The Downtown LA Streetcar Should Travel on 9th Street

July 12, 2012 3 Comments

The most effective route for the streetcar would travel east on 9th Street, not 7th.

I’ve written a couple times about the streetcar being planned for Downtown LA. First, examining all of the suggested route options and then praising the selection of the locally-preferred-alternative. As I said in those pieces, I think the LPA that was selected is good, but after looking at it further, it’s certainly not best. Upon more reflection I’ve come to believe that taking the route east on 7th Street instead of 9th Street would be a particularly unfortunate decision for both mobility and development reasons and wanted to explore the options further. (Click here for a pdf of both routes from the city.)

Here’s why:

7th Street Doesn’t Gain You Much

The key reasoning behind taking the streetcar up to 7th Street is access to the 7th Street/Metro Center station. That’s all well and good, but what does this actually get us? We must first remember that this portion of the route will be a one-way loop headed east and then turning north on Hill.

With this in mind, it will certainly be useful for travel from Staples Center/LA LIVE/Convention Center to connect to the Metro Red/Purple lines. However, with a probably similar fare, the more frequent combined northbound service from the Metro Blue/Expo lines at Pico is probably a better bet anyway. It’s a block or two further from LA LIVE, but closer to the Convention Center and Staples south entrances.

What about the other direction, though?

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Art of Transit: Orange Bus on Broadway

March 26, 2012 Leave a comment

One of my photos was featured this morning on The Source, Metro’s official blog. I took this about two months ago one Saturday when I was doing a “photography walk” on Broadway. Many great photos came out of that day, but this one in particular stuck out simply because I had to act quickly to get it.

Check out the post on The Source, here.

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The Downtown Streetcar: My Thoughts

December 6, 2011 13 Comments

Downtown LA seems poised to get a new streetcar line in the next few years – the first of what will hopefully be a new system re-introducing the streetcar to Los Angeles, which at one time boasted the largest streetcar system in the world. In the 60 or so years since the streetcar fell out of fashion, it’s purpose has changed, and we must take that into account in planning for the new one.

An historic streetcar passes USC on its route between Downtown and Santa Monica. Today, this route is about to be opened as the Expo Light Rail Line. (Photo: Alan Weeks/Metro Archive)

The red and yellow cars of yesteryear were a regional mass transit system. Yes, they took people through Downtown, but also took them out to the “suburbs” of Pasadena or Hollywood and beyond. They were the equivalent of today’s Metro system, which is made up of busses, subway, and light rail. Today’s streetcar is more of a local transit option. It is an urban circulator, a “last-mile connector.” The streetcar of today will help pedestrians make the connection within that 1-2 mile area that is too far to walk. They should be quick, but speed is not ultimately the most important aspect as they are usually only covering relatively short distances anyway. One of the main purposes of the Downtown Streetcar is to be a development tool, according to Bringing Back Broadway and LA Streetcar Inc. The hope is that a permanent route, as well as the attraction of streetcars, will spur development all along that route (particularly on Broadway).

A rendering of the proposed LA Streetcar on Broadway. (Photo: LA Streetcar Inc.)

Someone may take the subway into Downtown for an event, and then take the streetcar to get drinks afterwards in another part of Downtown. The streetcar was not their main method of transportation to or from Downtown, but expanded their options once here. With that in mind… I’ve been following the LA Streetcar project since its inception and now that it’s nearing the time to choose a route, I want to put my observations and suggestions forward.

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Million Dollar Miracle

December 5, 2011 3 Comments

Yesterday I had the wonderful experience of seeing the original, 1947 verison of Miracle on 34th Street in the Million Dollar Theater — Sid Grauman’s original movie palace that is even 29 years older than the film.

In a scene from "Miracle on 34th Street," Kris Kringle tries to win over a doubting young girl.

Most of my black and white movie watching experience is from my days in film school and consists largely of analyzing things and learning the history of filmmaking at a deeper level than I ever really wanted. This was something completely different. When you hear someone speak of the magic of movies, this was the experience they’re talking about. This was the reminiscent of that first-day speech you hear in film school, before the classes, papers, and studies start, of the way movies bring people together in a dark room and yet take them far away to another city, another time, or another world. And even though it’s dark, somehow the experience is better when that room is a beautiful one.

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