East Hollywood Connects Community via Route 66

CityWatch, Aug 20, 2010
Vol 8 Issue 66

The Route 66 legacy of connectivity continues to resonate in East Hollywood, bringing the community together in a street revitalization campaign initiated by the neighborhood council and involving the Metro, City Hall, local businesses, residents and transit passengers.

LA's Santa Monica Boulevard section of Route 66 had long ago fallen victim to multi-jurisdictional oversight that resulted in CHP, the Sheriff's Department and the LAPD sharing law enforcement authority. Caltrans and the City of LA share responsibility for maintenance while the Metro and the City of LA share authority over the transit activity, street furniture, and bus stops. Local advocates, from property owners to pedestrians, have long complained of conflict and congestion, yet the process for pursuing solutions typically frustrated even the hardiest of community members.

All that changed when the East Hollywood Neighborhood Council turned a crisis on the streets into an opportunity for the rebirth of Route 66.

The Metro's Duane Martin and Councilman Eric Garcetti's Transportation Deputy Marcel Porras joined forces and committed to supporting the neighborhood council's newly formed Transit Task Force and their mandate of supporting transit as a tool for improving the quality of life for everybody.

Bart Reed of the Transit Coalition joined forces and offered insight in navigating the bureaucratic maze, one that involves the State, the County, the City, and then departments ranging from Transportation to Public Works to Planning to the LAPD to Cultural Affairs.

Throw in the LAUSD and it became apparent, one really does need a guide if they intend to cross the street.

EHNC President David Bell moved from a problem solving paradigm and embraced an aspirational approach, implementing a connectivity strategy that embraces the rich history of Route 66.

The EHNC Transit Task Force includes Historic Preservation experts, Homeless and Social Service advocates, Arts and Culture representatives, along with members of the neighborhood council's Beautification, Public Safety and Transportation committees.

This unique approach to problem solving starts with a commitment to creating an environment that is inspirational and aspirational, focusing on a goal that has a residual impact of addressing the specific problems that initially prompted a local business owner to cross the street, attending a neighborhood council meeting and asking for help.

This is just the beginning but every great journey starts with a single step and the East Hollywood Neighborhood Council's Transit Task Force is that step, this time setting in motion another Route 66 adventure that has the capacity to transform a community.

(Stephen Box is a grassroots advocate and writes for CityWatch. He can be reached at Stephen@thirdeyecreative.net. Disclosure: Box is also a candidate for 4th District Councilman.)

Dennis Allen brings the Streetcar vision to the Transit Coalition

LA Streetcar's CEO, Dennis Allen, was the latest in a Rock Star lineup of transportation executives to join the Transit Coalition for its monthly advocacy session at Philippe's the Original, presenting the non-profit's vision for positioning a streetcar circulator as an integral element in the Bringing Back Broadway movement.

Allen's presentation was equal parts vision, technical, urban planning, funding strategy, community engagement and economics. His ability to address and satisfy the diverse interests of the Transit Coalition's "peer review" approach to project presentations speaks volumes to the LA Streetcar's ability to connect the many needs of the local community.

In other words, sometimes a Streetcar isn't simply a Streetcar.

Allen was joined by Russell Brown, LASI Boardmember and Executive Director of Historic Downtown BID, and together they presented the many facets of the LA Streetcar vision along with the many ways to position a streetcar as a transportation solution, as a placemaking tool, as an economic stimulus, as an opportunity to create community, and as an opportunity to connect people, neighborhoods, and transportation modes.

The proposed streetcar route is approximately four miles in length and would serve areas including Bunker Hill, Grand Avenue and the Music Center, Historic Broadway and the Historic Core, South Park, L.A. LIVE and the Los Angeles Convention Center, running seven days a week and as much as eighteen hours a day.

It has been a couple of years since community members from the downtown area gathered together for a field trip to Portland and Seattle, all in an effort to turn the theoretical into reality. First person experiences of the LA team combined with good data from the merchants and residents who participated in the Portland and Seattle streetcar projects provided the fuel for the LA Streetcar campaign which then resulted in LA's Streetcar Conference and the community based Streetcar planning process. A simple vision took on grassroots support and is now moving forward with seed money, first phase funding, a Metro partnership, and a timeline.

