CALIFORNIA | LOCAL
July 27, 2001 | ANDREW BLANKSTEIN, TIMES STAFF WRITER
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority board approved a $285-million, 14-mile rapid busway between Woodland Hills and North Hollywood on Thursday, handing a major victory to proponents who have worked for more than two decades to bring large-scale mass transit to the San Fernando Valley.
CALIFORNIA | LOCAL
July 10, 2001 | From Times Staff Reports
Hoping to ease the crunch brought by an increase in rush-hour commuters, MTA officials Monday announced the start of work on a crucial leg of the Metro Blue Line expansion project. The downtown Julian Dixon Metro Rail Station, where the Blue Line ends, will undergo a $1.2-million renovation to allow the light rail to accommodate three-car trains. Officials expect the project will take 13 weeks. "What we're suffering from is success of the Blue Line," said Jess Diaz, MTA rail superintendent.
CALIFORNIA | LOCAL
May 9, 2001 | JAMES RAINEY and BETH SHUSTER, TIMES STAFF WRITERS
In a spirited first debate between the two finalists for mayor of Los Angeles, former legislator Antonio Villaraigosa turned the tables on City Atty. James K. Hahn Tuesday, accusing him of "jeopardizing public safety" by backing a compacted three-day-a-week work schedule for some police officers. Hahn, in turn, argued that it was Villaraigosa whose plans would put the public at risk.
CALIFORNIA | LOCAL
March 21, 2001 | ERIKA HAYASAKI, TIMES STAFF WRITER
A dozen new Metro Rapid bus stops with umbrella canopies and computerized 19-foot billboards were unveiled Tuesday along Ventura Boulevard. Mayor Richard Riordan cut the ribbon as a red-and-white 50-passenger bus, designed for speed and efficiency, pulled up to the curb at Ventura and Sepulveda boulevards. Computerized red letters announced "Next Bus Arriving--Metro Rapid Bus." "It's an important day," said Rex Gephart, project manager for Metro Rapid.
NEWS
March 7, 2001 | MARY McNAMARA, TIMES STAFF WRITER
It is, it turns out, a Pavlovian response. At the heaving sigh of a subway pulling into the station, my feet take over, widening their stride, breaking into a run, rattling down the staircase, never mind the baby bobbing on my back, never mind the people wandering down the stairs, admiring the architecture. Pardon me, excuse me, sorry. But as the last step surrenders, the doors slide shut, and the train, which is our train, pulls away, leaving feet to stomp a bit in frustration.
CALIFORNIA | LOCAL
March 6, 2001 | ANNETTE KONDO, TIMES STAFF WRITER
Taking another step toward spinning off a separate San Fernando Valley bus district, an alliance of cities approved contracts for $250,000 in planning Monday. Those fees may not be enough to complete the work for an application to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority seeking to break away a new Valley bus district. Consultants had anticipated a larger budget of $340,000, which includes a 10% contingency fee.