Metro Green Line Meeting: 4/14/2011

Some Notes from the 4/14/2011 Green Line Extension (GLE) Meeting
William Green Elementary School, Lawndale, CA

There were four types of commenters:
1. Anti GLE in any way
2. Anti GLE in Lawndale
3. Anti GLE on Right of Way (ROW), pro GLE on Inglewood or Hawthorne (most on Hawthorne)
4. Pro GLE in current configuration

The first couple of speakers fell into camps 2 and 1 and got a lot of support from the crowd. Someone from a transportation organization (not the BRU or the Transit Coalition) got up and spoke and was booed resoundingly. Another guy who was 22 was in the #4 camp, and said some poorly worded (and offensive) things and was booed and heckled. Things calmed down somewhat after that but most of the people still were in camps 2 and 3.

People were really concerned about safety.
Some were concerned about other effects (traffic, noise).
A couple mentioned 'inevitable' cost and schedule overruns.

The people in the pro camp talked about how much it would save their personal commutes, thinking about the future (especially the younger commenters), and getting off oil.

A really interesting facet that I was surprised at was how many 'Lawndaliens' felt like this was being rammed down their throats by Redondo Beach. They were very sensitive to perceived benefits going to Redondo (via tax revenue at the South Bay Galleria) and Lawndale bearing the brunt of ill effects because of the route choice.

It also seemed like there is a lot of willful ignorance - not believing anything in Metro's presentations, dubious of studies, etc. A suggestion I wrote on a card was to present a little more data but I'm doubtful it would have swayed many of the people there - especially not at the meeting itself.

Also there were many Lawndale City Council members in attendance but none spoke and it seemed like there was someone taking notes and people's names - maybe a reporter for the Daily Breeze?

My two cents:
Lawndale city leaders could have done themselves a HUGE service but interfacing with both their community and Metro long before the meeting tonight. If the community had been more organized they could have helped influence Metro's analysis of the Hawthorne ROW. For example - if Lawndale were to put a special redevelopment district along Hawthorne BLVD to get more transit oriented development, in areas that they would like stations, and shared that information with Metro before Metro did its ridership analysis, that would have positively affected the Hawthorne corridor ROW analysis. Metro could have also done a better job of engaging the different cities - but I'm late to the process so I'm not sure of the entire history.

Another option would be for Hawthorne and Lawndale to pursue a light rail/streetcar up and down the Hawthorne ROW, independent of Metro, but involve Metro for synergistic effects. Lawndale could also look into pursuing more funding (either grants from State/Fed govt or passing a bond measure) to help Metro choose the Hawthorne route - say a public/private partnership to develop a station and TOD with the developer getting tax breaks, building a station that Metro wouldn't have to, and Lawndale getting some new development to increase the tax base. It seems like they're in reaction mode instead of being proactive.

Metro Link

I want to FlyAway

At one point I thought I had posted about a trip I took on the Metro from Pasadena to El Segundo but it's still sitting in my 'not completed' file. That trip consisted of the Gold Line, Red Line, Blue Line, to the Green. Which was cool because I got to go through Union Station, the 7th Street Metro Center, and the Rosa Parks station. The uncool part was that it took about 1.5 hours and required a separate ticket for each hop (although now I find out they have day passes). Obligatory Metro link.

Today I had a similar mission: get from downtown to the SouthBay. I could have done a similar trip but I wanted to try something I had only read about called the FlyAway bus service. It is operated by Los Angeles Regional Airports and consists of shuttles that go from all the regions airports to Union Station and other population centers. My experience was great. I asked some very nice people at Union Station where the kiosk was and after a short walk and seven dollars I had a ticket in my hand. Buses leave every half hour and although the driver told us that the trip would be longer because it was rush hour it only ended up taking about 35 minutes (and even went over my second favorite interchange: 110 south to 105 west carpool lane - booyah!). I waited longer for my friends to pick me up at the Southwest terminal.

