While it will certainly comes as a relief to some commuters living in the San Gabriel Valley, the Metro Gold Line extension that opened earlier this month was more the result of politics than planning.
The opening of a Los Angeles Times editorial by Ethan Elkind begins innocuously enough: "The opening this month of the Gold Line extension from Pasadena to Azusa is an example of how voter-approved tax dollars are now delivering real transit projects for Los Angeles." Then comes the kicker: "It is also an example of how politics often dictate how and where Metro builds."
In the case of the widely celebrated Gold Line extension, Elkind says that planners, not politicians, could have come up with a better route for the train:
Better mass transit is necessary across the region. But not every part of the county has the population to support rail. In the case of the Gold Line, we've brought expensive train technology to a generally low-density area that could be more economically served by bus rapid transit or commuter buses running in the right-of-way.
After detailing the political bedfellows that brought the Gold Line extension into existence, Elkind looks forward, and recommends that Metro "be more willing to reject inefficient rail proposals in favor of more cost-effective options." Elkind also offers some specific ideas about what those projects might be.
FULL STORY: How politics built L.A.'s Gold Line at the expense of a smarter system

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Walmart Announces Nationwide EV Charging Network
The company plans to install electric car chargers at most of its stores by 2030.

San Diego Adopts First Mobility Master Plan
The plan provides a comprehensive framework for making San Diego’s transportation network more multimodal, accessible, and sustainable.

‘It’s Been 50 years’: Public Transit Law Passes in Montana
Legislation would fix transportation district issue, allow for greater reach on city bus routes.

Top 10 Tech-Ready Cities
An index ranks U.S. cities based on their preparedness for the ‘smart city future.’

Lakewood Celebrates Arbor Day and Strengthens Urban Forestry Legacy
Lakewood celebrated Arbor Day and its 43rd year as a Tree City USA community with a youth-led tree planting event at O’Kane Park, reinforcing its long-standing commitment to urban forestry and environmental education.
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.
City of Moorpark
City of Tustin
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions