Thread started by OverTheHill at 10.23.11 - 7:23 pm

MTA Taking Comments On Van Nuys Blvd Rapidway

* MTA page: http://www.metro.net/vannuys
* Article in Daily News: http://www.dailynews.com/ci_19174896

You can email your comments to the Project Manager using the address on the MTA page. Mine:

...
My interest in the Van Nuys Rapidway Project comes both from its influence on the future Sepulveda Pass Project in relation to bicycle carriage capacity, and for the larger community and regional transit needs it serves.

Regarding the future Sepluveda Pass Project, it is important to me that the Sepulveda Pass project be built with better bicycle carriage capacity than BRT of the present (3 bikes per 60-100 passengers). Ideally, this would mean heavy rail for Sepulveda Pass meeting the Van Nuys Rapidway. Or, other modes for Sepulveda Pass Project, engineering capacity changes into LRT or BRT which would do better than the meager 3 bikes per 65-100 passengers of present BRT.

Geographically unlike Van Nuys Boulevard, the Santa Monica Mountains, despite the Sepulveda Pass, block most all bicycle commuters, all utility cyclists, and all but the hardiest of social cyclists. Like Cahuenga Pass, Sepulveda Pass is a dangerous and risky choice for recreational cyclists, so bike capacity matters significantly for the Sepulveda Pass Transit Project.

Relating to the Van Nuys Rapidway Project, as an example of a practical Bicycle-Access-radius metric, my current mixed-mode (car+bike) commute includes a North-South bike segment covering a block North of Roscoe downhill to a block South of Victory, a distance of about 2.7 miles one-way. This takes about 25 minutes downhill to work, perhaps 35 minutes uphill end-of-workday. This {2.7-mile distance, 1/2-hour average duration}-radius "bike commute leg" works very well as part of my mixed mode, 60-70 minutes-total-one-way commute, so I'd say it would transfer well as a metric for average Bicycle Access Radius and Bicycle Access Time to/from Trasit by cyclists who would use the Rapidway as part of a mixed-mode bike+Rapidway commute. In the area served by the Rapidway, I believe that may well subsume a much larger number of cyclists who are otherwise totally transit-dependent for their mobility than those who walk to transit.

So while the Rapidway will increase mobility with an access radius of perhaps 3 blocks for people who walk to/from transit, my experience-based estimate is that the Rapidway would increase mobility, access and health benefits to a much larger Bicycle Access Radius easily from 2 miles to as much as 6 miles for bike+transit mixed-mode commuters, compared to walking-only access.

Bicycling has its own mobility, air quality and access benefits, but these benefits amplify both for the cyclist and the community when cycling can be combined with Transit.

Thus I would say engineering non-trivial bike capacity into the Van Nuys Rapidway would improve all of the Rapidway's Mobility, Air Quality, Access, and Transit Options benefits.
...

reply

GREAT comments CT but.... If I had a choice I would say FUCK BRT!

Instead of BRT We need RAIL RAIL RAIL. They can do it on Van Nuys. There is space for light rail...


Busses degrade pavement which costs tons of money to upkeep. Poor pavement condition in turn destroy busses.

Busses cost more to maintain and are a noise pollution nuissance in addition to air pollution.

WE NEED A RAIL SYSTEM that goes from sylmar to the greenline!



Roadblock
10.24.11 - 10:31 am

reply

I agree we need rail, but lets be real. It's the 818. They are like the step child that can only get BRT. #MetroFail



sack or crack you choose
responding to a comment by Roadblock
10.24.11 - 11:07 am

reply

which sucks because there is a lot of space on the streets out there for rail.... but of course a lot of priviledged communities who dont care about public transit as well...



Roadblock
responding to a comment by sack or crack you choose
10.24.11 - 4:16 pm

reply

Actually, A dedicated bikeway that ran next to 405 would be a dream. I know the cost would be huge but if people could ride their bike safely over pass I think they would.



rev106
responding to a comment by Roadblock
10.24.11 - 4:50 pm

reply

Rail is the only way to go. LA needs to think of the future otherwise we will be a second class city forever!



liquidpremium
responding to a comment by rev106
10.24.11 - 5:01 pm

reply

hells yeah.



lackflag
responding to a comment by rev106
10.24.11 - 5:58 pm

reply

It would be the stuff of champions. I would ride it. but not too many beginners would since its a might climb that only champions like us would deal with.



Roadblock
responding to a comment by rev106
10.24.11 - 7:06 pm

reply

Yeah, it could be made with less of a grade % and run all the freeways, I think of crap like this all the time but how? Someday.



rev106
responding to a comment by Roadblock
10.24.11 - 7:58 pm

reply

It's a great idea man. a bike path next to every freeway, though a bit noisy, would help get people out of their cars for sure.

lots of ideas out there but no political will or money to do anything. so embarrassed for our country.... crumbling infrastructure, potholes everywhere... trash everywhere... meanwhile entire subways are getting dropped in a matter of 5 years in china (of course the american media pitches it as a problem) http://nyti.ms/q2IXcf



I think there should be subways beneath every single freeway in LA. no issues with property rights, or neighboring homes complaining of noise... people are already used to traveling to freeway bound corridors to destinations... what is wrong with our country....



Roadblock
responding to a comment by rev106
10.24.11 - 8:19 pm

reply

I'm sure you know the story how GM bought out the redcar in the 40's and tore it down to make people buy cars. Regardless, suburban sprawl and earthquakes make for a dense, cycle friendly city hard for sure.



rev106
responding to a comment by Roadblock
10.25.11 - 9:17 am

reply

Part of the problem is that so few Americans spend time abroad. That way when politicians tell us "we're #1" we just eat it up with no frame of reference. If more people had a taste of Shanghai's subways or Amsterdam's bike paths, we would demand more from our government.

As far as a bike path along the length of the 405, I think it would be great. I'd also like to see a great east-west bike path + greenway in LA, perhaps in the middle of a redesigned Wilshire Boulevard a la the Chandler Bike Path in Burbank.





liquidpremium
responding to a comment by rev106
10.25.11 - 6:29 pm

reply