Map of where the FlyAway kiosk is:


View Los Angeles Union Station in a larger map

Also here's are a couple of ideas: how about taking and rating all the different transportation agencies in Southern California? Or how about some enterprising young programmer puts a database together of all the timetables of said agencies along with the cost for different hops and transfers and walking times, uses a little Dijkstra magic, and figures out routes that are either cheapest or fastest (or better yet let you weight each). Kind of like the Metro Trip Planner but cool and useful. Has GoogleMaps done this yet? Actually, can I have that job? Thanks...

Stupid video link even though the stupid record company won't allow embeds

The First Nachos of 2010

With all this talk about resolutions, books, and random lunches I almost forgot about THE FIRST NACHOS OF 2010! First let me set the scene:

My good friend Tannaz, of All Kinds of Yum fame, decided a couple years ago to hold a bake sale, No Cookie Left behind. This is gained a huge following of not only ardent cookie eating supporters but an entire bake sale organizing network. So after the devastating earthquake in Haiti, Heather Taylor of Taylor de Cordoba thought that a fund-raising bakesale for Doctor's Without Borders was a good idea.

Now you might be asking yourself what the heck this has to do with nachos. Never fear, it will become clear in a moment. On the day of the event my sister and a friend made the sojurn from SouthBay up to Scoops to drop off some Ranger Cookies and see of the workers needed any tacos. Because there's a taco stand near scoops. A very delicious taco stand by the name of Tacos El Pastor. Where we got nachos. Very delicious nachos.



It's hard to tell from the picture but the chips are really strange. They are round with the fake nacho-cheese flavoring. Kind of old school - definitely not what I expect at a taco stand that looks super authentic. I definitely wouldn't want those kind of chips on very many orders of nachos but because they were so unusual it turned out to be pretty good. My only other complaint was that the 'chos were a little beany. But the carne was good, the avocado slices were a nice touch (the guac with the tacos was REALLY good), and who doesn't love the ketchup squirt bottle filled with crema? Seriously, WHO DOESN'T LOVE IT?

The Great Long Beach Taco Off Part 2 (2009)

Last year around holiday time I went with some fam (mom, sis, aunt, uncle, cousins, their kids) to the Aquarium of The Pacific in Long Beach. Before we went I had the BRILLIANT idea of having a taco off. Cousin Dave, from Ohio, loves him some Mexican food, especially tacos. So we went to King Taco and Tacos Don Chente in the LBC. It was awesome. His kids liked it, we LOVED it, and we all proceeded to have a wonderful day watching fish (and stuff).

For those interested in how the gringos differentiated: KT had better Asada (which was especially a hit with my little cousin), but we (I) liked Chente's Pastor and salsa bar. Also Chente had a little nicer decor and was less crowded (good for our group) plus we had REALLY REALLY COLD beers (mom's fave). KT is much more of a landmark so I'm suggesting we go there again. But we might to go El Gallo Giro and I'm really going to push for El Taco Loco No 3. More to follow.

And, of course, the obligatory map:


View The Great Long Beach Taco off Part 2 (2009) in a larger map

Oh, and don't think I haven't started thinking about next year: Taqueria La Mexicana and Hole Mole are both on 4th Street - maybe I can get someone interested?

Mexican Hot Dog?!?!?!?!?!?!

Email I just sent to my cousins:

Allright guys, I couldn't find a Mexican Hot Dog stand in Los Angeles. I am VERY familiar with the more traditional 'Heart Attack Dog' which is similar and sold, among other places, outside the Rose Bowl after UCLA football games - it's wrapped in bacon but has more 'American' condiments (mustard, mayo, ketchup, grilled onions and peppers). Basically we have 1 year to either A) find a Mexican Hot Dog stand B) start a Mexican Hot Dog stand.

http://travel.nytimes.com/2009/08/26/dining/26unit.html

What I Did On My Summer Vacation

As the year comes to an end I've been taking inventory of the old blog and noticed that during the Summer my posting fell from my typical inconsistency of ~1 every 7-10 days to 1 in July and none in August. Well it turns out that I was taking 2 classes (1 each at UCLA and USC) and working and not posting. The USC class was my last class in the GIST Certificate program (I'm certified!). A week in Catalina that include lots of hiking, playing with GPS units, and a night snorkel (yeah, it was a-freaking-mazing). The UCLA class was equally awesome - Geography of Los Angeles. We explored a ton of themes and did a bunch of field trips (a trip to the LA River led by nature writer Jenny Price, Westwood walkabout including this apartment building designed by Lautner, and taking a Metro bus up and down Sunset Blvd.).

