1.

Oh thank god, they only voted to move forward on a grant application, they didn't actually take any steps toward screwing up the average motorists commute down Wilshire.

We all know how good the L.A. City Council is at filling out grant applications, so the motorists of the Westside don't have to worry just yet.

Bus lanes are the dumbest things in the world. Talk about fomenting class warfare. Nothing inspires hatred of poor people and city government more than getting stuck behind a bus for miles.

Build the friggin Ray Bradbury Memorial Monorail down the center of the street instead. The public transit users can ride in style with killer views, and motorists don't have to suffer.

2.

All the selfish morons who fight improving transit in Los Angeles are on a losing streak. So, Wishire gets slower for cars and faster for buses. Take the stupid car on Olympic, Pico, Beverly, the 10 freeway — there are lots of other options.

We NEED to do something about transit gridlock NOW. This is a good thing, it will speed transit on the backbone of the bus system. It's too bad though that they don't run it through the middle of Wilshire and ban all left turns, that would be even faster.

Monorails are silly, frivolous toys that don't have the capacity to move large numbers of people. They make car-addicted people feel better about themselves, that's all.

3.

Is it just the total lack of money and lack of political will that prevents our current elected officials from even vaguely keeping their campaign promises of solving LA's traffic woes?

I mean, I think my head would explode if Villaraigosa and the Supervisors and Ahnold actually announced the start date for a massive mass transit construction project. Or even a tiny mass transit construction project (like the subway to the sea, which is really just a drop in the bucket).

4.

Or is it because the average SoCal resident truly will revolt if taxes go up?

Would you rather have higher taxes or bad traffic, I guess that's the question.

5.

Would you rather have higher taxes or bad traffic, I guess that's the question.

Gas taxes buy 1/3 as much today as they did in the '60s, and their declining purchasing power is one of the reasons that the nation's infrastructure is in such shitty shape. Still, The Great Decider has decreed that there shall be no increase in the federal gas tax, even if it were made revenue-neutral by corresponding reductions in the income tax. Way to go, Dubya.

A better way to finance transportation would be by intelligent congestion pricing (involving both GPS and RFID technology) that would allocate revenues to a corridor based on usage on that corridor. Politically, though, I think we're at least 20 years away from that.

6.

Individual flying machines with a net for Bert's concerns about crashes.

7.

I am serious about my space ship idea...call up the kids at MIT in the lab and have them draw up some plans. The Mayor is humping a reporter, the Governator is a steroidal infuse actor..you cant be serious that these 2 will come up with anything!

8.

Is there a bike lane on that street?

9.

Wait, John, doesn't adding a bus lane mean you won't have to be stuck behind the bus anymore--unless you're another bus driver?

I'd rather see the money go toward rail (the goddam subway, not a monorail), I'm just not sure I understood your complaint.

10.

Buses on a bus lane, assuming it does actually speed bus traffic, would likely be more useful than a subway to the sea, would be finished in two years instead of ten, and wouldn't tear up a major thoroughfare for years on end. I'm not sure it even costs automobiles that much time, since they wouldn't be dealing with buses in traffic lanes. It's more of a resouce for those who use transit already than something that's going to get people our of cars, but you could say the same about a subway.

11.

I would GLADLY pay more taxes for traffic mitigation. I would pay 30 bucks a month worth if that meant money for transit. That is a 4 meals for a much better quality of life. Heck. Make employers, HOA's, businesses, universities, airports, and other agency's put in a monthly amount as well.

If less than a third of the people paid that countywide (3 million), that would be 90 million a month. Match that federally and state-wide and that is 270 million a month. Over a 30 year funding span that is 97 billion dollars. Lets say only 10% of the population can afford to contribute 30 bucks a month or if a third of the population contributed 10 bucks a month, that would still be 33 billion. That is PLENTY to put in 4 subways, 10 more light rail lines, update our traffic lights and intersections, add in bikeways and landscaping, etc. etc. Maybe property tax and sales tax pays for it. Maybe its increased parking citations, congestion pricing, increased gasoline tax, or a higher registration fee. I really dont care how they tax me. I am just willing to part with that much money. I already pay 380 for my car, and 900 on rent, might as well add in extra 30 so that my life is that much more enjoyable.

Of course people want everything without giving anything, so it will never happen. Even with traffic as bad as it is, people still wont be willing to spend a penny on transit.

12.

semprini,

$30M for the subway to the sea would *almost* get it to St. Andrews Pl from Western & Wilshire.

This is the lowest cost alternative to the subway to the sea and will actually provide a reliable way to get between Downtown and Santa Monica in 45 minutes. Of course, once the 920 becomes stuck behind the 720 which is stuck behind the 20, we're back to square one.

13.

"Buses on a bus lane, assuming it does actually speed bus traffic, would likely be more useful than a subway to the sea"

#10, I am not sure I understand why you say this. Bus transit can move 50-70,000 people per day along Wilshire, and only if you run the buses a minute apart all day long. Heavy Rail can carry 300-500,000 people per day.

If the Purple Line were built it would see that type of ridership over time. Why do something half-assed? Even if you never plan to get out of your own car, it makes sense for the city.

14.

Come on LA. Bus transit is just fine. We don't need a subway here. And no one is going to get out of their cars anyway. Right? Wait a minute, oh my god, I am watching the television and breaking news is on. My goodness, the president has resigned. Can you believe it? President Nixon has resigned. Wow. What an August this is turning out to be. Well, back to what I was saying, LA is a car town.

