Community, Diversity, Sustainability and other Overused Words

Expo Line to Open May 20 with Free Rides

Crowded City Compensates Residents with "Mobility Options"

If you've seen the trains conducting "tests" for the last six months along Colorado Avenue, you're probably aware that the Expo opens on May 20. A recent City press release says: "Mobility options include 500 Breeze bikes at 75 locations citywide, extended North-South corridor Big Blue Bus service connecting to each Expo Line Phase 2 stations, 1.5 miles of new off-street bike/pedestrian path along the Expo route in Santa Monica, and 12 pedestrian scrambles downtown. These, along with soon to launch Zipcar and additional rideshare services, provide more flexibility for Santa Monica residents and workers while reducing vehicle congestion and emissions."

While this writer can't get his head around the above paragraph ("Mobility options"? "New off-street bike/pedestrian path"? "Zipcars"?); one thing is clear. Apparently there will be a bunch of bicycles, bike paths and trains, to somehow compensate residents for the City Council greatly increasing the density of downtown over the last ten years.

"It's a great time to be living and working in Santa Monica. People can move around our city and in and out of L.A. without relying on a car," said Mayor Tony Vazquez. "This $1.5 billion investment brings a new level of regional accessibility to Santa Monica and we want to mark this transportation game-changer by energizing the community and showing them how these options can impact their daily lives. We know traffic is a big local concern, and it's our hope that everyone coming to, or from Santa Monica will take this opportunity to try these new transportation options."

An opening ceremony hosted by Metro will kick off service on the Expo Line, which is the first train in Santa Monica since the Red Car ended service in 1948. There will be a banner break just east of the Downtown Station located at Colorado and 4th Street. Elected officials from Los Angeles, Metro, Expo and Santa Monica will converge to officially open the seven stations that are part of the Expo Line Phase 2 extension. The line is expected to be open to the public in the afternoon and rides will be free

 
 

Reader Comments(2)

Stefan writes:

It’s only a matter of time before a car ends up on the track, IMHO, They could’ve put it on Olympic, which is a wider street with a center divider, but I guess they didn’t want to take down the trees. I was wondering when they will put up a fence, between 17th and 4th on Colorado. Now there's only a fence to keep out the homeless at 7th Street, near the shelter. In a billion $ budget, they couldn’t afford a fence? — Stefan

Stefan writes:

It’s only a matter of time before a car ends up on the track, IMHO, They could’ve put it on Olympic, which is a wider street with a center divider, but I guess they didn’t want to take down the trees. I was wondering when they will put up a fence, between 17th and 4th on Colorado. Only a fence to keep out the homeless at 7th street. In a billion $ budget, they couldn’t afford a fence? — Stefan