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Post by snoggle on Sept 8, 2017 14:57:38 GMT
An interesting article as to the issues facing the huge bus network in Los Angeles. Seems they have a different variant of "London bus disease" afflicting their ridership levels. www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-bus-ridership-study-20170518-story.htmlClearly LA is not London so there are distinctly different issues around transport demand, congestion and the viability of using cars. However one thing struck me as relevant - the fact that LA think they have lost regular users who made many bus trips a day or week and that's what's pulled the numbers down so sharply. I wonder to what extent that's happened in London? I am certainly someone who used to use buses and tubes a lot and my usage has dropped hugely - partly from not needing to commute but also more widely. I could, in theory, be riding around for leisure all the time but I don't. |
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Post by londonbuses2018 on Sept 29, 2017 7:23:49 GMT
I was watching a video on YouTube and apparently LA have their own underground system so I can see why it's in decline
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Post by snoggle on Sept 29, 2017 11:26:00 GMT
I was watching a video on YouTube and apparently LA have their own underground system so I can see why it's in decline Los Angeles has quite an interesting transport network but it doesn't get much UK coverage. There are special high quality bus lines (Orange and Silver) with dedicated bus priority and express service. There is a growing light rail network which is basically replacing the old "Red Lines" interurban tram network which were bought up in the 30s by fuel and tyre companies and then closed down in order to force people to use cars and then to use the land for freeways. It's part of the subject matter in the movie "Who Killed Roger Rabbit". Some of the light rail lines also run underground - they were featured in Lethal Weapon 2 where Mel Gibson hangs off the front of a light rail vehicle while shooting at the villains who are escaping up the tunnel in a road rail vehicle.  The Red and Purple Lines are the ones most like a Metro with third rail current collection and subway like cars. Light rail / trams run on the Gold, Expo, Blue and Green lines. The Blue line is the oldest line. It has one of the largest bus networks in the States and you can see a LA Metro bus right near the end of the video for Massive Attack's Unfinished Sympathy video. We quite often see London buses and tubes in films and videos but LA's transport network has its fair share of coverage in popular culture. |
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Post by ServerKing on Sept 30, 2017 16:22:50 GMT
I was watching a video on YouTube and apparently LA have their own underground system so I can see why it's in decline Los Angeles has quite an interesting transport network but it doesn't get much UK coverage. There are special high quality bus lines (Orange and Silver) with dedicated bus priority and express service. There is a growing light rail network which is basically replacing the old "Red Lines" interurban tram network which were bought up in the 30s by fuel and tyre companies and then closed down in order to force people to use cars and then to use the land for freeways. It's part of the subject matter in the movie "Who Killed Roger Rabbit". Some of the light rail lines also run underground - they were featured in Lethal Weapon 2 where Mel Gibson hangs off the front of a light rail vehicle while shooting at the villains who are escaping up the tunnel in a road rail vehicle. The Red and Purple Lines are the ones most like a Metro with third rail current collection and subway like cars. Light rail / trams run on the Gold, Expo, Blue and Green lines. The Blue line is the oldest line. It has one of the largest bus networks in the States and you can see a LA Metro bus right near the end of the video for Massive Attack's Unfinished Sympathy video. We quite often see London buses and tubes in films and videos but LA's transport network has its fair share of coverage in popular culture. Surprised it's going to take them until 2019 to figure out how to re-jig 170 routes... and I thought TfL was slow! Everyone drives in LA, and only the poor walk, it seems... When I was there, in certain areas I never even noticed a bus route. But in some areas, late at night you don't want to be out waiting for a bus, such as Watts or Inglewood... I'm surprised Metro hasn't brought in sub-contractors like TfL has. Perhaps healthy competition between operators might stimulate interest in the bus network? Seems to be the same issues as London, but with LED blinds and no 20 Zones  |
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Post by snoggle on Sept 30, 2017 17:14:45 GMT
