You Should Like This

Before The Event That Never Was, I wrote about the need for a rail line along the 405 corridor. I exchanged a few emails with Bart Reed of the Transit Coalition, who shared some insight as to how to get such an important piece of the transit puzzle off the ground (or rather, under.) He said they have been in talks with Los Angeles Council Districts 6 and 11, and that they would begin promoting through social media sites.

The Valley-Westside Rail project is now up on Facebook. You should like it.

I asked Bart how people could get more involved. He said that we need to start by garnering support from neighborhood councils. So, that’s where I began, with a few emails of my own:

This past weekend, the closure of the 405 and the media attention it received resulted in a ripple effect on the entire freeway system. Drivers got lucky. Businesses did not. This further illustrates the need for viable transportation alternatives. Specifically, a more comprehensive regional rail network.

As a contributing author for Blogging.LA, I wanted to get your input on a newly envisioned Metro rail line from the Valley to the Westside, by way of the 405 corridor.

Current proposals by the Transit Coalition would have the first phase of the North-South line connect the Expo and Purple lines on the Westside to the Orange Line, Van Nuys Metrolink/Amtrak, and Sylmar Metrolink/HSR in the Valley. Phase 2 would connect with LAX and onto Long Beach.

What is your council’s position on such a line? What would your constituents stand to gain/lose from it?

I think we can agree that comprehensive transit system is vital to the future of our city. I would like any feedback you could give, as we begin an open, honest dialogue on how to better connect our communities.

Judy Price of the Valley Glen Neighborhood Association was the first to respond:

Personally, I think we must start working toward a transit solution in Los Angeles. I was an early proponent for the Orange Line, although many in Valley Glen fought it. It is a poor substitute for rail or subway but is better than nothing and has been a great success. Thank you for the nudge on this important issue.

Then there was the response from Tony Braswell of Neighborhood Council Valley Village:

We have repeatedly gone on record in favor of more public transportation options to link SFV to the rest of the city.  I  believe our Board will  look favorably on this “newly envisioned Metro rail line”, and will share it with our City Services Committee at their next meeting.  Anything that links SFV to the west side and eventually to LAX would benefit our stakeholders.

Maybe things do start with a Facebook page. Or an email. Have you written your neighborhood council lately? Find yours by entering your address here at EmpowerLA.org.

Angels Flight, archived image

Now I can really feel it – I feel the wooden seats that remind me of historic streetcars other cities have been spoiled to have. I poke at the hanging light bulbs I probably shouldn’t be touching. I feel the car rattling up the steep incline, and the California sun beating on my shoulders through the open windows. I drop a quarter into the old-fashioned fare box, save a souvenir ticket for my collage, and run my fingers along the woodwork outside the little building housing the operator, overlooking California Plaza.

I make sure to ride on each car – both Olivet and Sinai, whom I’ve come to know as individuals via their ridiculous Twitter Account.

The railway may have moved a bit from its original location 100 years ago, but it acts like a little time machine. Moreso than the new downtown skyscraper on the site of what once was, or a snazzy, remodeled loft inside an historic piece of architecture, the simple ride makes me feel as if I’m inside those black-and-white photos of Angels Flight I downloaded from library archives, and transports me to the Bunker Hill of yesteryear – when one might take the funicular to get back to work up the steep hill after a lunch date. I think of how I need to get around to taking this ride at sunset, who I need to bring along with me next time, and out-of-towners I should take here on their next visit. It connects us to the rich history of Downtown L.A., the kind you don’t get anywhere much further away from the river on which this city was founded.

And just like that, after a few brief moments, the ride is over. But it’s only a quarter, so why not take it back down the hill again?

Check out the rest of the L.A.’s Greatest Landmarks series here.

LASnark just broke the news about Governor Schwarzenegger’s plan to fix California. Since the elected guys have no idea what to do, they’re asking the internet.

The Governor would like your suggestions via Twitter. Simply post your idea, followed by #MyIdea4CA. I tweeted mine, which referred back to an earlier post here on Metblogs. All suggestions become part of an ongoing forum at myidea4ca.com.

Why didn’t Villaraigosa think of this?