February 2012
2 posts
December 2011
3 posts
Download the Transit 101 Guide & Make a New Year's...
While most of our dedicated followers are of course true transit afficianados, for many Angelenos, public transportation remains an unknown — a sometimes intimidating mode of travel that’s foreign to the “car cultured” among us.
That’s why Angelenos Against Gridlock has produced a handy “Transit 101” guide for people to learn the basics about trying...
WatchVideo: Apple Store Opens in NYC’s Grand Central Terminal. Will a similar scene play out at LA Union Station some day, too?
This morning, a Metro and City of Los Angeles sponsored Urban Land Institute advisory panel presented its findings on the future of Union Station and environs. Read Carter Rubin’s coverage at The Source, and stay tuned for a written report in coming months from...
High-Speed Rail: the Big Picture
In the wake of a series of negative headlines on the prospects of high-speed rail, it seemed an apropos time to link again to our November op-ed in the LA Business Journal, “High-Speed Rail Still Fits Bill Despite Higher Cost.” Take a read if you missed it earlier.
November 2011
16 posts
Transit Agencies & Social Media
How would you like to see Metro, LADOT, Big Blue Bus, and other SoCal transit agencies step up their use of social media?
Should Metro patner with Foursquare, like BART did in the Bay Area?
Would you like to see the @MetroLosAngeles Twitter account have more of a voice? (Right now, it’s can seem pretty duplicative of the @metrolaalerts account.) Think municipal operators need to step up...
Learning from Other Cities: Seattle Trails Now on...
Via Seattle Bike Blog: Seattle bike / multi-use trails are now on Google Street View, joining some other cities.
View Larger Map
Too bad LA doesn’t have more beautiful bike trails that Google Street view could show off!
Here’s a Google video about how the Google Street View trike:
WatchAs we think about California high-speed rail, it can be useful to look at other systems already out there in the world. If you’ve never been to Europe and taken their high-speed trains, check out this video.
The European Commission produced this mini Documentary (<13minutes) called High-speed lines. A journey through Europe, which they describe thusly:
“High-speed Lines” is a...
LA Business Journal Op-Ed: High-Speed Rail Still...
Check out our op-ed in today’s Los Angeles Business Journal on why California should move forward with high-speed rail.
(Image via California High Speed Rail Blog.)
Don't Miss Thursday's Valley Mobility Summit
The San Fernando Valley Council of Governments is hosting a Valley Mobility Summit on Thursday at the Airtel Plaza Hotel at Van Nuys Airport. Click here to register. Tickets are very affordable.
Will the next owner of the Dodgers be more...
Here’s hoping the next owner of the Dodgers will be more transit friendly.
Thanks to Patt Morrison for reading this comment on air during her show on the future of the Dodgers after McCourt earlier this week:
Frank McCourt was a parking tycoon. I hope the new owner is much transit-friendlier and pays for (or helps pay for) Metro’s Dodger Stadium Express shuttle, as a starting...
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Making the Metro Experience More Efficient: Little...
Carter Rubin’s headline roundup on The Source noting that BART is considering signs to encourage riders to follow the unwritten “walk on the left, stand on the right” rule got me thinking.
As a native Washingtonian, where the “stand on the right” code is much more deeply ingrained in the culture there — it’s an official Metro rule there —...
Photos: Santa Monica Bike Center - Opening Nov. 18
Exciting news: we hear that Santa Monica’s new Bike Center on the SW corner of 2nd and Colorado (215 Colorado), adjacent to the Santa Monica Place mall. We hear the Bike Center will open November 18. If you haven’t already been eagerly awaiting the Bike Center as we have, here’s a refresher on what the City of Santa Monica says to expect:
To promote the use of non-auto...
Support our friends at Streetsblog Los Angeles at... →
Here at Angelenos Against Gridlock, we’re big fans of Streetsblog Los Angeles. Editor Damien Newton works hard to provide inspiration and news coverage to the SoCal transportation community through his dedicated reporting. (He’s even been kind enough to offer some inspiration and advice to Angelenos Against Gridlock on the side—what a guy.) Damien has some interesting things in...
Moving Forward on High Speed Rail
If you haven’t already read the AP’s preview of the California High Speed Rail Authority’s business plan, you can read it here.
We must not lose sight of the extraordinary benefits high speed rail will bring for our future and for future generations.
What kind of future will California build? Will we let our competitiveness erode, or will we build a future that befits...
October 2011
19 posts
3 Videos Posted by Metro on the Century City...
Via The Source
Metro Hosts Van Nuys Corridor Rapidway Meeting
Metro and the City of Los Angeles hosted the last of three Van Nuys Corridor Rapidway meetings tonight.
From the project website (emphasis added):
The Van Nuys Rapidway study area extends from Ventura Boulevard north to the I-210 freeway. Initial alternatives under consideration as part of the beginning of the Alternative Analysis (AA) include Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), Light Rail Transit (LRT),...
Book: Car-Free Los Angeles and Southern California
A new book, Car-Free Los Angeles and Southern California, by author and transit planner Nathan Landau is now available. He describes it as a “travel guide for visitors (or staycationers) who want to see Southern California via transit.” Sounds like a good Christmas gift to get for relatives in other cities who may be visiting LA some day soon!
