One of the most heavily used rail lines in the country, the Metro Blue Line in Los Angeles County, will be closed for eight months in 2019.
"Metro is preparing to close the 22-mile Blue Line for a total of eight months next year to complete the modernization of the transit agency’s oldest train line," reports Steve Scauzillo. The closures will actually be broken into two, four-month segments. The southern half will be closed first, starting in January. The northern half will be closed after improvements on the first half of the project are complete.
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) will spend $300 million on improvements while the line is closed. "The agency plans to add four new switches that allow trains to move quicker, new signals, new tracks in downtown Long Beach and improvements at street level intersections, especially at the Washington Boulevard and Flower Street junction near downtown Los Angeles where cars have crashed into trains, causing significant delays," explains Scauzillo. "A major portion of the project will include tearing down and rebuilding the Willowbrook/Rosa Parks Station in Compton, the fourth busiest station in the Metro light-rail system and where Blue Line passengers transfer to the Green Line, an east-west line paralleling the 105 Freeway."
The changes will remove ten minutes from travel times between Los Angeles and Long Beach. The main talking point favored by Metro officials when justifying this project, however, is bringing the route into "good repair."
FULL STORY: Blue Line in Long Beach to close for a total of eight months next year to undergo $300 million renovation
Pennsylvania Mall Conversion Bill Passes House
If passed, the bill would promote the adaptive reuse of defunct commercial buildings.
Coming Soon to Ohio: The Largest Agrivoltaic Farm in the US
The ambitious 6,000-acre project will combine an 800-watt solar farm with crop and livestock production.
World's Largest Wildlife Overpass In the Works in Los Angeles County
Caltrans will soon close half of the 101 Freeway in order to continue construction of the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing near Agoura Hills in Los Angeles County.
California Grid Runs on 100% Renewable Energy for Over 9 Hours
The state’s energy grid was entirely powered by clean energy for some portion of the day on 37 out of the last 45 days.
New Forecasting Tool Aims to Reduce Heat-Related Deaths
Two federal agencies launched a new, easy-to-use, color-coded heat warning system that combines meteorological and medical risk factors.
AI Traffic Management Comes to Dallas-Fort Worth
Several Texas cities are using an AI-powered platform called NoTraffic to help manage traffic signals to increase safety and improve traffic flow.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Tufts University, Department of Urban and Environmental Policy & Planning
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.