service in late May, additional destabilization of the hillside prompted a closure not long afterward on June 5. Those interruptions follow a separate closure after the heavy rains of December 2022 and January 2023, which Amtrak to suspend all Surfliner service until February.
A permanent fix to this issue involves relocation, rather than repair. Transportation officials are looking to replace the endangered seaside tracks in San Clemente with a new rail tunnel which could cost $4 billion.
In better news for Metrolink, the agency is extending service on the Ventura County Line to serve Ventura-Downtown/Beach Station from Friday, July 21 through Sunday, July 23 to help visitors reach the 2023 X Games at the Ventura County Fairgrounds.
“I am excited that fans from across Southern California can ride Metrolink’s Ventura County Line to and from the 2023 X Games at the Ventura County Fairgrounds,” Metrolink CEO Darren Kettle said. “Thanks to our affordable Metrolink ticket options and the recent addition of trains, along with expanded Sunday service on the Ventura County Line corridor, our riders can reap the benefits and attend this exciting event or just go explore Ventura Beach.”
Check it out using Metrolink's $10 Weekend Day Pass, which allows for unlimited rides system-wide on the date of purchase. That ticket can go even further for families using the Kids Ride Free on Weekends deal, which allows each fare-paying adult to bring up to three guests 17 years of age and younger along for free.
Project area for Venice Boulevard Safety and and Mobility ProjectLADOT
If you have some free time next weekend, head to the Westside, where LADOT and CicLAvia will be offering guided group bike rides along Venice Boulevard between National and Sepulveda Boulevards, as well as routes into the surrounding community. The purpose of the event is to celebrate (and show off) the new stretch of bus-only and protected bike lanes along the corridor, which made their debut in June.
Venice Boulevard: Explore the Corridor will be held on Sunday, July 23, from 2-6 p.m.
Here's what we're reading this week:
‘Heat dome’ will hit Southern California with triple-digit highs, fire danger "The warmest areas will be in the valleys, the San Fernando Valley foothills and the Los Angeles County mountains. Woodland Hills could see a high of 107 degrees on Saturday." (LA Times)
Eyes on the Street: Culver City’s New Higuera Street Bridge "Culver's Higuera Street Bridge replacement project widened the bridge including widened sidewalks, plus added a new access ramp to the Ballona Creek path below, new protected bike lanes, and a new mid-bridge belvedere" (Streetsblog LA)
How LA Failed to Stop Landlords From Turning Low-Cost Housing Into Tourist Hotels "Fifteen years ago Los Angeles passed a law to preserve residential hotels as housing of last resort. Now, amid the homelessness crisis, Capital & Main and ProPublica found some hotels may be violating that law by offering rooms to tourists." (LAist)
If you live, work or recreate in #DelRey, grab your bike and check out the new protected bike lanes installed on Glencoe Ave! (LADOT Twitter)
Route of the La Brea Avenue Bus Priority LanesMetro
Three Thoughts on the Under Construction La Brea Bus Lanes "What's great about La Brea and other bus-only lanes is that they are cheap and quick - but could they be even cheaper and quicker?" (Streetsblog LA)
Owners of empty Southern California offices pivoting to apartments, warehouses "Remote work continues to wreak havoc on the office market, pushing vacancy rates to their highest level in years and causing building values to plummet." (Daily News)
This is 30: On the watershed rail-enabling 1970s ballot measure that you’ve probably never heard of "Much has been written about the complex technical and political dimensions of rail development in Los Angeles. But I would argue that Bradley’s early vision and political will to secure enactment of Proposition 5 was a watershed moment that deserves special recognition. Not only did it make much-needed initial funding available, but it created a solid foundation for future transit decision-makers for the next 50 years." (The Source)
Interior of 7th Street/Metro Center StationWikimedia Commons
LA Metro explains why service on the A and E Lines has been backed up through Downtown this week (LA Metro Twitter)
With eviction moratorium lapsed, L.A. County moves to pass new renter protections "L.A. County supervisors vowed Tuesday to shift the power dynamic, tapping their attorneys to draft an ordinance that would provide certain tenants in unincorporated parts of the county with lawyers during eviction proceedings. The board unanimously approved a motion that gives county staff 10 months to write an ordinance guaranteeing that these at-risk tenants have an attorney helping them navigate the labyrinth of local landlord-tenant law." (LA Times)
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