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ART OF TRANSIT: Passengers exiting the Expo Line from our Instagram feed.
Campaign to map earthquake faults has slowed to a crawl (L.A. Times)
After the Sylmar quake in 1971, 534 faults in the state were mapped. Since 1991, only 21 have been drawn because of budget cuts and none since 2004. Key paragraph:
Many earthquake faults have already been extensively researched by scientists at places such as USC, Caltech and the University of California. When creating a map, the state reviews all this outside research and draws a roughly quarter-mile zone around the fault. Under the state’s Alquist-Priolo Earthquake Fault Zoning act, developers in that zone must prove their structure does not sit on top of the active faults.
The article doesn’t really get into the thorny and difficult issue of why mapping wasn’t funded or pursued more vigorously. But I don’t recall hearing developers and some of their political supporters calling for more scrutiny of new buildings and where they are located.
As for Metro, the story is relevant because when faced with older maps, the agency made an effort to map the Santa Monica Fault and the West Beverly Hills Lineament in the Century City area when planning for the Purple Line Extension subway.
405 freeway work delayed by faulty retaining walls (Daily News)
A look back at one major reason the I-405 Sepulveda Pass Improvement Project is running behind schedule. That said, key parts of the project have been opening as they are completed, including a three-mile stretch of the new northbound car lane from the 10 freeway to just north of Wilshire Boulevard. If the current schedule holds, the Mulholland, Skirball and Sunset bridges and all the Wilshire and Sunset ramps will open. While the entire project won’t be complete until 2014 — 15 months behind schedule — many elements of the project have not suffered those kind of delays.
The Leimert station, while welcome, brings uncertainty to the World Stage (L.A. Streetsblog)
Following news last spring that the Leimert Park station for the Crenshaw/LAX Line would be funded and built, the World Stage — the performance and education center — learned its lease may be at risk (not from Metro). This good article by Sahra Sulaiman provides some history and context for the World Stage and some of the issues in Leimert Park and nearby Crenshaw Boulevard. Here’s a nice video about the place from 2011:
N.Y. MTA launches ‘pop up’ pilot stores in the subway (METRO)
The agency that runs the New York subway system will lease small spaces that are temporarily vacant in some stations on a month-to-month basis to small entrepreneurs. Great idea.