Los Angeles has quite an interesting transport network but it doesn't get much UK coverage. There are special high quality bus lines (Orange and Silver) with dedicated bus priority and express service. There is a growing light rail network which is basically replacing the old "Red Lines" interurban tram network which were bought up in the 30s by fuel and tyre companies and then closed down in order to force people to use cars and then to use the land for freeways. It's part of the subject matter in the movie "Who Killed Roger Rabbit". Some of the light rail lines also run underground - they were featured in Lethal Weapon 2 where Mel Gibson hangs off the front of a light rail vehicle while shooting at the villains who are escaping up the tunnel in a road rail vehicle. The Red and Purple Lines are the ones most like a Metro with third rail current collection and subway like cars. Light rail / trams run on the Gold, Expo, Blue and Green lines. The Blue line is the oldest line. It has one of the largest bus networks in the States and you can see a LA Metro bus right near the end of the video for Massive Attack's Unfinished Sympathy video. We quite often see London buses and tubes in films and videos but LA's transport network has its fair share of coverage in popular culture. Surprised it's going to take them until 2019 to figure out how to re-jig 170 routes... and I thought TfL was slow! Everyone drives in LA, and only the poor walk, it seems... When I was there, in certain areas I never even noticed a bus route. But in some areas, late at night you don't want to be out waiting for a bus, such as Watts or Inglewood... I'm surprised Metro hasn't brought in sub-contractors like TfL has. Perhaps healthy competition between operators might stimulate interest in the bus network? Seems to be the same issues as London, but with LED blinds and no 20 Zones I suspect that local American politics and referendums make the pace of change to public services very difficult. I remember being told that it was virtually impossible to close even one entrance to a NYC subway station even if there 3 others on the other corners of an intersection. Any diminution in service that caused people to walk even a few extra yards became enbroiled in campaigns and politicans fighting the MTA. I expect LA is similar given the deprivation / extreme wealth causing very polarised views. LA also has the nightmare scenario of trying to provide attractive transit services against low density development and sprawl. It makes it virtually impossible. Furthermore areas are ripped apart by the huge freeway infrastructure which must make transit provision difficult. Another similarity with London but no doubt on a much larger scale will be Uber and similar services. They are bound to be popular in a city with such a massive fleet of cars and huge road infrastructure. Such services are almost impossible to compete against for transit providers. IIRC the article Uber are certainly cited as a factor but so is a lack of money to do anything substantive with the bus network quickly. Whatever money there is is going on Metro lines and light rail extensions. |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 30, 2017 21:30:12 GMT
Surprised it's going to take them until 2019 to figure out how to re-jig 170 routes... and I thought TfL was slow! Everyone drives in LA, and only the poor walk, it seems... When I was there, in certain areas I never even noticed a bus route. But in some areas, late at night you don't want to be out waiting for a bus, such as Watts or Inglewood... I'm surprised Metro hasn't brought in sub-contractors like TfL has. Perhaps healthy competition between operators might stimulate interest in the bus network? Seems to be the same issues as London, but with LED blinds and no 20 Zones I suspect that local American politics and referendums make the pace of change to public services very difficult. I remember being told that it was virtually impossible to close even one entrance to a NYC subway station even if there 3 others on the other corners of an intersection. Any diminution in service that caused people to walk even a few extra yards became enbroiled in campaigns and politicans fighting the MTA. I expect LA is similar given the deprivation / extreme wealth causing very polarised views. LA also has the nightmare scenario of trying to provide attractive transit services against low density development and sprawl. It makes it virtually impossible. Furthermore areas are ripped apart by the huge freeway infrastructure which must make transit provision difficult. Another similarity with London but no doubt on a much larger scale will be Uber and similar services. They are bound to be popular in a city with such a massive fleet of cars and huge road infrastructure. Such services are almost impossible to compete against for transit providers. IIRC the article Uber are certainly cited as a factor but so is a lack of money to do anything substantive with the bus network quickly. Whatever money there is is going on Metro lines and light rail extensions. |
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Post by snoggle on Sept 30, 2017 21:45:13 GMT
New York's Subway is its own special mess. The problems they are having are really bad. Also the governmental structure and funding arrangements are byzantine which encourages the Mayor of New York to try to knock seven bells out of the State Governor who has the actually responsibility for the money and service. secondavenuesagas.com/2017/08/07/subways-turn-cuomo-de-blasio-spar-subway-action-plan-funding/2nd Avenue Sagas is an excellent blog about the woes of NYC transport. |
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The Red and Purple Lines are the ones most like a Metro with third rail current collection and subway like cars. Light rail / trams run on the Gold, Expo, Blue and Green lines. The Blue line is the oldest line.