Allen and Brown are adept at addressing the many benefits of a simple four mile connector, moving fluidly from "last mile" solution for commuters to "park once" options for visitors. Key to the entire operation is their ability to engage the local property owners who stand to benefit from an improved streetlife but who will also be financial partners.

A recent poll in the Los Angeles Business Journal asks "How much new vitality would the downtown business community enjoy if streetcars started running again?" The unscientific poll resulted in 70% of the participants declaring "A great deal." This position is supported by the operators and the merchants of the Seattle and the Portland streetcars systems as evidenced by their participation in the LA Streetcar conference and their stories of moving from naysayer to yeasayer.

The promise of a streetcar in Los Angeles is not without obstacles but they are not technical or logistical, they are simply funding and process oriented, still formidable but certainly manageable. Allen and Brown estimate that the journey will take two years for the funding and environmental work and then two years for the construction which will be somewhat low-impact on the local community because of the simplicity. At the same time, the implementation of the streetcar improvements is also the best time to implement street level enhancements that improve the walkability of the area.

Brown estimates that the cost of the four mile Streetcar circulator at $100 million, noting "The first thing you do need is to be simple and realistic, start at one place and complete a manageable size because the startup is the most expensive period." Allen added "This is a small investment when you consider that ten thousand riders a day will be drawn to the community and engaged in the economic revitalization of the neighborhood."

The LA Streetcar presentation came the day after the 20th anniversary of the American with Disabilities Act, prompting several questions about accessibility and integration with the street design. Modern Streetcar designs incorporate nostalgic elements but on a foundation of innovation that resolves ADA access issues of days gone by. From island ramp access to streetcar designs to street bulbouts that support safer streets for peds, cyclists, and other transit modes, the ADA advocates left confident that the LA Streetcar process was focused on moving people safely. There really is no tougher challenge, nor is there a greater endorsement.

Metro's Art Leahy holds court with the Transit Coalition

The Metro's CEO, Art Leahy, joined the Transit Coalition for its monthly get-together at Philippe's the Original, sharing double-dips and beers with a capacity crowd made up of transit staff, advocates, politicos, consultants, and press. Most importantly, he shared some insight into his plans for the Metro and his desire to becoming an agent of change at the helm of LA County's transportation system.

Leahy has a folksy charm that disarms his audience, concealing the fact that he is a sharp strategist, a firm negotiator, and a demanding leader who sets standards and expects results. In his fifteen months at the helm of the Metro, staff have discovered quickly that he is results driven and there is a trail of ex-staffers to demonstrate the penalty for failing to respond to the call for change.

One of Leahy's first acts as CEO was to take his management staff to the ticket window at Union Station to allow them to see how hard it was to buy a monthly pass. Packed into the atrium near the One Gateway Metro HQ was a line that wrapped around itself, offering evidence of a Metro administrative disconnect from the Metro passenger experience. That line is no longer found, a small situation that occurred at Union Station, but a solution that resonated throughout the 1400 square mile service area. It also serves as the incident that allows Leahy to state "In word and deed, the Metro cares about our passengers."

Leahy continued the attack on the Metro's status quo, removing all of the artwork at Metro HQ because it all celebrated One Gateway and served as a reflection of the things that the Metro management valued. Themselves! He replaced it with pictures of bus stops, train stations, passengers, and transportation, all as a reminder to the corporate staff that they are "overhead" and that the passenger is the purpose of a transportation system.

As for the "rubber on the road" experience of the passenger, the Metro's Agent of Change acknowledges that driving a bus is simple but points out it's dealing with all of the transactions that is the hard part. Nevertheless, Leahy says he is committed to understanding the operators in order to get them to understand the passengers. To that end he has an advantage, having worked his way through college by driving a bus.

Leahy is not shy about his heritage as a bus operator and, in spite of his UCLA and USC degrees, it is his ability to insist that communication be framed in "language that a bus driver can understand" that is the essence of his call for good simple standards. In fact, as he points out, Metro's strict adherence to a management hiring standard that included college degrees that resulted in a Metro leadership that didn't know how to implement a bus bridge or conduct a relay. All that is due to change as he reinvigorates the Metro leadership with real world experience, not simply college pedigrees.

For all the talk of customer service, behavior that drives results, promoting from within, and service standards that resonate, the news that drew the loudest response from the audience was simple and yet revolutionary. Leahy revealed his plan to actually require Metro Execs to ride the bus and rail. If ever there was a "One of Us!" moment, that was it.

