Pasadena Ca Transportation

In a land where cars can at times seem sacred, there is something almost heretical about the Swiss-built Zelleweger Ulster photographic Doppler radar unit. "There is a tradition here of the sanctity of the car," lamented Pasadena Police Cmdr. Gary A. Bennett as he stood next to the $42,500 device Friday on a busy stretch of Oak Knoll Avenue in Pasadena. Dozens of drivers rushed past him, oblivious to the fact that their days of freewheeling could soon come to a screeching halt.

The public agency that wants to build a light-rail line between Pasadena and Los Angeles hoped to avoid the pitfalls that have bogged down other major mass transit projects in the region. It had the path: a dedicated right of way where passenger trains had run for nearly 100 years. It had the money: $732 million set aside in an agreement pushed by the state. It had the mandate: get the job done on time and on budget, as promised to the state and local politicians, who agreed to pay for the job.

City Council members voted to formally support the Pasadena Blue Line project on Wednesday, but not before lawmakers took another poke at the beleaguered Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Although many council members said they supported the light-rail line that will run through much of the northeastern part of Los Angeles, they called on the MTA to ensure that bus service is increased and more readily available in neighborhoods across the city.

The Pasadena Blue Line project that was supposed to help set the standard for on-time, on-budget efficiency in local mass transit now faces the most elemental kind of problem: It rushed into construction without all the necessary regulatory approvals. The much-anticipated Blue Line is being built by an independent authority that was supposed to spare it the many cost overruns, safety hazards and management miscues that plagued the city's subway construction.

Los Angeles City Councilman Mike Hernandez on Wednesday postponed for 10 days a vote on his controversial proposal to block funding for the Los Angeles to Pasadena rail line. A state law stripped the Metropolitan Transportation Authority of its responsibility for the construction of that light-rail line, instead creating a special five-member panel to oversee it.

County supervisors and Metropolitan Transportation Authority board members Yvonne Brathwaite Burke and Zev Yaroslavsky launched a stinging attack Thursday on the new Pasadena rail authority, warning that the MTA will not bail out the $818-million rail project. Burke seized on the choice of veteran engineering company executive Larry E. Miller as one of the Pasadena agency's acting chief executives as a sign of future trouble on the 13.6-mile rail line between Union Station and Pasadena.

A divided California Transportation Commission voted Thursday to approve $83.2 million for construction of a light-rail line between downtown Los Angeles and Pasadena despite the inability of MTA chief executive Julian Burke to offer assurances sought by the panel. Specifically, Burke could not guarantee that the troubled transit agency will have money to run the trains once the long-delayed rail project is built.

Veteran Eastside activist Vivien Bonzo has been appointed to the board of directors of a new transit agency responsible for building a light rail line from downtown Los Angeles to Pasadena. A prominent leader of the Olvera Street Merchants Assn. and owner of the La Golondrina restaurant, Bonzo will represent the Metropolitan Transportation Authority on the board of the Pasadena Metro Blue Line Construction Authority.

After decades under state control, the Arroyo Parkway could soon be transferred to the city's jurisdiction under a bill now on the governor's desk. The street, which begins at the northern end of the Pasadena Freeway, currently is considered part of that freeway all the way to Colorado Boulevard a dozen blocks north. It is now under the wing of the state Department of Transportation.

Pasadena's longtime support for a controversial freeway extension through the city wavered Monday night, as the City Council debated whether to join the opposition. The move could swing momentum against the proposed $1.4-billion roadway, which would extend the 710 Freeway and close the 6.2-mile gap between the San Bernardino and Foothill freeways. Federal highway officials have said that support from Pasadena is crucial for completion of the project.

Although it's more than three months away, MetroLink is already selling tickets for its special Rose Parade express train, which will provide a round-trip ride and seats to the Pasadena event on New Year's Day. The service, previously available along the Antelope Valley and San Bernardino lines, has been expanded to the Orange County line. Passengers, who must purchase tickets in advance, will catch the Antelope Valley or Orange County lines and ride to MetroLink's Glendale station.

A bill signed by Gov. Gray Davis will permit the transfer of Arroyo Parkway from Caltrans to the city of Pasadena. The change will enable city planners to manage traffic better on the thoroughfare, which begins at the northern end of the Pasadena Freeway, state Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Pasadena), the measure's author, said Tuesday. Schiff called the signing of SB 1584 "another victory for local control over traffic." State law defines the Pasadena Freeway as ending at Colorado Boulevard.

After decades under state control, the Arroyo Parkway could soon be transferred to the city's jurisdiction under a bill now on the governor's desk. The street, which begins at the northern end of the Pasadena Freeway, currently is considered part of that freeway all the way to Colorado Boulevard a dozen blocks north. It is now under the wing of the state Department of Transportation.

The Pasadena City Council voted early Tuesday to reverse itself and oppose the Long Beach Freeway extension, striking a major blow to a project that has dragged on for more than three decades and caused a feudal war between neighboring cities. At 1 a.m., after dozens of speakers weighed in with passion on both sides, council members voted 5 to 3 to end their long-standing support for the freeway extension, which would plug a 6.2-mile gap between the Foothill and San Bernardino freeways.

Pasadena's longtime support for a controversial freeway extension through the city wavered Monday night, as the City Council debated whether to join the opposition. The move could swing momentum against the proposed $1.4-billion roadway, which would extend the 710 Freeway and close the 6.2-mile gap between the San Bernardino and Foothill freeways. Federal highway officials have said that support from Pasadena is crucial for completion of the project.

The City Council is slated to vote Monday on whether to continue to support construction of the Long Beach Freeway extension through the western part of the city. Half of the eight-member council was not in office the last time the body endorsed the project, which would link the San Bernardino Freeway with the Foothill Freeway.

Though Pasadena was buffeted by two days of rain, no decision was made Friday on parking on the Brookside Golf Course at the Rose Bowl for today's UCLA-USC game. That call will be made today at 7 a.m. and sent to area news radio stations and XTRA, UCLA's flagship station.

Pasadena Vice Mayor Chris Holden is warning his colleagues that the sweet smell of success in Old Pasadena could turn sour unless the city considers regulations to ensure that there is adequate parking for the growing number of eateries around the popular Colorado Boulevard strip.

A divided California Transportation Commission voted Thursday to approve $83.2 million for construction of a light-rail line between downtown Los Angeles and Pasadena despite the inability of MTA chief executive Julian Burke to offer assurances sought by the panel. Specifically, Burke could not guarantee that the troubled transit agency will have money to run the trains once the long-delayed rail project is built.

It is the biggest challenge that Rick Thorpe has ever undertaken. After building light rail transit systems in San Diego and Salt Lake City, Thorpe soon will be responsible for transforming dreams of a modern streetcar line between Union Station and Pasadena into reality. As he peered out the window of a Pasadena police helicopter recently, the magnitude of the job came into sharp focus.