Metro Says Welcome to the New Second Street
Metro
DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES — This image from Metro's Tuesday night presentation shows the transit agency's rendering of what 2nd street would look like with at-grade rail operation. Pictured is 2nd approaching Main street. The new LAPD headquarters is at left, with the Higgins building on the right.
Auto traffic would be reduced to one 11-foot lane for local access. At the meeting, one commenter questioned whether the fire department would even sign off on that, given that it typically requires closer to twenty.
As reported last night, four of the eight alternatives would run at-grade on 2nd street. After the jump, images of all eight alternatives presented last night. Metro emphasized that it is still early in the process, but the chosen study options represent their current thinking.
Alternative 1: Comes above ground on Flower before 3rd. At grade onto 3rd, Figueroa, into the 2nd street tunnel, and then 2nd through Little Tokyo.
Alternative 2: Comes above-ground on Flower, turns onto 3rd, onto Figueroa, then wraps around DWP to Temple street and takes that until the Gold Line.
Alernative 3: Subway into the 2nd street tunnel, pops up in the tunnel, then at-grade on 2nd to Main and Los Angeles, using the two to connect to Temple street and take that to the Gold Line. Alternative 7 is the same, except using only Los Angeles.
Alternative 4: Subway into the 2nd street tunnel, at-grade in the tunnel, then surface operation down 2nd through Little Tokyo.
Alernative 5: Subway operation all the way through Little Tokyo, then surfacing to run across Alameda and 1st to connect to the Gold Line.
Alternatives 6 & 8: 100% subway operation, including reconstruction of the connection to the Gold Line. Differ in whether they tunnel under right of way or under Little Tokyo Plaza. Metro currently says that either of these options would require losing the Arts District / Little Tokyo station.
Eric Richardson writes:
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My vote is for the connector to continue north under Flower with a station as part of the Grand Ave project at First and Grand or Olive where it comes to the surface. Then on the north side of First St in grass right of way to San Pedro where First could be a transit and walking maul to Central Ave where First would be open to automobile traffic again to where it meets the Gold Line at First and Alameda.
Every other Blue Line and Expo Line train world through route with either the Gold Line to Pasadena or the Gold Line to East LA.
This world relieve congestion at the 7th St Metro Station, serve the Civic Center offices and Little Tokyo, and bring Little Tokyo’s core to a visitor friendly walk able East First Street.
Where do the MTA engineers and consultants get their ideas? Are they biased on politics, cost, best way to move people and trains through downtown, disruption of auto traffic, aesthetics or just what. How could they leave out First Street with all of the available real estate making room for a wide street and the LRT line?
First Street would disrupt less traffic overall, could be the fastest surface route even including the slow running through the Little Tokyo pedestrian maul
Of the selected routes # 5 seams to be best as either a subway or surface route. The other surface routes go out of the way with many turns that will slow the line way down with out serving any kind of passenger generators. The routing looks as if they are simply trying to get the tracks out of site and out of the way with no regard to the speed, usefulness or an efficient route.
It is time to go back to the drawing board.
What would the cost be of route # 5 surface, part surface and subway until Alameda?
What would the cost be of a subway to First and Grand or Olive then surface on First to Alameda?
Are there really any other options?
LA has surface running LRT lines in streets on Flower and Washington, Marmion Way in Highland Park and Long Beach Blvd in Long Beach. The new Expo and East LA Gold Line will have surface street running along much of their routes. Most LRT lines through out the country have at least some surface street running along their routs. Is a partial surface route through downtown really all that bad? Remember most downtown auto traffic is not through traffic but on its way to a parking spot or garage some place downtown. Sure this will slow down the line and traffic around the line but how should we allocate or transit resources?
However it is importent that the LRT line get signal priorty to speed the trains through the city. Stopping at every cross street for red traffic signals will discurage any kind of ridership.