Billionaire Elon Musk Building Tunnels Under The City

So apparently Billionaire Elon Musk has been boring under the City of Hawthorne in efforts to create this web of tunnels that would be attached to thousands of on/off stations the size of single parking spaces. The plans initially called for the the tunnels to transport cars but now has shift gears to transporting pedestrians and cyclist very close their destinations. Musk came up with the idea while stuck in traffic. The word on the street is that are already hundreds of abandon tunnels under LA, so creating a transport system to utilize these tunnels may not be so far-fetched. The Map of the completed project is pictured below,  I’m starting to wonder if Elon and Metro are in cohorts.  Metro proposed building an alternative to the 405 fwy through the Sepulveda Pass,  that looking more and more like Elon Musk Tunnel.   Musk is building a protype under Hawthorne, that h said eventually he wants to reach LAX.

Video of Elon Musk Tunnel

Boring Company

Traffic Tunnels

Tunnels Turning Toward Pedestrian

Crenshaw Line Moving Right Along

Construction on the Crenshaw LAX Line is moving right along.  Major road closures proceed as construction crews dig massive holes 24/7 for the subway portion for the light rail line.  This means great things for our neighborhood (as well as horrible traffic and a lots of closed urban businesses) but as I speak with my constituents, we all seem to worry about the same thing, the effects of gentrification that is going to come along with this light rail line and the effects it will have on our neighborhood.  Well while I was on break, I was able to grab a couple (as well as get some nice construction workers) to grab some up close pictures of the gargantuous hole being dug out for the Crenshaw/King subway stop (that’s suppose to have an underground entrance to the mall).  There is also a massive whole at Vernon and Crenshaw, the Leimert Park Station, and Expo and Crenshaw.  Expo/Crenshaw’s subway station stop, which will be the last stop of phase I of the Crenshaw Line, (phase II is suppose to remain underground and continue all the way to Hollywood and will take humpteen years to be built) will be covered by the massive Crenshaw DIstrict Square development, that I assume they will break ground on once the subway stop is completed.  Expo/Crenshaw station stop is who is all super secretive and being blocked by massive gates/tarps/”Eat Shop Play Crenshaw” banners. Construction is scheduled to continue well into 2018 so please take note of all road closures.

Crenshaw closures since January

Crenshaw Line Construction Right on Track

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Metro Has A New Black CEO

Phillip Washington, former CEO of Denver’s Regional Transportation District (RTD) was selected as the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Agency’s new chief executive officer, starting no later than May 29.

“There’s a lot of work to be done, and we will function as a team in doing it,” Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas said during a press conference at Metro on Thursday. “Phillip Washington’s experience in Denver of delivering projects on time and on budget is precisely what all of us have desired and expected, and we fully look forward to that happening here in Los Angeles as we move toward the implementation of Measure R.”

Washington said he was looking forward to delivering “the best possible transit experience and infrastructure for the LA area.”

Welcome to LA Mr. Phillip Washingotn

West Carson To Receive A Regional Transit Hub

West Carson is getting some well needed attention with the announcement of a Regional Hub and even talk about building a community around it.  West Carson is slated to become Eastern South Bay’s regional transportation hub near the Harbor-UCLA Medical Center (I believe Torrance is building one too).  The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved a state grant that will use $491,770 develop a plan aimed at improving transportation, sustainability and increase housing in the area.  The Los Angeles County Department of Regional Planning will  create a master plan that will help reduce greenhouse gas emissions by developing a sustainable community project within a ½ mile radius of the West Carson Metro station.

East South Bay’s Regional Transportation Hub

Additional Crenshaw Closures

Just received and email there will be additional Crenshaw Closure to complete the excavation at Crenshaw and Exposition.  The contractor will need to implement another closure of Crenshaw Blvd. in order to complete the excavation and decking of the street between Exposition Blvd. and Rodeo Rd.  Another closure is needed in order for the contractor to complete the work in this area.  The closure of Crenshaw at Exposition Blvd. will be 24/7 between Sunday, January 4, at 9 pm and Monday, January 12, at 6 am.  Rodeo Rd. will remain open during the closure.

