What makes Los Angeles great...

I finally did it. I rode on the Los Angeles subway. Actually, I took the Orange Line from Reseda, changed to subway at the North Hollywood station, made one stop, and arrived at the Convention Center. As a participant in the L.A. Marathon, I needed to get to the Convention Center on Saturday to pick up my bib and bag - an obvious ploy to get me to the health expo which was an advertising maze masked behind the impression of healthy living. Since I have written about public transit and since I have lived in Los Angeles for the vast majority of my life, it was time to take L.A. public transit. Sure, I've done the Santa Monica Big Blue Bus, but this is different.

First of all, the Orange Line is darling. It's clean, it's monitored so that riders are aware of how long their wait is, and it is a necessary line for the Valley. The buses were well-stocked with riders, and the recent news that the line will extend from Warner Center to Chatsworth is great. The Valley deserves good public transit.

It took me about 30 minutes to get from the Reseda station to the rainbow-colored North Hollywood Station. We were like an exodus of people leaving the Metro bus, crossing the street, and entering the huge shell of the NoHo stop structure. I dug running down the deep staircase. It reminded me of running down the stairs at the BART stations up north, or the metro stations in Paris. There is something about subways that I really love and that reflects the rush and community of urban living. I was very impressed with my L.A. experience. The subway directions were very clearly labelled, and the trains were quick. I took the train from NoHo to the Metro Center downtown where I changed to the San Pedro line for one stop, and got off in front of the Convention Center.

All in all, the trip took one hour there, and one hour back. It was a bit long, but so is Los Angeles!

So Sunday was the Los Angeles Marathon. For any longtime blog readers, you know that I had a post a couple of years ago where I criticized races where participants claim they run for someone else or for charity. Since I have become a runner and have started participating in races, I have become a cheerleader for runners.

I participated in the 5K race that started at 7:15AM on Figueroa close to the Coliseum. I completed *just* under 30 minutes and hope to really work on my time for the 10K I signed up for in May. My favorite part of races is what happens afterwards (no, not just the free snacks and fruit). I hung out for the next few hours, listening to the great band, talking to people, and then cheering on the marathoners between mile 13-14. I was blown away by the handicap and wheelchair racers who peddled with the strength of their arms and the will of their spirit.

I also saw 2 Zorros, 1 green man, 2 barefoot runners, 1 bikini wearer, Jonny Lee Miller, and 1 "Coat Man" with a waiter's tray in his hands. I sat in between the Coliseum and Natural History Museum next to the nicest couple who had a cooler in tow ready to provide sustenance to their friends who were running. For any Angelenos, I encourage you to mark your calendars now for next year, make some signs, get your friends together and prepare to celebrate Los Angeles by rooting for the marathon runners. It is a great event for the city and a wonderful community experience. Who knows? Maybe I'll participate in the 26.2 mile race next time. And......take public transit to get there.

New city transportation plan could cut traffic, Greuel says

Article in this week's Sun - suncommunitynewspapers.com

New city transportation plan could cut traffic, Greuel says
BY NAZBANOO PAHLAVI

City Councilmember Wendy Greuel addressed the need for L.A.’s new transportation-focused strategic plan at the January 23 meeting of Neighborhood Council Valley Village held at Colfax Avenue Elementary School. The plan, unveiled in December, would set guidelines for transportation projects in Los Angeles over the next 20 years.

“We think it’s so critically important that we have a document that says, ‘here are our priorities,’” said Greuel, 2nd district representative and Chair of the City Council’s Transportation Committee.

A cohesive plan would benefit not only community members, she said, but also unite the City Council itself, whose 15 members each hold different views on the issue.

Greuel outlined the city’s three-phase approach to the strategic plan process, beginning with the initial stage of gathering community-wide feedback at neighborhood meetings and via the second council district’s website.

Phase two will require an assessment of current traffic conditions and future traffic needs – focusing on areas of job concentration and projections of growth. Phrase three will see through the strategic plan’s implementation.

Greuel discussed a list of objectives the city wants reflected in the plan, such as upholding environmental sustainability – a goal toward which city government has already started preliminary work with the Environmental Defense Fund. Other goals include safety and reliability, and quality of life issues in neighborhoods.

The reduction of traffic congestion on the flow of goods and services would also promote economic growth by encouraging major industries to do business in Los Angeles, she added.

The councilmember emphasized the creation of a “seamless” system – a goal that may prove difficult since it involves reorganizing a disharmonious public transportation system already firmly in place.

She admitted it’s even difficult for her to get to the Universal MTA stop from her home near Laurel Canyon and Moorpark, to take the subway downtown. The MTA unwisely limited parking at the Universal station in order to encourage all around public transportation use – a decision that did not take into account the lack of efficient connections.

Greuel stressed that all levels of government must contribute to finding a solution to traffic and transportation problems.

“[The city is] responsible for your roads and streets; we’re responsible for your DASH buses, commuter express, for your signalization, for your speed humps – those are the kinds of things that we have,” she said, noting that the city does not have control over the freeways or the MTA, but has “to coordinate and be part of a solution with those other levels of government.”

