Light Rail Photos

Eastside Gold Line opening

2009-11-15T21:52:00.000-08:00

Here are four photos of my experience of the Eastside Gold Line public opening today, with three-car trains on a frequent schedule. At the end of the line at Atlantic here's the train we're about to board and another nearing the station.

Trains were getting full with standees now. It was great seeing all the parents and kids there.

(Click photos to enlarge)

Lots of people were getting off and on the trains at the Mariachi Plaza subway station, where 1st Street was closed above for a street festival.

Before 11 a.m. there was no line and the cars had a couple of empty seats; back at Union Station before 1 p.m., the line now stretched the length of the tunnel, like for the 2003 opening of the Pasadena Gold Line.

And here is the view through operator's window during a preview ride in a Breda train, last Friday, November 6. (Click HD and full screen for the best ride!)

Part 1 of 2 is Union Station to 1st & Lorena. Part 2 of 2 is the rest of the way to 3rd & Atlantic. The video skips time stopped in stations; total travel time was about 22 minutes.

Eastside Gold Line testing

2009-09-19T18:03:00.000-07:00

Here are some newer photos of Los Angeles' Eastside Gold Line as it nears opening (also see construction photos from early 2008).

This aerial view of the bridge from Union Station over the 101 freeway is from Metro's headquarters building (8/08).

A test train returns over that freeway bridge to the Gold Line platform at Union Station (7/09).

(Click photos to enlarge, or see Light Rail Big Photos for all large photos.)

Another view of that bridge, from Aliso Street on the south side of the freeway (12/08).

Two test trains are in the Little Tokyo station at First and Alameda.

A three-car eastbound test train crosses the First Street bridge. Note the bridge tower has been moved as part of its widening (9/09).

A one-car westbound test train crosses the bridge (9/09).

A test train passes the new school LAUSD built next to the Eastside Gold Line at Mission (9/09).

An older Siemens test car pauses in the station (with its lights briefly showing it to be westbound) before heading east into the tunnel under Boyle Heights (9/09).

An eastbound test train rounds the corner of First onto Indiana (9/09).

This catenary pole on Third Street includes weights to keep the overhead in tension (12/08).

This test train is about to leave the end-of-the-line station at Atlantic (9/09).

Here's the map of the 6 mile long Eastside Gold Line.

Eugene BRT

2008-08-25T22:10:00.000-07:00

Not light rail, but these two 1999 Newlands & Co. photo simulations of Eugene, Oregon's "Bus Rapid Transit" (BRT) have been widely used to promote BRT in other cities. A visit to Eugene last week gave me the opportunity to compare the image with the finished reality.

These depicted the European CiViS bus design, not the New Flyer articulated buses actually used. Grass between pavement strips was done in the Franklin median (next photo), but narrower.

(Click any image to enlarge)

About 0.8 miles of the 3.8-mile route is in the median of Franklin Blvd. (left). Another 0.9 miles is in bus lanes on 11th and 10th Avenues. These are predominantly single-lane, with passing at stations and a two-lane median section.

The majority of the route is in mixed traffic. Here a westbound bus from the Springfield station begins the dedicated lane on Franklin Blvd. at the Walnut St. station.

This detail shows the station platform curb and pedestrian ramp.

Westbound buses must wait here in the station for an eastbound bus to clear the single-lane section.

These special 63-foot articulated buses have two doors on their left sides as well as the standard three on the right. This also shows the wing station canopy design.

The westbound bus now proceeds on the single-lane median section toward downtown Eugene.

Here is a typical station on 11th Street, showing concrete bus lanes but not the landscaping of Franklin's median.

Lane Transit District's EmX Green Line buses are scheduled to run every 10 minutes on weekdays, 3.8 miles in 16 minutes between the Springfield and Eugene bus stations, a 14 mph average. This photo is from the good signage in the station.

Pasadena Gold Line opening

2008-07-26T00:10:00.000-07:00

Today is the 5th Anniversary of the July 25, 2003 public opening of the Pasadena Gold Line. This is the Construction Authority's poster.