Art Leahy is definitely an agent of change. He moves strategically and his simple actions are designed for maximum impact. The results already demonstrate that the status quo is under attack and the future of the Metro is based on a commitment to customer service and to a transportation system. It's all Leahy talks about, that and his conflicted UCLA/USC lineage.

Art Leahy's commitment to operations is commendable and he details his commitment to connecting the Metrolink, Amtrak, Metro Bus, Metro Rail, and the Municipal operators into a regional transportation system that operates consistently and in sync. From the little details, such as the fact that the Metro polishes bus wheels but leaves trash on the bus, to larger opportunities and commitments such as the Metro Board's 30/10 plan, Leahy is focused and driven. He's also punctual, a behavioral trait that comes naturally to those who ride the train.

He also has room to grow as he embraces the Metro opportunities that lie ahead. As he addresses the Metro's commitment, he repeatedly speaks of the passenger which is only part of the Metro's contract with the public. There are two unaddressed elements that must be addressed if the Metro is to take its place as a comprehensive transportation system.

• The first is the simple fact that the Metro's customers include everybody who contributes financially to the Metro, regardless of whether they ride the bus or the rail. Measure R will raise an estimated $40 Billion from an increase in sales tax which means that anyone who spends money in LA County has a vested interest in the performance of the Metro. Purportedly, the impact of the Metro benefits everybody, whether they are passengers or not. This distinction is an important foundation for a comprehensive transportation system.
• Second, the Metro is one of LA County's largest developers and has 50 Transit Oriented Developments (TOD) on paper with 32 of them in play. This enormous impact on residential and commercial behavior has a tremendous impact on our communities and on the quality of life in those neighborhoods. The Metro's ability to reduce the need to travel within LA County is an opportunity that is missing from the typical transportation discussion. Yet, it is a significant impact that doesn't need its wheels polished or an operator at the wheel.
• Third, while the Metro is busy implementing customer service standards that impact the purchase of monthly passes or a bus operator's greetings, the huge opportunity lies in the need to implement standards for the integration of Transit Oriented Development into a community. While the Metro talks of a complete transportation system, it will not be complete until it includes those who simply live in the area or operate a shop or walk the street or ride a bike. Great public space is part of a commitment to the community and a comprehensive transportation system must address the complete community.

The Transit Coalition meets monthly on the last Tuesday of each month at Philippe's the Original. In addition to Art Leahy, recent guests include John Fenton of the Metrolink and Bruce Shelborne of Metro.

"We move people!" says John E. Fenton, Metrolink's new CEO

Photo by Zach Behrens/LAist

John E. Fenton, Metrolink's new CEO, joined the Transit Coalition at its monthly meeting and offered up his philosophy on transportation, business, public benefit, and customer service. "Everything we do, we do for people. If we forget the human element, we will fail!"

He acknowledged that the bulk of his rail experience consists of moving freight and included stints with the Canadian National Railway, the Kansas City Southern Railway, and the Santa Fe Railway. But he took time to point out that his professional commitment to the safe and effective operation of a rail system was developed during his first rail job when he worked for a government agency servicing munitions depots hauling bombs around. "I'm committed to safety!"

Through it all, he says his commitment to safety has always been the foundation of operating style and the key to his success, claiming that his focus on the management of risk and probability yields benefits that transcend a simple reduction in "incidents" and results in an increase in employee morale, customer satisfaction, operational accountability, and systemic performance. "It impacts every aspect of the operation and it is the substance of my leadership commitment."

Fenton has been on the job for just six weeks and yet the impact of his arrival has had a positive impact on the Metrolink's operations, starting with his message to Metrolink insiders "Schedules, capital improvements, track maintenance, running the railroad, it's all important because we're moving people. The people are the ultimate responsibility.

He spoke of a recent conference call he had with his operations team in which he left his audience sitting for three minutes with nothing but dead air. He did it to make a point, that a delay that left people wondering "What's going on?" is completely unacceptable and that he expected Metrolink's passengers to be informed and treated with respect, not just with schedules and performances but with information and guidance.