After the discussion, Greuel was asked to stay and swear in a newly elected board member, as well as listen to a group of discontented Morella Avenue homeowners opposed to new developments in their neighborhood.

Why I love neighborhood council meetings

A couple of nights ago, I braved the blistering rain that barraged the Valley to make it to a neighborhood council meeting I was scheduled to write about for the paper. I like driving in the rain. It's a challenge. The blurriness, the intensity of the wind shield wipers, and the necessity of being fully awake and aware, are all exciting to me. Of course there are a fair share of thoughtless drivers who speed accross puddles in the intersections, and bridges with staled rainwater, thereby covering my windshield with a temporary avalanche.

After some confusion over the location of the meeting, I finally made it to Colfax Elementary School - nothing fancy, and probably the perfect location for a run of the mill neighborhood council meeting. Of course, this wasn't Studio City, whose neighborhood council meetings are held at the CBS Radford Lot. This was the neighborhood council meeting for Valley Village - Studio City's "adjacent" neighbor further north of the boulevard. Of course, homes in Valley Village cost considerably less than homes in Studio City. And higher incomes make for higher.....egos....or more interesting personalities! Let me explain.

I attended Studio City's Neighborhood Council meeting last November for a news item in the Studio City Sun (the story is posted to the right). It was held in a room at the CBS Radford Studios - which felt like a city in itself filled with little streets and alleyways and what looked like condominiums. In fact, I even asked a security guard whether people actually lived in there. Dale Thrush, a representative for Councilwoman Wendy Greuel, attended that meeting to discuss the charette process for a stretch of Ventura in Studio City.

After speaking for a pre-designated amount of time, the board unleashed a hoard of questions and comments. At first, this attack made me uncomfortable, especially since it was all monitored to the minute by the board president, lest any one speaker took hostage of the time. I saw why Greuel herself was a no show. This board was fierce! And you know what? It made it for interesting community politics and interesting democratic participation. That's why I stayed around for over an hour and half, ate some pizza, grabbed a soda - over twice the length of time I stayed after the Valley Village meeting had finally started.

Wendy Greuel did attend the council meeting at Valley Village (I'm glad, since that was the only reason I wrestled the rain). And I could see why. The Valley Village board was much more polite than the Studio City crowd. They were much more apt to let someone finish talking before interrupting (although Greuel herself did talk over someone in the audience). And since Ms. Gruel herself does live in the Valley Village area (I believe), it seemed only fitting for her to be there.

But there were a lot of loose strings left over on the topic of public transportation, development, and especially on the issue of mansionization and a community of homeowners on Morella who are facing a troubling developer. Greuel gave her speech, the floor was opened briefly to a few innocuous comments, she replied with some innocuous and distracted answers, and that was it. Luckily, she was asked, very nicely, to stay around and listen to the Morella homeowners, but she failed to step up to the plate and take hold of the situation with any promised results. She referred the homeowners to stay in touch with one of her staffers, a gentleman who was acknowledged as the main liasion between her office and her consituents. Greuel actually seemed pretty eager to leave.

And that's exactly what I saw when I left the meeting about 5 minutes after Greuel did (although the meeting was still in process). Was that her I saw speeding off in a huge white SUV? If that was indeed her, I now understand a couple of the comments she made during the meeting.

For example, in making a case for public transportation and a more "seamless" system where people don't have to wait hours for bus connections, she mentioned that it takes 8 minutes to get from the west valley to the east valley, whereas a bus, filled with inconvenient connections, could take 40 minutes. Eight minutes? really? Now I know how she got that number. Ms. Greuel is a speeder! If that was indeed her, speeding off and taking a left turn on rain-soaked streets, then that all makes sense. I'm glad that by that time, the rain had ceded, otherwise, I'm sure she may have (unintentionally, I'm sure) splashed some water on an unsuspecting driver's windshield. Now if that was someone else and my eyes mislead me when I looked through her window, I apologize.

Maybe I'll see her at the next Studio City Council meeting. I don't think so. But this is definitely true - some of the best drama can be found at the local public elementary school (or CBS lot) where politicians show their true colors, homeowners get heated up over pizza, and community journalists try and find something interesting to write about it.

LaBonge blasts lack of foresight in Valley transit planning

Article in this week's papers http://www.suncommunitynewspapers.com/

LaBonge blasts lack of foresight in Valley transit planning
BY NAZBANOO PAHLAVI


City Councilmember Tom LaBonge addressed members of the Valley Industry & Commerce Association (VICA) and guests at the group’s monthly Newsmaker Connection meeting December 6 at their Van Nuys offices.

LaBonge held a casual forum to discuss urban development and infrastructure, mainly concerning the foresight – or lack thereof – in transit planning. Event attendees included city planners, developers, and NBC employees with an interest in pending projects in the councilmember’s district.