The book can be purchased from the...
Metro's "Go Metro" Dining Google Map
Hungry? Check out Metro’s Go Metro Dining Map on Google Maps, showing taste-bud-approved spots near Metro stations and stops. View a large map here here or click on the stops (colored circles) below in the embedded version.
Know somewhere that should be on here? Suggest it here.
View Go Metro Dining Map in a larger map
Slides from Today's Metro Century City Station...
Metro has just posted a PDF of the slides from today’s presentation. Here’s a Slideshare copy for easy viewing. Click the button at the bottom right to view full screen.
Century City Station Options - 11-19-11 Metro Board P&P Committee
View more presentations from dmurphy04.
Ben & Jerry's, Wine Bar Coming to Union Station
Just got the inside scoop (so to speak) that Ben & Jerry’s and a wine bar are both coming to Union Station.
Congrats to the new landlord — Metro — on making needed short-term improvements.
GM Brand Tarnished by Offensive...
Angelenos Against Gridlock strongly denounces General Motors’ ad campaign making fun of transit, bicylng, and walking.
These ads, targeting college students, make fun of transit riding, biking, and walking. But far from cool, these ads are absolutely uncool. College students and young adults know that it’s cool to be green, and there’s nothing uncool about biking, walking, and...
SFVCOG Planning Valley Mobility Summit Nov. 10
Mark your calendar and save the date for a San Fernando Valley Mobility Summit on November 10 at the Airtel Plaza Hotel hosted by the San Fernando Valley Council of Governments. Click the image to go to the save-the-date PDF.
The Council of Governments also has a meeting this week, and a number of transportation items are on its agenda. The meeting is set for Thursday at 10 am in Van...
An Overview of peer-to-peer car sharing companies →
GigaOM, the tech and startup news site, has a good overview of companies peer-to-peer “carshare 2.0” companies. Head over here for details.
Time for CicLAvia!
It’s a beautiful day — time to start heading down to CicLAvia!
Thank You, Steve Jobs
What does Steve Jobs have to do with fighting traffic gridlock in LA? A lot, actually.
Steve Jobs has had a profound impact on the world. And in a way, he even helped make possible the efforts of your humble blogger/activist in the nonprofit sector. I, David Murphy (President of Angelenos Against Gridlock) was working in 2008 as Government Affairs Manager for the Valley Industry & Commerce...
It's Raining! Follow these Driving Tips
For the first time in quite a while, it’s raining in Southern California, and unfortunately, Angelenos tend to be pretty horrible drivers in the rain. (We know — not you, but everyone else. You’re a great rain driver, surely!) It’s one of the side effects of our wonderful weather: people forget how to drive in the rain.
Turn your headlights on. Wipers on? Headlights need...
Plaudits Due to South Pasadena for advancing...
Metro’s Dave Sotero has the details at the The Source about South Pasadena’s laudable efforts to improve its bike network. With great progress being made in cities like Long Beach and now South Pasadena, the differences between cities that “get it” and cities that are utterly stuck in the past (like Beverly Hills, where Angelenos Against Gridlock is based) is growing.
...
Weekend Reading: Think Bike LA Presentations
It’s the weekend — a perfect chance to sit back and review the Think Bike LA presentations. If you didn’t get the memo, on September 22 & 23rd, the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs sponsored a program called Think Bike LA to help us learn from how the Dutch do things. (Streetsblog’s write up is here.) And boy do they know what they’re doing.
From the opening...
September 2011
10 posts
HuffPost Op-Ed: On the Road, Can't We All Just Get... →
Angelenos Against Gridlock’s latest op-ed in the Huffington Post is live. It’s on bike safety, and on sharing the road between cars, buses, and bikes. Have feedback on what you think needs to be done to make it safer for bicylists on the road in SoCal? Tweet us @EndingGridlock or email dmuphy@endinggridlock.org.
Westside Cities Council of Governments Looks to... →
Better Bike Beverly Hills has an update on the Westside Cities Council of Governments’ much needed bike coordination efforts.
WatchABC7 profiles Long Beach’s Bikestation.
Bikestation’s a very impressive company. We look forward to the day when Bikestation (or others — through Mobility Hubs or independent offerings) expands dramatically in Los Angeles, too. Century City, Westwood, Union Station, DTLA, you name it.
Other SoCal cities like Claremont also have Bikestations. And in Washington, DC, there’s an...
MAV to Talk Transportation at Town Hall Los... →
Mayor Villaraigosa will speak on “Transportation in Los Angeles: Creating Jobs, Cultivating Sustainability, and Changing Attitudes” at a luncheon hosted by Town Hall Los Angeles on September 27 downtown.
Details here.
Our Op-ed is now online at DailyNews.com. Click... →
Keeping ‘underground’ elements at bay: safety on the Red Line - LA Daily News
Here Because of the Op-Ed in the Daily News?...
Checking out our website after reading the op-ed in the Sunday LA Daily News newspaper? Welcome!
Read about Angelenos Against Gridlock and find contact details here, and be sure to follow us on Twitter:
Follow @endinggridlock on Twitter
Also, check out our recent op-eds in the Los Angeles Business Journal (on the subway and Rodeo Drive) and the Huffington Post (on transit to LAX).
Thanks for...