Phoenix

19th and Montebello

Central and Camelback

Central and Osborn

Chase 3rd and Jefferson

Tempe Town Lake bridge

Sycamore and Main

Eastside Gold Line opening

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

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

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

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

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.