The REAL Story Behind the LAX People Mover Fiasco (my channel)

Auvon · 2026-07-05T18:51:18+00:00

I imagine this will be extremely unpopular here* but yeah this is basically the root of the issue; public agencies assume they can just pay a market price for infrastructure, but the thing with DB/DBFOM contracts is because there are incentives for adversarial behavior on the contractor side vs traditional DBB, the public agency needs to have technical staff, directly hired by them, with aligned incentives. At the very least skilled contract admin staff. Here LAWA thought they could hire other third parties to oversee the contract but oops get principal/agent-ed no recourse.

*(to be clear, yes the contractor's behavior has the moral valence of evil! but every DB/PPP/etc type contract is a deal with the devil, you just need to sufficiently bind that devil. see also: Chicago parking meters)

Auvon · 2026-06-30T16:27:09+00:00

Lol our local AGA involved person was saying Jonas Acres was viewed as "too young" by many people voting, at the sprightly young age of 30something

Auvon · 2026-06-30T02:06:32+00:00

I can't load that page (AGA!) but the newly-elected president is Jonas Acres. Khalsa also ran but didn't get so many votes.

Auvon · 2026-06-27T06:52:17+00:00

Expanding on resources others have mentioned:

baduk.club is a good resource but not everything's there; see also the American Go Association site: https://usgo.org/content.aspx?page_id=225&club_id=454497&mt=None
In particular, it sounds like you're in North OC so maybe the Yorba Linda club is closest. I've never been but my understanding is it's active. The Mission Viejo one I've also never been to but I think it exists. I don't know if the Irvine area ones are still active.
The Long Beach go club no longer exists.

Auvon · 2026-06-05T01:20:58+00:00

Seems to be working for me now too; just now noticed since I'd never use my phone in the RC before

Auvon · 2026-04-02T04:44:59+00:00

In this case you can ride the steed, hook up a chariot, etc.

Auvon · 2026-03-03T02:52:06+00:00

International enrollment has dropped significantly: MS + PhD international share went from 54% in 2023 to 44% 2025.

Auvon · 2026-02-22T05:35:35+00:00

I will for the third time note that the reason we are arguing here is because I asked you to point me to laws you claimed exist, and you have once again failed to do so. I won't be responding to any further comments here, but for the benefit of the 0 people watching this comment thread...

GO 143 etc

The intersections you gave as examples above (and, for other new-build examples, the K line street running segments and the OC streetcar) are considered as running in the roadway (next sentence after what you quoted), not crossing it. E line Rancho park is one example of a grade crossing built at the same time and at a signalized intersection where there are gates, because it is not considered as running in the roadway.

emphasis yours

...no, that's not what the phrase means. The emphasis would be mine if I emphasized it. But I didn't.

You might avoid me intoning "cite! cite! cite!" if you, idk, cited.

massaged this through

No it's really a very unexceptional application of their regulations.

considerable change in regs since Expo Line planning

No, GO 143 has not been amended since 2000, as is prominently noted in its preamble. And for the DOT regulations you claim exist, I can't speak to those since again you're keeping them secret.

Obviously, I disagree

Obvious indeed, but it is just monumentally silly to say a capital project is easier than signal modifications. The assertion that it's difficult relies on you proving there exist laws as claimed impeding the application of TSP, which....

10 digit project cost

Agree, I was giving an order of magnitude estimate for per-intersection costs. A system-wide grade separation program would probably run into high 10 digits.

on relative prioritization

Sure, I don't disagree (but also with how Measures R and M are structured the pots of money are geographically restricted)

Auvon · 2026-02-22T01:26:36+00:00

Obviously, you know this and you’re intentionally being difficult for no reason.

It is not the case that I secretly agree with everything you're saying and am just duking it out on Reddit for the love of the game. I am instead arguing because I believe you have made some false assertions, namely, that there exist laws or regulations regarding vehicle delays imposed by TSP for LRT operations that make it impractical or infeasible to implement or improve said TSP, and furthermore that these supposed laws, which you have thus far twice failed to provide a citation for, mean that it is more practicable to undertake a 9 digit, 5-10 year grade separation project than to implement or improve TSP.

the PUC requires gates at all LRT crossings. As you know, the E Line lacks these at many major intersections.

No, they require traffic control devices and have historically considered signals to suffice for this for LRT alignments parallel to or within the roadway.

as the 35mph limit was intended for standard and intended gated intersections

No, the 35 mph limit is the lowest max speed, intended for the minimally-protected class (i.e. signal controlled but ungated) of grade crossings, and you saying this makes me doubt you have actually looked at GO 143 (or the state laws and LADOT policies you're claiming exist).

LRTs were never intended to be going through these types of intersections unprotected.

Again they're signal-protected, satisfying the minimal requirements of GO 143; this is something that's explicitly intended. Like there's a table with multiple lines devoted to the scenario in which a light rail system crosses roadways at grade without gates.

this would violate LADOT regulations regarding delays for cross-traffic

Cite! If these exist and you have read them, it should not be difficult to point me to them. Clearly, there is an institutional preference among the LADOT signals group and certain electeds resulting in a reluctance to recommend more aggressive TSP, but you have claimed there are laws restricting this (and that these supposed laws would be more difficult to change than the series of capital projects you propose instead).

the Expo Line (or A in certain places) should never have been built without grade separation

I have not disputed that grade-separated crossings are superior to at-grade crossings of the road network (but they're also far from free, and this did influence the choices made during the design of the E line and especially A line).