Here are some photos from opening weekend and pre-opening testing. (Click photos to enlarge)

MTA Board members spoke before this huge banner in Union Station's ticketing hall for the Friday preview opening. (7/25/03)

At Union Station I helped direct some of the over 70,000 people who rode both Saturday and Sunday. (7/26/03)

It was remarkable, such a cross-section of Los Angeles: all races, and families with all ages, from babies in strollers to seniors with canes or in wheelchairs, all waiting patiently to ride the trains. (7/26/03)

After an aerial section the next station is Chinatown, shown here during pre-opening testing. (4/03)

A test train crosses the new Los Angeles River bridge. The maintenance yard is out-of-frame to the left. (4/03)

This is the half-mile section along Marmion Way in Highland Park where trains run at 20 mph with signal priority. The rest of the line is 55 mph with gated crossings or grade separations for a high 28 mph average speed for this 13.7-mile line. (4/03)

Families with kids at the Highland Park station on opening day. (7/26/03)

South Pasadena station with a train on display before opening. One of these women said, "It's like we're a real city!" (4/03)

Leaving the station the tracks cross Mission Street in historic South Pasadena. The celebrated New Urbanist transit-oriented development Mission Meridian Village is behind the brick building on the left. (4/03)

The Memorial Park station in Old Town Pasadena was built on the existing right-of-way in space set aside beneath the Holly Street Apartments. (7/25/03)

The last three stations are in the median of I-210 in Pasadena. (7/26/03)

Recent Gold Line ridership has been over 23,000 average weekday boardings.

Phoenix construction

2008-07-20T00:30:00.000-07:00

These May 2008 guest photos show the northern end of Phoenix Valley Metro light rail construction.

The northern terminus station on 19th Street, looking south toward Camelback Road, is typical of a median station.

This 19.6 mile line is mostly at-grade in boulevard medians. It is scheduled to open in December 2008.

Here the median tracks on Camelback Road pass Osborn Middle School (far right) at 11th Avenue, looking east.

Another view of Osborn Middle School, looking west. Camelback Road with its median tracks is on far right.

(Click photos to enlarge)

This sculpture marks the turn (left) toward Central Avenue from Camelback Road (center-right), looking west.

The Central Avenue / Camelback Station is on this short diagonal between Camelback and Central (looking southeast).

A signal-controlled pedestrian crossing is in front of Central High School, on Central Avenue south of Camelback Road

These two test train photos farther south on the line are from Valley Metro. "Three-car train at the Priest and Washington Street Station."

"Vehicle being tested in Tempe near the Mill Avenue and 3rd St. station."

This and more detailed maps are at Valley Metro.

The project is expected to serve 49,900 daily riders in 2020.
Total cost is $1,412.12 million, including federal New Starts share of $587.20 million.

Portland MAX downtown

2008-07-13T20:30:00.000-07:00

Downtown Portland is the hub of three MAX light rail lines (map below): the original Eastside to Gresham (1986) with Westside extension to Hillsboro (1998) Blue Line, Airport (2001) Red Line, and Interstate (2004) Yellow Line (click links for more). Here an Airport train passes Pioneer Place.

Nordstrom's success in downtown Portland contrasts with the trend to suburban malls in other cities.

During peak periods 16 trains per hour per direction pass through the one-way couplet on Morrison and Yamhill Streets.

This sidewalk cafe, very compatible with quiet light rail trains passing, complements downtown (7/00; other photos 7/03).

(click any photo to enlarge)

Trains passing through the Saturday Market area demonstrate the pedestrian-oriented ambiance Portland is known for.

Old Town / Chinatown is the last stop before the Gresham, Airport, and Interstate lines cross the Steel Bridge east over the Willamette River.

Riders head home after Fourth of July fireworks over the Willamette River in downtown Portland.

Portland's first line from downtown east to Gresham opened in 1986. It's since grown to 44 miles. Portland's total ridership is over 100,000 average weekday boardings. (map source)

Portland Eastside MAX

2008-07-13T18:20:00.000-07:00

Portland's original 15-mile MAX ("Metropolitan Area Express") Light Rail line opened in 1984 from downtown, across the Steel Bridge over the Willamette River (left), to Gresham (10/93).

After passing Lloyd Center its right-of-way is on the north side of the Banfield Freeway (right of the barrier), here at the station at N.E. 60th Street (10/93).

(click any photo to enlarge)

Beyond the freeway right-of-way it runs in the median of E. Burnside Street. Here we're approaching a typical median split station at 122nd Avenue (7/00).

Here is the far side platform of of that station, also showing the signal-controlled intersection (7/00).

Here are typical median tracks with landscaped borders along E. Burnside Street. The railings in the distance are a pedestrian crossing (7/00).

"Train? What train?" (7/00)

This is the terminus in Gresham, at the end of the original short single-track section (since widened to two tracks), with Mt. Hood in the distance (10/93).

Portland Westside MAX

2008-07-13T17:50:00.000-07:00

Looking west on S.W. Jefferson Street from S.W. 18th Avenue, leaving downtown Portland, while the line was still under construction. The eastern portal for the tunnel below Washington Park is just past the high bridge (7/96; other photos 7/00).

Tracks pass a pond as it curves away from the freeway toward downtown Beaverton. The first major expansion of Portland MAX, the Westside line to Hillsboro opened in 1998.

The station at Orenco Station, one of the new housing developments planned around this line.

