Tag: Metro

Nobody Drives in LA – A Guide to Los Angeles Mass Transit Agencies

~ Eric Brightwell ~ 6 Comments

INTRODUCTION TO LOS ANGELES COUNTY TRANSIT When it comes to getting around, the 21st-century city dweller has options. Walking and cycling are my most common methods of getting anywhere but for longer journeys, I like public transport which in Los Angeles includes buses, ferries, light rail, subways, and water taxis. Los Angeles has one of … Continue reading Nobody Drives in LA – A Guide to Los Angeles Mass Transit Agencies

Nobody Drives in LA — Opening of the Expo Line to Santa Monica

~ Eric Brightwell ~ Leave a comment

Today the first train left from downtown Los Angeles to downtown Santa Monica left 7th Street Metro Center. It was the first passenger train to run between the two downtowns since October 1953 (although freight trains ran until 1988). The first train departs for downtown Santa Monica, and thus the Westside was dragged kicking and screaming … Continue reading Nobody Drives in LA — Opening of the Expo Line to Santa Monica

Nobody Drives in LA — Asian-American Public Art on Public Transit

~ Eric Brightwell ~ 1 Comment

Every schoolchild hopefully learns about the 19th century Chinese immigrants who built America's rails, the largest network in the world (if embarrassingly outpaced and outdated). The moderately engaged Angeleno will have spied names like Nippon Sharyo, Kinki Sharyo, and Hyundai Rotem our modern (and not embarrassing) local urban trains and correctly surmised that the very trains are Asian immigrants of a non-human … Continue reading Nobody Drives in LA — Asian-American Public Art on Public Transit

Nobody Drives in LA — Los Angeles Train Map

~ Eric Brightwell ~ 1 Comment

Los Angeles was made possible by trains. Rate wars between Southern Pacific and Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe railways ignited the first population boom. To this day, the vast, expansive Pacific Electric Railway was the largest interurban electric railway the world has ever known. Its primary purpose was o expand growth in the suburbs -- or as … Continue reading Nobody Drives in LA — Los Angeles Train Map

Nobody Drives in LA — Opening Day of the Gold Line Foothill Extension

~ Eric Brightwell ~ 5 Comments

Back in February 2013, my brother and I walked along the route of Metro's then-planned Gold Line Foothill Extension. Even though Foothill Extension is 18 kilometers long, thanks to detours and construction, our walk from Pasadena to Azusa ended up being stretched to 27 kilometers. The newly-opened train lane reduces that distance and travel time considerably. Now one can theoretically … Continue reading Nobody Drives in LA — Opening Day of the Gold Line Foothill Extension

Nobody Drives in LA — Exploring the Regional Connector Transit Corridor

~ Eric Brightwell ~ 8 Comments

With bicycles, buses, ferries, planes, rideshares, sidewalks, subways, taxis, and trains at Angelenos’ disposal, why would any sane person choose car dependency? Nobody Drives in LA celebrates sense and sensibility in transportation. There are five Metro rail projects currently under construction in Los Angeles: the Crenshaw Line, the Expo Line, the Gold Line, the Purple Line, and the Regional … Continue reading Nobody Drives in LA — Exploring the Regional Connector Transit Corridor

Nobody Drives in LA — Southern California’s Restaurant Bound Rail Cars

~ Eric Brightwell ~ 3 Comments

With bicycles, buses, ferries, planes, sidewalks, subways, taxis, and trains at Angelenos’ disposal, why would any sane person choose car dependency? Nobody Drives in LA celebrates sense and sensibility in transportation. Formosa Cafe interior | Photo: Steve & Michelle Gerdes/Flickr/Creative Commons TRAINS KEPT A-ROLLING Years before the rise of the freeways, the Southland's framework was … Continue reading Nobody Drives in LA — Southern California’s Restaurant Bound Rail Cars

Nobody Drives in LA — Exploring the Planned Course of the Metro Purple Line Extension

~ Eric Brightwell ~ 6 Comments

With bicycles, buses, ferries, planes, rideshares, sidewalks, subways, taxis, and trains at Angelenos’ disposal, why would any sane person choose car-dependency? Nobody Drives in LA celebrates sense and sensibility in transportation. ***** The prospect of more rail transit excites me greatly, and so far I've explored the future courses of the Expo, Gold, and Crenshaw lines. While I've long looked forward … Continue reading Nobody Drives in LA — Exploring the Planned Course of the Metro Purple Line Extension

Nobody Drives in LA — Exploring the Course of the Metro Expo Line: Phase 2

~ Eric Brightwell ~ 3 Comments

With bicycles, buses, ferries, planes, rideshares, sidewalks, subways, taxis, and trains at Angelenos’ disposal, why would any sane person choose car-dependency? Nobody Drives in LA celebrates sense and sensibility in transportation. ***** Phase 1 of the Los Angeles Metro's Expo Line was completed in June 2012 after first opening most of the line in April. I rode it a couple … Continue reading Nobody Drives in LA — Exploring the Course of the Metro Expo Line: Phase 2

Moon Missions and the Children of Major Tom — The End of the Space Age and the Music Which Followed

~ Eric Brightwell ~ Leave a comment

It's the 40th anniversary of the first manned moon landing, and looking back at that achievement it's obvious that one of the many repercussions was evinced in the music of the era. In addition to the space rock of bands like Pink Floyd and Hawkwind and sci-fi minded funk acts like Funkadelic, the glam rock … Continue reading Moon Missions and the Children of Major Tom — The End of the Space Age and the Music Which Followed