53 years ago today, Rosa Parks refused to give up her bus seat to a white passenger in Montgomery, Alabama. That single act--that led to her arrest and the Montgomery Bus Boycott--made her a symbol of the modern Civil Rights Movement. Here in Los Angeles, the Blue Line Imperial/Wilmington Metro Rail station was dedicated to her in 1998, but today the public transit agency took it a step further, they announced: "It wasn't a bus......

The 30,000 square-foot museum, estimated to house a collection of sports memorabilia and real estate worth $30 million combined, is a product of years of collecting and a wife who said to get it all out of their house. That makes sense since the 10,000 pieces were overflowing. So Gary Cypres, who made his money in the finance, mortgage and travel agency businesses, took the challenge to an extreme and opened a museum. It's safe......

Photo by LA Wad via LAist Featured Photos on Flickr As Metrolink announces their inclusion in Google Transit today (although, it's been live since October), Steve Hymon at the LA Times takes a rightfully and just swing at Metro for still not working with Google. There remains one huge glitch with Google Transit, and it's not Metrolink's fault. The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority has been in talks with Google Transit about providing......

View a larger version of this map Although expected to pass, it's still extremely close to call. Measure R, which will raise LA County's sales tax a half-cent on the dollar for transportation, is winning by 27,630 votes. It needs two-thirds to pass and it's currently less than a percent higher than that at 67.65%. "At this point, the majority of absentee and provisional ballots have been counted," Bottleneck blogger Steve Hymon notes. Blogger......

Photo by LindsayWilliamRoss via LAist Featured Photos on Flickr Daily News' transit writer Sue Doyle today explores the Orange Line and why some people are frustrated with it. Namely, to go 14-miles between North Hollywood and Warner Center, it takes 40 minutes. That's too slow so how can it be sped up? Some want light rail, others say put gates at the intersections and give the buses a right-of-way so they don't have wait......

With much excitement, the six-week late-night Metro Red Line subway service begins tomorrow. Every Friday and Saturday night until the end of the year, you'll be able to ride the train until 3 a.m. And not only that, the city announced this afternoon a free downtown DASH that will compliment the late-night Red Line service (map of route above). It will run from 6:30 p.m. to 3:00 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights serving......

If it gets prioritized funding, the Metro Orange Line's swoop to the north from Canoga Park to the Chatsworth Train Station could begin construction in 2010 and be in operation by 2013, finds Curbed LA. Four new stations will be added and every other westbound bus from North Hollywood will travel the new route. The Gold Line extension to East LA will open next year and the Expo Line from downtown to Culver City is......

Photo by GarySe7en via LAist Featured Photos on Flickr "It depends on how you look at it," Steve Hymon at the Bottleneck Blog said. In October, Metro's ridership increased when you compare it to October's 2007 ridership. However, on a month-to-month basis, ridership in general--except for the subway--is dipping as gas prices continue to fall. But the real question for many is if the late-night subway service beginning this Friday will have enough ridership......

Albeit slowly, the 10 year process is now in a community meeting phase. Last night, StreetsblogLA writer Damien Newton attended: "By removing buses from the snail's pace of rush hour traffic, Metro will be able to sweepingly reverse the trend of longer commutes for transit riders along the Wilshire Corridor. Rex Gephardt, who oversees the Rapid Bus program for Metro, noted that bus speeds are declining by .5% to .75% every year in the corridor."......

As of part of today's regionwide 10 a.m. earthquake drill, Metro will be slowing its trains for one hour between 10 and 11 this morning. Their purpose is "so maintenance personnel can simulate inspections on track and other rail infrastructure... Over the course of this one hour period, trains may run at minimum operating speeds (under 20 mph), depending on the location of the train and the exact time. All passengers riding during this time......

Now with the Metro Gold Line Eastside Extension nearing completion, there is much more accessible without a car. With that in mind, Metro is highlighting the food along the transit corridor with their interactive Metro Gold Line Eastside Flavors Map. One of those options is the Boyle Heights favorite, La Serenata de Garibaldi, near the Mariachi Plaza station on First Street just East of downtown (they also have locations in Santa Monica and West LA).......

Hello, East LA. "Construction of the Metro Gold Line extension to East Los Angeles that began in July 2004 is 90 percent complete and still within budget and on schedule for the grand opening in the summer of 2009," says Metro today in a press release (emphasis added).......

Catenary wires that came down for unknown reasons on Tuesday afternoon will cause delays on the Metro Green Line this morning. Due to a single track operation, trains will operate every fifteen to twenty minutes as crews repair the overhead wires near the Imperial Station where railway intersects the Blue Line. "Crowded conditions will exist until repairs are completed," warned Metro.......

Photo by GarySe7en via LAist Featured Photos on Flickr Measure R, the ballot initiative that sought to raise LA County's sales tax a half percent on the dollar barely won by a 1% margin--it needed a two-thirds vote. Even though about 3.5 million county residents voted, over a million of those voters opted to not vote for the measure that is expected to bring in $40 billion in transportation funding over the next 30......

Photo by Jose Ubaldo/Metro. Used with permission If you see activity during the workweek taking place on the Gold Line's Eastside Extension tracks it's because Metro Rail has begun the process of "grinding the rails." Using a machine that moves at about 2.5 to 3 miles and hour, workers are making their way down the six mile stretch along Third Street in East Los Angeles. They began at Atlantic Boulevard and Pomona Street and......