Crenshaw Phase III 01.04.15

Metro Sporting New Trains

A new fleet of LA Metro trains should be arriving over the next couple of years sporting a shinier, sleeker look.  With the expansion of the Expo Line and the Crenshaw Line under construction, Metro is looking for ways to make the trains safer.  Metro is trying out a new silver paint that will reflect light, hoping to make the trains more visible.  The proposed new design features “Metro” supergraphics and reflective patterns “conveying motion and Southern California sunlight,”according to The Source.   The video below features how the trains will look running along the blue line (but jump the 45 secs to jump right to the trains).

Curbed’s Inside Pictures

 

CiciLAvias 3rd Time Around

I’ve often over looked this event  because LA is on this super new bike fad right now and I wasn’t sure how long it was gonna last, plus I just thought the event was overrated (just being honest) however with me soon purchasing my two wheels connected to a handle bar and seat I think I might just indulge in CiciLAvias this year, plus their headed back to Downtown where it originally started which would be more interesting to take part in, just in my opinion.  CiciLAvias (no clue what it stands for or actually means) is bike and pedestrian festival that closes down streets to cars for bikes and pedestrian.   I believe its all to encourage biking and walking instead of driving in LA but don’t quote me on that.  This year its going to be on October 6, with a 7.4-mile route through the Civic Center, Historic Core, Little Tokyo, Chinatown, the Piñata District (where the hell is the Piñata District), and DTLA-adjacent Boyle Heights and MacArthur Park.  Should be fun hope to see yall out there, I’ma be sporting my SouthLA Tee!

What does CiciLAvia mean/stand for

Curbed on CiciLAvia

Shaw Subway Coalition To Meet On Metro Hill

We need your help on June 27! On the MTA board agenda is the award of the Crenshaw-LAX Line construction contract. We have been instrumental in forcing MTA staff to admit that 3 of the 4 finalists for the project contract requested to bid the rail project with a tunnel the final 11-blocks in Park Mesa Heights on Crenshaw Blvd to preserve and enhance the last black business corridor in the region and protect the safety of the public. But MTA staff refused!

June 27th Showdown

Next Arrival Times For Metro Rail

Metro Rail is now offering real arrival times via web and at the actual stations.  Stations along the Expo, Blue Line, and I believe even the
Green Line, now have arrival times displayed.  There are several other ways to access the Nextrip real-time train arrival information. It can be viewed on the web, via smart phone browser, by texting a Metro bus stop ID number to 41411 and via telephone by dialing 511 and saying, “Nextrip.” (A Nextrip Rail app is in development.) And coming up soon, electronic signs on the train platforms will show real-time arrival information rather than the scheduled arrival times displayed now.

Metro Real Time 

Crenshaw Line Is Really Coming!

Not sure how much you have been following along but the Crenshaw District IS getting its own Light Rail/Subway. Last week the planned light rail received a boost from the  Metropolitan Transportation Authority staff recommending a $1.27 billion contract to build the line.   The Line will begin at The Aviation Station along the Green Line, travel north along La Cienaga( meet a soon to be people mover at Century Blvd that will  that take travelers directly into the soon-but-not-too-soon Grand Terminal at LAX), touch the eastern tip of Westchester with a station at Hindry to serve the Westchester community.  The Light Rail will hit a slight right along Florence, cutting through Downtown Inglewood and finally hitting Crenshaw Blvd in Hyde Park at Crenshaw and Florence.  The train will continue north along Crenshaw all the way to expo, submerging underground after Slauson Ave. with a subway stop at Leimert Park at or around Vernon  amd another subway stop at MLK Blvd with a underground entrance to the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza.  Bravo!

On June 27, the full Metro board is scheduled to vote on the contract and whether to approve Walsh/Shea Corridor Constructors as the contractor.

Crenshaw on the Move

Leimert Park Celebrates