(click any photo to enlarge)

Mixed-use and cottage houses are located close to the station in the New Urbanist development of Orenco Station, "Named by the National Association of Home Builders as 'America’s Community of the Year' in 1999."

This is a good example of landscaped parkways (the strip between the sidewalk and street) in limited space on S.E. Washington Street in Hillsboro, after the tracks transition from private right-of-way to street median.

Note the trees on this station platform in Hillsboro on S.E. Washington Street.

The terminus in Hillsboro shows an older high-floor car (center) and newer low-floor cars.

Portland Interstate MAX

2008-07-06T12:30:00.000-07:00

Portland's Interstate Avenue was the main road north to the Columbia River and Washington before I-5 was built. In decline, it's been brought back with the 2004 opening of Interstate MAX, the Yellow Line.

This is a typical station at Overlook Blvd., looking south.

The original four-lane boulevard became median tracks and bicycle lanes (looking north from Overlook Blvd.)

These 7/03 late-construction photos were before parkway landscaping was complete.

This is a standard signal-controlled intersection by Ockley Green Middle School at Ainsworth Street, looking north. Chains discourage mid-block crossing.

The 4,000-foot Vanport Bridge crosses a southern slough of the Columbia River.

(click any photo to enlarge)

The current terminus is at Expo Center on the edge of the Columbia River. A new I-5 bridge over the Columbia River may take tracks north to Vancouver, Washington.

This zig-zag pedestrian crossing directs people to look first left, then right for safety with on-coming trains.

The 5.8-mile Interstate MAX line cost $350M, of which the federal New Starts share was $257.5M.

More in this Tri-Met PDF fact sheet.

Los Angeles Green Line

2008-07-03T13:20:00.000-07:00

Much of the Los Angeles Metro Green Line is in the median of the I-105 freeway, built at the same time. Here is a train at the Long Beach Boulevard station (12/07). Waiting here is VERY LOUD.

After the Aviation station (two miles from LAX, connected only by airport shuttle bus) the line curves south of the freeway (03/03).

Unique among modern U.S. light rail lines, it is entirely grade-separated because it was originally planned for automated operation.

Here is the aerial guideway and station along Nash Street at Mariposa Avenue in El Segundo (03/03).

(click any photo to enlarge)

Landscaping and path beneath the aerial structure (03/03).

Passing Mattel's headquarters and other office buildings at Grand Avenue in El Segundo (03/03).

Entrance to the aerial station at El Segundo Boulevard (03/03).

A new light rail bridge and older BNSF Railroad truss bridge diagonally cross the intersection of Aviation Boulevard and Rosecrans Avenue (04/03).

The current terminus is at Marine Avenue (04/03). It's a long way up to that platform!

Future extensions south, north to LAX, and east to Norwalk Metrolink are in Metro's Long Range Transportation Plan. More at Friends of the Green Line.

The 20-mile Green Line (map source) opened in 1995 for a cost of $718M. Recent ridership has been around 39,000 average weekday boardings.

Weekday peak headways are 7-8 minutes; middays and weekends are 15 minutes; nights are 20 minutes.

L.A. Eastside construction

2008-06-28T23:00:00.000-07:00

We'll begin with construction progress on the Los Angeles Eastside Gold Line this year. This is the bridge from Union Station (distant left) over the 101 freeway and crossing Aliso Street east of Alameda Street, looking east (2/08).

Rails on the bridge, looking south from the end of the Union Station platforms (added 7/08).

(click any photo to enlarge)

After the Little Tokyo station on Alameda, the line turns east on 1st Street to cross the Los Angeles River (distant center-left), looking east (2/08).

At Mission Road just east of the 1st Street bridge, East L.A. New High School No.1 under construction on the left, western tunnel portal in the distance on the right, looking east (3/08).

Subway station on 1st Street at Soto Street, looking west (5/08).

Eastern tunnel portal on 1st Street west of Lorena Street, Evergreen Cemetery on the right, looking west (5/08).

Just east of the 60 freeway crossing, on 3rd Street at Downey Road, New Calvary Cemetery on the right, looking east (3/08).

The station on 3rd Street at Mednik Avenue, Griffith Middle School on the right, looking east (3/08).

Here is the terminus station on 3rd Street at Atlantic Boulevard, looking west (5/08).

A number of corridors from El Monte to Whittier are now being considered for potential future extension east.

This is the map from the Final EIS/EIR (in Executive Summary Graphics). The 6-mile line, with twin 1.8-mile tunnels (red on map) under narrow 1st Street in Boyle Heights, is scheduled to open in 2009.

Budgeted cost is $898M, including a federal New Starts share of $490.7M.

Eastside

2008-06-27T10:00:00.000-07:00