A small grass fire during the 8:00 a.m. hour lit up near Victory and Woodley along the Orange Line this morning at the north end of the Sepulveda Basin. One Los Angeles fire company responded and quickly knocked the fire down. The current red flag warning ends at 8:00 p.m.......

Will this many buses be around at the same time on Wilshire if the MTA cuts happen? | Photo by LA Wad via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr Although yesterday brought the encouraging news of a service expansion for late-night weekend riders on the Red Line during the holiday season this year, this morning the news about MTA service overall is rather discouraging. Because the MTA was involved in a top dollar......

That's right, in only two months since it was first proposed, Metro, at the behest of the city and community, will dabble into extended late-night subway service. Trains will operate every 20 minutes until 3:00 a.m. for a total of thirteen Friday and Saturday nights--November 21st to the end of the year--during the holiday season. "Backers hope that ridership during the holiday trial will convince Metro that late-night service is an ongoing need," reports blogdowntown......

The first of Metro's regional connector meeting for a proposed line that would let the Gold, Blue and future Expo light rail lines to combine for longer trips (think Pasadena to Long Beach without transfer) was held this afternoon. Blogdowntown reports the majority of attendees at the packed meeting voiced support for the underground option, the most logical option considering one auto vs. train accident on the above ground plan could halt a regional transit......

The gas price spike may be over, but it would seem that some are sticking to public transit. The latest numbers coming from Metro show that the Orange Line continues to grow in popularity. September saw the highest ridership ever for the Orange Line in the Valley at 28,000. Which has us asking, when will that feared and applauded (depending on who you are) proposal to turn the dedicated busway into a light rail happen?......

Photo by aharvey2k via LAist Featured Photos on Flickr As of this morning, here's the latest on road closures and public transit routes affected by the Sesnon and Marek Fires (things can change, if they do, they should be updated at (800) 439-2909): If You're Driving: Following Streets are Closed Topanga Canyon Boulevard northbound at Chatsworth Avenue De Soto Avenue northbound at Rinaldi Street Corbin Avenue northbound at Porter Ranch Drive Mason Avenue northbound......

If you're traveling into, out of or through areas affected by the Sesnon or Marek Fire, here's the latest as of a 3:15 p.m. update sent out by the Mayor's Office. The more current info is updated at (800) 439-2909. Below are roadway and public transit updates: If You're Driving Sesnon Bl closed west of Balboa and in both directions between Porter Ranch Dr. and Tampa Avenue Jollete St and Neon PL are streets are......

A conceptualized regional connector map | Download the full size here (.pdf) Imagine a day when the Gold Line Eastside Extension to East LA and the Expo Line to Culver City are completed (2009 and 2010, respectively). But if you're traveling from Culver City to Little Tokyo, you'll have to take the Expo Line to the Red Line to the Gold Line. Headache, right? That's what Metro's Regional Connector project is seeking to fix.......

Pasadena Blog, Under the Dome, has found that there is an alternative plan/idea to expand the Gold Line out to Claremont. Instead of light rail, as we know the Gold Line today, the extension would be Metrolink. From reporter Dan Abendschein: "An alternative plan, said Snoble, would be to build the Gold Line as far as Azusa/Glendora, then build a heavy rail Metrolink line from there to Claremont to link the Gold Line to existing......

This map, found on page 82 of the plan, shows some of the project areas Today, the Mayor and the four councilmembers who represent the South LA region will be presenting a 96-page common agenda called the South Los Angeles Initiatives (.pdf). They are "intended to facilitate the eventual completion of targeted economic development projects in the area," a brief press release states. "The strategic plan defines, sets targets for, and measures the progress......

Have you ever noticed that Google Maps displays Metro Subway and Light Rail stations but not Orange Line ones, even though the buway pretty much acts like train on rubber wheels (yeah, cheesy description). We posed that question to Google and a spokesperson quickly responded saying those stations would be marked on the map if Metro joined the Google Transit program. "The icons you're seeing for LA Metro stations are actually from a separate source......

If you're talking about the Orange Line, over a year. Not too long after the 2005 grand opening of the busway that travels 14 miles across the San Fernando Valley, some pavement was found to be already rutting. Metro said the contractor did a subpar job, the contractor said Metro was running more buses than estimated, therefore damaging the pavement earlier than expected. But in the end, they came to an agreement to split the......

The Rapid 720, one of Metro's most popular bus lines traversing Wilshire between Santa Monica and downtown, along with a couple others routes will be a little funky tomorrow. From those in charge: "Metro bus service will be temporary detoured Sunday, October 5 on Wilshire Boulevard between Fairfax Avenue and Orange Drive due to the Tarfest Miracle Mile Run. The Metro Bus lines impacted will be lines 20 and 720 on Wilshire Boulevard and Metro......

This morning at 9:15 a.m., power at 12 Metro Red and Purple Line train stations between Wilshire/Western and North Hollywood went out for 55 minutes, according to a Metro Spokesperson. No one was hurt or injured, and operations slowed down but never fully stopped. However, patrons riding in elevators at two stations, Wilshire/Normandie and Vermont/Sunset, were stuck for at least fifteen minutes before fire department crews could rescue them. While the Dept. of Water &......

Founding member of the folk group Kingston Trio Nick Reynolds died Wednesday in San Diego of acute respiratory disease and other illnesses. The band is credited with jump-starting "the revival folk scene of the late 1950s and paved the way for artists such as Bob Dylan and Joan Baez," according to the Associated Press. One of the groups more popular songs--M.T.A.--which is about the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, interestingly enough still rings true with Los......