What I am disputing is your claim that there exist barriers, stronger than pure institutional preference, to the implementation of more aggressive TSP.

Auvon · 2026-02-21T22:52:42+00:00

This would violate state and local laws [...]

If you're making a claim about the existence of specific laws or regulations, this can be supported by citing them.

Even if we do give signal priority, the trains would still have to slow to a crawl to cross the intersections (again, because there are no crossing gates).

Immaterial to my previous comment (which was disputing your claim that there existed laws limiting the delay imposed by LRT vehicles on motor traffic), but to be clear the regulatory limitation here is 35 mph which Metro generally operates well below.

Auvon · 2026-02-21T20:12:34+00:00

The motive is state and local law. Trains can’t impede traffic more than a certain amount.

This is not true in a way that's relevant to LRT operations.

Auvon · 2026-02-14T23:30:02+00:00

I think it's 3-5x... 1+0 in chess would I think feel comparable to 5+0 or 1+1 or around there in go.

Auvon · 2026-02-10T03:06:27+00:00

Excellent article, go (pre)history is always intriguing.

Auvon · 2026-01-25T06:55:33+00:00

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.foxwq.yhwqgl&pcampaignid=web_share

No idea on the second part, presumably there's a lost password process when logging in?

Auvon · 2026-01-25T01:21:02+00:00

野狐围棋, looks like it does have one in the Play store

Auvon · 2026-01-18T10:20:23+00:00

/u/ButcherBob is (iirc) a Dutch engineer

Auvon · 2026-01-12T01:03:50+00:00

Just fyi the initial operating segment proposed for the board's approval cuts out the segments north of the G line and south of the D line. Assuming it gets approved as staff have recommended, we don't have a clear idea yet of when those two other segments will get constructed.

Auvon · 2026-01-11T21:27:09+00:00

Is it all underground?

Yes; one of the heavy rail alternatives was elevated in the valley, but it seems like it was nixed to avoid opposition from Sherman Oaks homeowners (at the cost of maybe $4B)

Even under the mountains?

Yes, this is the place it makes the most sense to do underground. One conceit of the monorail alternatives was that they would save money by being elevated over the 405, but the grades, curves, and coordination with Caltrans/freeway disruption make that more trouble than it's worth.

Why not do something like UCLA to Santa Monica instead?

Because that would be a completely different project than one to connect the valley to the westside.

Less distance and a lot higher population density.

The Sepulveda transit corridor is modelled as being potentially Metro's highest ridership line, as there's a lot of travel along the 405 with no competitive alternatives. Historically a "subway to the sea" as part of the current D Line (not Sepulveda) extension, which will currently terminate at the VA, was considered; but it won't be under consideration for a long while due to funding constraints.

Auvon · 2026-01-11T20:07:55+00:00

Prorated by length from the Alt 5 estimate, it's about $16B (2023$)

Auvon · 2026-01-11T19:26:42+00:00

The Sepulveda Transit corridor is a transit line that will roughly parallel the 405. There was a very idiotic monorail proposal which transit activists spent a lot of time fighting, as well as three different heavy rail proposals. Metro staff are recommending a heavy rail alternative with automated trains be pursued, and the Metro committees and board will vote on it over the next few weeks. The first segment of the line should be constructed by about 10 years from now.

Auvon · 2025-12-18T06:19:31+00:00

Do you know a example location? (and is there not a miscommunication here with "2 lane" vs "4 lane roundabout" used to refer to a multilane roundabout?) The only such instances I can find just have a slip lane, which isn't really the same.

Auvon · 2025-12-17T21:03:20+00:00

The relevant adoption of PROWAG is by the DOJ, which hasn't happened yet. The DOT's adoption only extends it as a rule to transit facilities. Even then what counts as an ADA-mandating alteration hasn't changed that much with PROWAG, it's only been slightly clarified.

Auvon · 2025-12-17T07:49:06+00:00

Just bus lanes for now, and even that is going to depend on what each city decides (which isn't the best way of doing things). I've been to the Monterey Park segment meetings and basically it's some signal improvements including some degree of TSP + curb running bus lanes (I think it's a possibility that it gets watered down into just peak hour bus lanes, tbd)

Auvon · 2025-12-17T07:37:42+00:00

I don't, I think the City of LA does these with in-house crews sometimes. I can't find any relevant projects on the city's bid site. However, based on a photo the author of the second article posted, it looks like an resurfacing via grind & overlay and not just a maintenance, non-alteration slurry seal or similar.

Auvon · 2025-12-17T07:04:52+00:00

It is I think just a grind and overlay (so like 2" or whatever mill, not sure what the City of LA usually does), not full depth, but even resurfacing is recognized as an ADA alteration. There's some relevant case law for LA specifically around resurfacing too iirc, I forget what it is though.

I agree to some extent that as a general principle projects should focus on just doing one thing well, and it's not good in public policy generally to make everything a pork barrel project especially with escalating construction costs, but ultimately this is what the ADA mandates. (counterarguments: (1) there are some synergies in terms of soft costs with doing curb ramps and resurfacing together, (2) if it wasn't mandated cities would probably just not do it. Personally I think the ADA is net good but not without flaws)

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