“We are starting to change our lives because of the traffic,” LaBonge said, referring to the 250 miles of freeway in Los Angeles County as compared with only 18 miles of heavy rail. He described effective public transportation systems such as the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART), whose extensive under- and above-ground connections from San Francisco to Livermore could provide a model for Los Angeles.

“I believe in a subway to the sea, but also believe in the subway to USC and to Santa Clarita and everywhere else.”

He stressed that city officials should not skew transit development in favor of downtown commuters and should instead create balance by considering public transit options for residents who travel from the San Fernando Valley to the San Gabriel Valley, as one example. He also advised drivers to look for ways to incorporate public transportation into their lives.

LaBonge criticized what he saw as a lack of foresight in some areas, such as the decision not to install a subway stop at the Hollywood Bowl. He voiced hopes to propose a connector from the 101 to the 170 Freeway in that area.

Turning to the NBC/Universal project, LaBonge said “everyone’s upset about a lot of things in our community now because every last lot is being built on.” Many residents associations and neighborhood councils have ardently opposed the plans.

LaBonge noted that the Staples Center proved successful because of the grid layout providing options for drivers – “something which the Lankershim-lined parcels lack. This invites traffic congestion and begs the building of freeway connectors.”

If NBC/Universal had proper foresight regarding the project, the councilmember said, developers could have purchased the Braille Institute Youth Center, which had closed down, or the Hannah Barbera lot, which would have provided more options for drivers to get onto the freeway. The area is now only served by one off-ramp and no freeway on-ramps.

LaBonge said another reason for the uproar over many of the pending projects in the east San Fernando Valley is that developers aim to build to the maximum of the code – something that needs to be reconciled by city officials based on “what the city streets can handle, for what the neighborhood can handle.”

The councilmember touted the vision of people such as William Mulholland, who designed the Los Angeles aqueduct 100 years ago to funnel water into the San Fernando Valley. LaBonge referred to Mulholland’s work as an example of long-term vision that must be applied to modern day issues of transit and mobility.

My fifty dollar bus fare

I heard on NPR yesterday that the city plans on expanding the light rail express line by adding a connection from downtown Los angeles to Culver City. I think any new addition in the public transit is excellent, timely and integral to the infrastructure of a sucessful large city. My only question is this...why did I pay $50.00 to take the bus to work on Wednesday?

I have always been a fan of public transportation. When I'm in Paris, I take the bus or the metro. It's easy. In Pittsburgh, I took the bus for two years. The Bay Area has their lovable Bart system that glides from Oakland Airport into Berkeley and San Francisco. Berlin has a slew of options blending the slow but steady trolly left over from communist Germany with the U-Bahn, S-Bahn and all the above-ground and below-ground options Angela Merkel can afford. Public transportation isn't just a way of moving bodies. It's like a community. In Pittsburgh, I would regularly run into people going from Downtown to Squirrel Hill, and around 5pm, the bus was so packed that I often gained first-hand knowledge of all the gossip from the nurses at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

Then again, there was China where I studied abroad for 4 months. Shanghai was a bustle of movement - Busses, bicycles, taxis, rikshaws, motorcycles - all of which moved faster than you could yell "xiaoxin"! (or be careful). At the Economic Alliance of the San Fernando Valley's summit last month, someone mentioned that Beijing is building a monorail system in anticipation of the 2008 Olympic Games - Less than a year's time. In L.A., the talks of a subway to sea line has been bandied about for over 20 years. I'm sure the public officials hope that one day public transit will become so convenient that commuters won't think twice before opting out of driving. For now, that is not the case. Note my $50 bus fare.


I would have driven. But I've decided to trust the Big Blue Bus at least twice a week. My commute isn't a big deal - Maybe 15 minutes tops in the morning. It requires two buses to get there, which means timing is everything. I needed to catch the first bus at 8:21 to connect to the next bus 5 minutes later. So at about 8:20:30, I ran out of the house, fully aware that I may have just heard the bus just whiz by. I navigated in between parents and children and carpool drop-offs at the nearby school. I made it to the bus stop and waited. Ten minutes went by. I began to realize that what I heard earlier may have indeed been my bus, puzzled that it was so punctual. Needless to say, I was going to miss my next connection. Fourty minutes later, I was at work.

When you miss a bus, there is rarely one that comes right behind it and the sad truth is that the next is at the very least 15 minutes away. If I had to rely on the bus everyday to get around, I would be chronically late, and waiting a whole lot trying to make my connections. If I wanted to get from the westside to Woodland Hills, which I often do, I would need at least 3 bus transfers and an hour and a half - if everything went as scheduled.

Oh wait, the fifty dollars. So, in my haste to catch the bus, which I missed, to arrive at work on time, which I didn't, I failed to remember street cleaning that day. And my car was on the wrong side of the street. Something that would not have happened, had I driven to work. So I came home, again fourty minutes after work, with a $47.00 ticket. My actual bus fare that day was about $2.50. So if I had driven to work, well, I would still be $47.00 richer.

So much for the bus saving me money.