Fenton's philosophy for systemic change was home-spun at times, "Yeck, I move boxcars more efficiently than this. These are people! Let's get moving!" It was good old fashioned common sense, "Why are 'Passenger needs assistance!' calls a surprise?" It grew wonky and the room perked up! "Systemic improvements come when you manage the details and understand what is causing your performance issues."

"I manage by exception, I'm always going to manage the bottom quartile in every case. You manage performance by moving the bottom. Drill into the data, ask why, get the top causes of failures and you'll find that the root causes analysis will direct you to the work that needs to be done." Every topic he addressed came with a demonstration that he was able to grab hold of both the strategy and the data, connecting them so that each and every decision and action were combined to maximize effectiveness.

Fenton's laid down his strategic priorities for Capital Improvement as safety, line capacity, operating efficiency, renewal rates. Shared tracks, capacity constraints, power plants, 30-10, HSR, ties per mile, he presented a business case to a room full of experts reliable and predictable experience to the customer that results in a "Wow, I want to ride that again!"

The Transit Coalition's audience can be a tough crowd, typically filled with transit professionals, engineers, planners, activists and consultants. Fenton was able to address their concerns and desires for a robust transportation vision as well as a sensitivity to the details of the inner workings of a rail system and especially a commitment to the passenger's experience. He hit the marks and went further, laying down an commitment to connectivity that included a strategy for synergy with other transportation systems and an acute sensitivity to the fact that passengers need to arrive at the station and then depart the station, that transition is part of the Metrolink experience.

Fenton jumped into his role at Metrolink feetfirst and one of his first executive orders was simple and yet revolutionary. He implemented a shut-down policy that forbids idling locomotives and that resulted in a savings of 93 thousand gallons of fuel in the first three weeks of the new policy. This commitment to financial responsibility, to environmental responsibility, to systemic efficiency and to good old fashioned common sense bodes well for the Metrolink, its passengers and the community as a whole.

The Transit Coalition meets monthly on the fourth Tuesday at Philippes the Original and Fenton was the latest in series of transportation leaders to join the TC in discussing the future of transportation. Prior speakers have included OCTA's Will Kempton, the Metro's Art Leahy, and the Metro's Bruce Shelburne. June's Transit Coalition meeting will feature round two with the Metro's CEO, Art Leahy.

LAStreetsBlog - Transit Coalition Backs Cyclists Right to Rail Cars

(Stephen Box has been leading the charge for a better bike plan on Metro trains than the "two bikes per car" rule that was proposed earlier this month. In this post he updates us on his efforts to build consensus for a better plan. Over the weekend he got a bevy of support from the candidates running for the Los Angeles City Council CD2)

At last night's monthly Transit Coalition meeting, I presented the Metro's proposed "Bikes-on-Rail" policy which lifts the rush hour ban on cyclists but imposes a universal limit of two cyclists per rail car. I asked them to oppose the proposal and to support a robust and comprehensive appraisal of the Metro's capacity woes and to join me in pursuing a solution that benefited all passengers including cyclists.

The ensuing conversation was the discourse that we deserve to hear at a Metro Board meeting. In fact, as I looked around the room at a Metro insider, an Amtrak insider, a couple of local municipal system insiders, a couple of political insiders and an array of transportation advocates representing several modes including cycling; I realized that the Transit Coalition was probably better qualified to run the Metro than their Board.

Bart Reed went around the room, polling each participant on the Metro's proposal to limit cyclists.

The responses went from wonky to simple common sense, but they were consistent in opposing the proposal and in pursuing a solution that would support the Metro's commitment to supporting all modes of transportation.

Starting off with a review of the capacity projections that predated the Red Line to the length of the stations to platooning to headway limitations to rail car configurations, the experts quickly took us through many considerations that effect how and where people board the train, all of which simply confirmed that the Metro's current proposal was nothing if not hasty and ill-conceived.

Participants reviewed other systems ranging from Moscow's subway to the Metrolink. Capacity calculations, bike rack configurations, bike cars, bike lockers at both ends, increased service, better connectivity and simply applying common sense to specific situations were all tossed out as solutions to the current capacity issues that Metro apparently hopes to solve by limiting cyclists to two per rail car.

At the end of the great discussion Bart Reed polled the group and with no objections, positioned the Transit Coalition in favor of a policy that recognizes cyclists as customers and challenged the Metro to get in the business of moving people instead of simply moving buses and rail cars.

It's evenings such as this that give me hope!