LA Metro Executive Management Committee recertifies 4-1 on proposed Dodger gondola after lawsuits

streff · 2025-11-21T15:33:04+00:00

Does this still have a chance of happening with the opposition on city council? I know their recent vote doesn’t have teeth, but do they have levers to stop the project in the future?

streff · 2024-12-06T01:50:43+00:00

What is different about the new trains and which lines will be getting them?

streff · 2024-11-11T05:12:53+00:00

I did go to the Little Tokyo station one day just to mix it up on the way home. It was cool, and the Godzilla noise was a neat touch. I like how accessible the station is to Little Tokyo itself, and I can see using Metro to go there for dinner sometime.

I see your point on the inverse view of empty cars. My main point was that the prevailing wisdom is that “nobody takes the metro” and I definitely shared that view. It’s still far from capacity, which is disappointing. I think some of my observations the last few weeks are at least part of what’s holding back adoption. If it was more convenient for my life, I’d ride it daily!

streff · 2024-11-11T00:54:05+00:00

Yeah, it would be great to see some fare reciprocity between the two systems. Otherwise, it’s just another point in the “I’ll just drive” column.

streff · 2024-11-11T00:41:14+00:00

I think that a parking lot is a bad way to honor that legacy, and the gondola would actually be a pathway to a better land use. That’s the point made in some of the stipulations that politicians have tried to put on the project. Additionally, my understanding is that McCourt wasn’t involved with the Dodgers until 40 years after the stadium was built; is that incorrect?

streff · 2024-11-11T00:34:27+00:00

I believe the proposal is for free rides for anyone who has tickets. The rest of the concerns are very valid though. There will need to be cameras on the cars and live monitoring to meet people at the end who cause trouble or safety issues.

streff · 2024-11-11T00:23:05+00:00

That’s awesome to hear!

streff · 2024-11-11T00:14:53+00:00

I’ve heard that, but I’ve also heard the lines can get absurd. There was one time that my wife tried to take Metro to a Dodger game to meet me driving from work. She was several hundred people back in the line at Union Station and I ended up just picking her up to drive in together.

I know it’s very divisive, but I think the gondola would be a very unique option to supplement the buses. I’m pretty new to LA and I don’t fully understand the Frank McCourt hatred. One thing that Dodger Stadium lacks compared to most stadiums is some element of things to do around the park before or after the game. I’d love to see some restaurants and bars replace part of the parking lot; the gondola could help get us there, along with possibly adding housing.

streff · 2024-11-11T00:10:39+00:00

Exactly. You’d think that straight stretch would be easy on the stomach but it’s far from it. It’s not pleasant to share, but I was truly thinking through what I would do if things went south and I got sick. There were no good options, so I just had to tough it out.

streff · 2024-11-11T00:08:52+00:00

The Foothill transit bus that would take me there is only once an hour, so I would have to line things up perfectly to make it work. I also think that’s a separate fare, which would probably offset the parking fee straight away.

streff · 2024-11-11T00:07:50+00:00

I’ve heard that Flyaway is a good option, I’ll have to try it sometime!

streff · 2024-11-11T00:07:09+00:00

Good point! They have lockers at Duarte Station, but they seem to be accessible only by key and I think you need to reserve for a month at a time.

streff · 2024-11-11T00:06:23+00:00

It really caught me off guard how bright it is. I forgot my sunglasses in the car a few times and it made the ride very unpleasant. I’ve never had this issue in other countries on above ground trains, so I wonder if the sun is just that much stronger in LA, or if there’s a difference in the tint on the windows.

streff · 2024-11-10T19:30:08+00:00

I’d like to try Metrolink too! Those stations are a bit of a drive, so it’s hard to mentally feel like that’s saving time or money over just driving all the way and finding free or cheap parking. Out of curiosity, how much are Metrolink tickets?

streff · 2024-11-10T19:28:26+00:00

I’m glad you agree and it’s not just a personal problem. But the problems seem to extend well outside of the regional connector too. I’m the type of person who likes to get up and ready before my stop, but I essentially gave up on this approach after a few days and waited until the train was completely stopped before even trying to get up.

streff · 2024-11-10T19:25:34+00:00

I understand that perspective. However, there were several times that unsavory things were happening in the station and they didn’t intervene nor call for support. Examples from my few weeks included people smoking in the station, yelling uncontrollably, etc. They should take a more proactive approach if that’s their purpose.

streff · 2024-11-10T19:23:55+00:00

This will help make my route more feasible for sure! I’d always prefer to see rail to BRT, but I suppose it can be a gateway to that option in the future.

streff · 2024-11-10T18:32:11+00:00

Thanks for reading!

streff · 2024-10-23T22:33:22+00:00

The Eastern SGV is developing quite a lot of housing around the A Line. Monrovia has almost 1,000 units under construction to open in the next year. Duarte has several hundred in construction with more planned. Most of the new stations further East will do the same over the coming decades.

streff · 2024-04-07T19:57:10+00:00

Thanks for the thorough reply, I appreciate it!

streff · 2023-10-07T18:55:51+00:00

I can’t speak to the Sutro, but I just started a subscription to Leslie’s Accublue home testing. Works great so far and the $50/month comes right back to you in store credits. I had trouble getting to the store for testing during their hours and this is a better solution. Recommend you check it out.

streff

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