15.

and only if you run the buses a minute apart all day long.

...and this is almost impossible. Running buses more frequently than once every five minutes almost inevitably leads to bus-bunching, which kills operating efficiencies--and this is assuming that all lines are making the same number of stops.

NYC has the same problem on its busiest subways, by the way, which is why most of those are either quadruple-tracked or run express service only at rush hour. Fat chance that MTA will get rid of #20 service at peak hour, though.

16.

The best thing about putting in the Wilshire Bus Lane is that it will force DOT and MTA to resurface Wilshire so it can withstand the bus traffic. As it stands now, my little clown car (Orange Honda Fit) can't handle the right-hand lane of Wilshire between Fairfax and Western due to the horrible potholes and oozing tar. Most of the buses drive in the middle lane to avoid bottoming out.

17.

Number five is totally right in regards to gasoline taxes. I would love to know why it has always been a static amount and not a percentage of the price? (I guess the counter argument would be it is harder to count on specific revenues).

Well in a perfect world we would have both the bus lanes AND the subway.

Can someone please tell me where on Wilshire we are looking in that photo? My guess is Wilshire between Alvarado and Virgil, but I am not very confident. I can't even tell if we are looking east or west. Also the street lights don't look right.

18.

I would love to know why it has always been a static amount and not a percentage of the price?

Gutless politicians, pretty much.

Also, it wouldn't make people happy if the government pulled in more tax revenue when gas prices went up. (Strangely, this doesn't bother folks about sales taxes on other goods.)

19.

bus bunching.

best phrase everl.

20.

The phrase "Bus Rapid Transit" or BRT has not been whipped out yet - I am shocked, shocked, that nobody on Curbed has mentioned this yet.

Yay for BRT!

21.

I say buses can be more useful than subways because I live in Koreatown, which has a subway, and I've used transit to commute downtown, and I found the buses to be far more useful than the subway. The belief expressed here that fixed rail is a solution to all transit problems doesn't seem to be based on anything other than faith.

22.

Here's a summary of the last two times I attempted to board a bus in Santa Monica:

#1: I have a couple of friends in town and we decide to take the bus down Santa Monica Bl to the beach instead of dealing with parking. When the 920 or whatever express bus stopped, I stuck my head in to ask if the fare was more than the 20 because it was express. The driver cackled, and said "Oh HELL no!" shut the door in my face and drove the hell off. We walked back home, got in the car, and drove.

#2: Me and the lady were meeting friends on Saturday afternoon in West Hollywood and decide to give the 920 another chance. We wait patiently at the stop for about 15 minutes and the bus flies by without even thinking of stopping. We walked back home, got in the car, and drove.

I'm all for a bus lane (Wilshire practically is one anyway, this just formalizes it) but someone needs to reinforce the chapter of driver training where you learn to STOP AND PICK UP THE RIDERS.

23.

THE BUS? SUCK! street cars.... ski lifts...anything but a bus...slow and smelly.

24.

PC, you haven't been on a bus recently, have you? Very few diesel transit buses remain on the streets of Los Angeles, most having been replaced with noisy-as-hell but blissfully odor- and particulate matter-free CNG power.

25.

Pete, are you serious? CNG buses have no odor? Of course they have exhaust fumes, and yes, you can smell them. Just stand at any bus stop as a bus passes by. They are not nearly as intolerable as the old diesel buses, and I am very glad they replaced most of the fleet with CNG vehicles, but to call them odor-free is waaaay over the line.

Now to the bus lane. I have not seen the proposal. If this just a lane painted on the road at each curbside, then I would not be in favor of this. (By the way, it has to be TWO lanes, one in each direction, otherwise it's pointless.)

If this is a fully-separated, curbed lane in the middle of Wilshire, with "stations" for people to wait at (that is, no way for cars to wander into the bus lane) then it's a much better idea. I guess this amounts to nearly true BRT, except the buses do have to wait at traffic lights.

As far as bus bunching, this could be calmed a bit if the 720 and 920 only ran in the bus lane, and the 20 (local) ran in mixed traffic with all the other cars. This is only sensible way to run those routes. My two cents.

26.

Excuse me: Why do people keep saying BUS *LANE*.

Unless this thing is only traveling in one direction it will be BUS *LANES*.

That's two lanes taken out of service on an already packed Wilshire.

It ain't gonna work and it ain't goin' through.

27.

Ooops, sorry Scott, you already made my point and about TWO lanes and you made it better!

Smooch!

28.

The proposal is to resurface the right-hand lanes eastbound and westbound, and make them bus/right turn only at certain hours of the day. They will not put the bus stops in the center, because several chamber of commerce/community groups beautified stretches of the center medians not too many years ago, and will not tolerate the undoing of it. I don't blame them, since part of what the City/MTA has been threatening is to take away sidewalk space to make more street. They want to make it easier to take the bus, but the people should not have a pleasant walking experience when they exit the bus.

29.

You can have the best transit system in the world but it won't mean a damn thing if it's deeply unpleasant to walk anywhere once you get off the bus or out of the train station. Activity density alone won't generate ridership.

Planners' inability to recognize this has been one of the great failings of most new-build grade-separated transit systems since the '60s.

30.

So, Pete, is there a known solution? What is it?