Results tagged “dash”

Has the world gone topsy turvy? The city's Department of Transportation is finally using Twitter for real-time updates to their DASH service. That's a great first step as there have been many times we've waited for the Studio City/Van Nuys DASH thinking, "it'd be nice to know if it's ever coming..." You can follow the transit service here and more specifically, the downtown DASH here. Mobility Maven is the department's General Manager, Rita Robinson.

Yesterday was a big day for Los Angeles transportation. Metro, the county's behemoth transit agency, officially announced their partnership with Google. But the county is large and there are various partner agencies throughout. Here's a sampling, with more to come in later days, of where other city transit systems stand with Google Transit:

When the state legislature and Governor Schwarzenegger signed off on this year's budget, it depleted transportation funding to countys and citys. That means transportation funds for city hall's transit lines will soon start operating in the red. We're talking about a $200 million yearly deficit. "How big is the deficit?" Damien Newton at Streetsblog asks. "It's so large that if the city cut every DASH, Commuter Express and charter bus route, the city would still have a transportation deficit in the coming years." Ouch. Yesterday, we found that DASH transfers will be eliminated beginning in April. Start saving those quarters!

The city budget crisis must be really that bad. Today, the LA Department of Transportation announced the elimination of free transfers on all of its DASH Downtown L.A. routes effective April 1. Fares will remain $0.25 per boarding and monthly passes can now be bought for $9 online or at various locations. "It will help a little bit," LADOT Bruce Gilman said of the increased revenue, which is projected to be around $130,000 annually based on an average of 10,000 transfers a week. "And we introduced a new pass that we want people to take advantage of." As for integrating with Metro's TAP fare system, Gilman said the department is "moving in that direction."

Although they admit the lead time to market the program was insufficient, Metro and the City have not committed to operating late-night Red Line service again in 2009, according to a report (.pdf) published by the Department of Transportation this week. However, they do believe Metro can "operate effective additional service" if funded and that the community may have an interest in seeing it happen again during the 2009 holiday season.

     

Yesterday morning at 5th and Flower, a memorial appeared near the crosswalk where a women was fatally struck by a city DASH bus. Around 6:30 a.m., Wednesday, January 7th, Gwendolyn Coleman, 58, was walking across the street in the crosswalk when the bus turned left, striking her. A police investigation is still ongoing.

A few people have been asking what happened yesterday morning downtown near Central Library where a large memorial with flowers sits today. A pedestrian was hit by a DASH bus at 5th and Flower around 6:35 a.m. in the morning.

Los Angeles County has finally caught up with other big cities where you can buy a card, fill it up with money and use it like a debit card on buses and Metro rail lines. That means no more making sure you have the correct change or worrying if the credit card machine will work (but you can still do that if you want).

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.

For a larger view of the route image, click here

The City Hall Shuttle is being renamed and rerouted "up the northern Figueroa Corridor and travel across 1st Street into Little Tokyo," still serving all the original shuttle stops except 2nd and Broadway and 2nd and Spring and with the addition of 11 new stops expanding the circuit, according to downtown blog angelenic. Steve Hymon at the LA Times says the blog's description is better than the city's.

Looking for a fun weekend excursion at one of the most foodie-friendly locations in LA? Melting Pot Tours will be leading a walking-and-tasting tour of the Farmers Market at 3rd & Fairfax to the Beverly Center at 3rd & La Cienega this Friday and Saturday at 9:30am. Tours are expected to last about 3.5 hours and will include tastings and small bites at various restaurants and eateries along the route.