The Blue Line light rail between DTLA and Long Beach is often maligned for its slowness when it travels in downtown Long Beach (among other things). While lights turn green and stay green longer for the train in LA, Long Beach does not grant the Blue Line such signal preemption. Streetsblog LA reports that a solution might finally be in the works. The Blue Line encounters 32 traffic lights in DTLB, but Metro and the city entered into an agreement to convert the lights to LA's system. The problem is the cost: $1.5 million. The Long Beach City Council ok'd a grant application with Metro, which if successful, would see Metro pay for the light synching. "We have high hopes that Metro will fund the project and we can begin the process of upgrading our systems by the end of this calendar year," Dave Roseman, LB's chief traffic engineer says. "We should know in about 90 days if Metro will be awarding us the funds we have requested." So, how about signal priority for Expo and Gold Line Eastside trains now?
· Will a Smooth Blue Line Ride Finally Come to Long Beach? [Streetsblog]
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