My partner and I did a final project on the LA River. We had to create a tour, make a google map (below), and then do a short presentation in the Pecha Kucha style (Wikipedia). Pecha Kucha limits your presentation to 20 slides and 20 seconds for each slide. So you have to choose images with maximum impact, choose your words carefully, and practice. It's great, I wish that my work presentations had similar constraints.


View LA River Map in a larger map

25 Delectable Dining Deals

Two months off? No problem! Evidently the Best Summer Ever includes little to no blogging. Never fear because the LA Times just published a list of 25 Delectable Dining Deals. Includes personal favorite Golden State Cafe!

Map included!


View LA Times 25 delectable dining deals in a larger map

Unfortunately the map contains no placemarks for pork shoulder.

Who wants to buy a house?

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From the good people at Curbed comes an article about the last four luxury apartment towers to be built in Los Angeles (well, until residential real estate goes through its current bust and comes back to an inevitable boom).

Anybody have a few extra (million) dollars lying around?

Best Beer Bars in LA

View Toddmartens's List of Best Beer Bars in a larger map

I was perusing the LA Times today and a nice little list caught my eye. Seems like Todd Martens, a staff member, compiled a list of 24 beer bars in the greater LA area. I've been to more than a few of these places, and some have multiple locations (Yardhouse, Father's office, etc.). Missing from the list and deserving mention, although not quite technically a bar, is The Golden State Cafe. They have a GREAT beer selection and food (and even better owners!).

Martens also has a list of LA's best microbreweries but it seems just a tad incomplete (no mention of Manhattan Beach Brewing Company or no shout-out to the no-longer-a-brewery-but-still-has-giant-vats-in-the-bar Westwood Brewco?). Although to Golden State's credit they do carry Craftsman beer on tap.

Spring Cleaning!

Hey you crazy kids. I have a bunch of draft posts that I've been 'meaning to get around to' for awhile. Since it's now spring I'm going to clean up:

• Hearst Castle Virtual Tour: Go to Cambria! Eat at Robin's or the Sea Chest or one of a billion wonderful places! Say hi to my mom!



• Mini Models of Cities: Oh my cuteness. When are they doing version 2.0 with Legos?



• Google Maps Street Traffic: Not just for freeways anymore



• Milky Way Transit Authority: Next map: the entire universe



• Metrolink is on Google Transit: Why the MTA can't just take the plunge is beyond me. Also, Steve Hymon got laid off. He and I actually emailed back and forth a few times last year. He was really nice. That sucks.



• Interactive map of Downtown LA by Cartifact: Seriously, can I work for you guys?

Interesting Expo Line Phase II Article

View Larger Map

For anyone interested in transportation in LA (or Southern California), I highly recommend the Los Angeles Transportation Blog. It has daily links to all kinds of interesting stories. For instance, today I read a piece by Frank Gruber about the Exposition Light Rail Line phase II development. Phase I is currently under construction, slated to go between downtown LA and downtown Culver City. Phase II is still under review, with many potential routes being discussed. Basically it's supposed to go from downtown Culver City to the south side of Santa Monica (3rd Street/Santa Monica Place ish).

Frank's article deals with the question of whether the end line should go down Olympic or Colorado Blvd. The community is nearly unanimous for Colorado but there are practical implications to consider as well. Frank also spends a great deal of time talking about potential sites for a maintenance yard and some of the other players involved (cities of LA and Santa Monica, Santa Monica College, and Verizon to name a few). Of course, I also had to make a map to orient myself.

Los Angeles has a New Downtown!

Los Angeles has a bit of an identity crises. As development and demographics change neighborhood boundaries change too. There is not central authority, indeed this lack of authority helps keep LA vibrant. Not being a city resident per se, imagine my chagrin at this post in curbed LA about Google Maps recognizing a New Downtown!

I really liked Militant Angeleno's post (although discussions/arguments pop up on a LOT of other blogs which I don't have time to link to). What is also kind of interesting is that the LA Times is also trying to tackle the subject.

But even cooler, imo, is this map of LA from Ork Posters (which is also hanging, er, leaning, in AKOY's apartment).

Red Line Food Hop

The good people over at LAist have created a great reason to hop on the Red Line. Similar to Thrillist's holiday barhop guide, which was created to take advantage of Metro's extended hours, LAist posted a guide to Eating on the Red Line. Of course I was bored and mapped the locations on Google Maps (just like I did for the Red Line Barhop). Places on the list I love are In-N-Out, Philipe's, and El Gran Burrito. Places on the list I need to try ASAP are Molly's and Philadelphia Sandos.


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Martin Luther King Jr in LA Map

View Larger Map

One of the blogs I subscribe to is the Militant Angeleno. If you're interested in a unique take on the experience that is Los Angeles, I encourage you to read. Today he posted about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. lasting legacy in LA. Not only are there streets, schools, parks, and memorials, but Dr. King spoke at a couple churches shortly before his death. Since I had to work (instead of volunteering) my little way of saying thanks and giving service to both the Militant, MLK (not to mention the new era dawning in America) was to create a map (duh).

UPDATE:
LAIst had some great links, including this speech of Dr. King that I found especially moving.

Community Mapping Sweeping the Nation

I was reading the Los Angeles version of Streetsblog on my igoogle and came across this neat blog post about community mapping. Seems like its all the rage these days for cool projects like mapping foot and bike paths or the locations of different species of trees.

This is a subject near and dear to my heart: past posts have maps of the 60 worst intersections in Los Angeles, the 25 most ticketed/towed roads in Los Angeles, Los Angeles area colleges and universities, the Tour de Ballona, and Red Line Barhop. I also have a couple of public google maps of my summer vacation to Italy, a proposed itinerary for a 2009 Rust Belt baseball trip, proposed sites for NFL stadiums in Los Angeles, and the Boston Marathon Course (don't worry - I have no plans on running. ever).

The ability to create spatial representations is extremely powerful and, for me, an awful lot of fun. I can't wait until I have time to work on some REAL projects.

Red Line Barhop

My friend Tannaz sent me a link to this Red Line Barhop from Thrillist. I've only been to 3 of these bars before (Gopher, Good Luck, and Pig & Whistle). So what better way to represent this than on a Google map? It's a bummer that MTA doesn't share all of its transportation info with Google yet but at least Google shows where the stations are. There area couple of strange choices, IMO, in regards to the station locations (especially around downtown). I haven't done a detailed analysis but the approximate walking distance would be like walking from LA to New York. That's not the point, though. The point is to see some cool bars, walk around a little bit, and use public transportation.



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It's tough to Americanize when you first have to Mexicanize

I saw an interesting article in the LA Times today about El Salvadorans in Los Angeles. Often the immigrants are forced to adopt the language and customs of Mexico in order to gain employment and avoid harassment or discrimination. There was a little bit about food but unfortunately I saw no mention of nachos. I'm not sure how delicious El Salvadoran nachos would be since it seems like they go light on the spicy but I would sure love to find out.

More International Day of the Nacho

I'm too lazy to write about what I did yesterday for the International Day of the Nacho but my good friend All Kinds of Yum saved my ass.

Suffice it to say that Loteria Grill in Hollywood is good. Reeeeeeeaaaaaaal good.

Your mom goes to college

In lieu of a real post, I'm publishing a Google Map I put together of LA Area colleges and universities. It's by no means complete so if you see any glaring errors or omissions let me know. Or pass along to any and all of your friends.

The reason I was thinking about it was that I finished a class at UCLA Extension. It was about economic geography, dealing with themes of globalization and developed/developing countries. Pretty interesting. It was nice because it A) wasn't super hard and B) was online and did not require a weekly drive to Westwood. I already drive to Santa Monica College once a week and Westwood is that much further and infinitely worse traffic. I can actually get to SMC in ~30 minutes from El Segundo (that will be a separate Google Map, along with my routes to the Rose Bowl and Staples Center).


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