Full 30 in 10 answer from Kymberleigh Richards

Going on your presumption, that money is essentially no object, I'm going to also presume that the unions can deliver on the warm bodies needed for construction (they certainly have made enough noise at Metro Board meetings about that). So I believe the following projects are possible by 2020 (with the rationales):

Crenshaw/LAX: LPA is the target for year's end. That makes EIR/EIS possible by 2012, and Eastside Gold Line took about eight years to build, including underground.
Expo Phase II: Expo Authority is now in shovel-ready mode and there are no underground grade separations to complicate matters. This would probably be the second Measure R project -- Foothill Gold Line being the first -- to go into revenue service.

Eastside Gold Line II: EIR/EIS will be released this summer, but it depends on which of the two final alignments Metro chooses to build first (as you know, Antonovich already had the Board approve a motion that whichever isn't the chosen alignment be put on the list for future LRTPs) as to whether or not this can make the deadline. It all depends on how much grade separation is in the LPA.

Green Line to LAX: While Metro is only in "early planning stages" on this, a lot of work was done when the Green Line was originally built and that created a database that can be drawn on for the engineering. That, plus the relatively short length, means that even if the EIR/EIS doesn't happen until 2015 or 2016 it could be operational by decade's end.

Regional Connector: With the EIR/EIS coming this summer, this could begin construction sometime in 2011. Yes, it's probably all going to be underground, and that means tunnel boring and station box construction, so it'll be a tight squeeze to finish by 2020, but it's within the realm of probability.

I-405 Corridor: I expect a Metro Express bus service between Van Nuys and Westwood shortly after the northbound carpool lanes are finished (in fact, Jerard Wright and I are the catalysts on our respective governance councils for this to happen). I don't expect rail in this decade, though; at best, I expect it to be built concurrently with the last phase of the Purple Line, opening at the same time as Wilshire/Westwood Station. But I'm including it here because you could consider the express bus to be a first step toward that Measure R project, and that's very likely in the next couple of years.

Green Line South Bay Extension: A long shot, since only the preliminary environmental studies are being done, but if it ends up largely at-grade, it might be doable by 2020.

Westside Subway: EIR/EIS is scheduled for this September, and tunneling could begin within a year after that. It took seven years for Union Station to MacArthur Park to be completed, and Wilshire/Western to Wilshire/Fairfax is only slightly longer with fewer complications, so I'll say that segment is conceivable by the end of the decade.

Full 30 in 10 answer from Bart Reed

But "30/10" is the act to get funding to build current projects such as the Downtown Regional Connector, the Subway towards the Sea, the Crenshaw, Green, Foothill Gold, Eastside Gold and Expo Light Rail Lines that would be spread in building over 30 years and to compact them into just 10.

In reality, all these projects are staggered in delivery. And Expo and Foothill Gold are under construction by different construction authorities. Metro is currently building the Orange Line extension, with the next project in queue being the Crenshaw Line. Crenshaw is very much line the Eastside Gold Line, which Metro built on-time, safely and on-budget.

The big, complex Connector and Subway won't break ground for about 4 years. The same folks that did the Eastside Gold Line can handle these two projects. The other projects such as the Green Line to LAX and to the Southbay will start after that.

As far as contracting and technical experience, there are plenty of teams out there that have built projects in LA and around the country and they have the experience to complete these projects on-time and within budget.

What Stephen forgets is that the problems with projects such as the subway in the 1990's happened because of political mistakes and machinations and lack of corporate construction experience. At this time with projects built under the current two management teams (Snoble and Leahy), it is unlikely to repeat some of those mistakes from the 90's, as most have learned their lessons.

The current management have met targets and budgets and there is no reason to expect anything different.

One last thanks to LA Weekly

Last Thursday I got a chance to go out and party with many of the best bloggers, twitterers and social media folks in Los Angeles at LA Weekly's "LA Web Awards 2009" party and reception at Bardot.

While I was personally honored to receive "Best Activist Website" on behalf of LA Streetsblog, I was just as happy to have a chance to get out of the house and party sin bebito.

That's right, for the first time in half a year, Marybeth and myself were able to get out of the house and hang out without Samuel. As much as I adore the little one, it was great to get out with my wife and party.

And does LA Weekly ever know how to throw a party. Bardot is excellent. An open bar is a treat (even if I was limited to Shirley Temples). And the other award winners were great folks to meet and chat with. A special shout out to Zach at LAist who introduced us to half the restaurant and "Caroline on Crack" who I believe is the only person to walk off with two awards.

Take a Survey for the Urban Bike Project

I got this email from my friend Alexis. The survey only takes a couple of minutes, and it will help move the ball forward on sustainability.

I am hoping you wouldn't mind helping me distribute a survey I have created to support my graduate thesis. The survey is to collect data on the experience and knowledge of cyclists in the City of Los Angeles.

The survey will also support a "white paper" that will be released in February on behalf of the Los Angeles Sustainability Collaborative (www.lasustainability.org). The Los Angeles Sustainability Collaborative is a non-profit organization that funds graduate research on environmental issues in an effort to promote sustainable development in Southern California and bridge the gap between local urban issues and local academic research.

The data from the survey will help create and support policy recommendations to improve bicycling in Los Angeles. My goal is understand the barriers that are faced, common issues or experiences, and safety knowledge. Along with the obvious need for better infrastructure I am hoping this survey will help support the need for wide spread education of both cyclists and motorists.

I appreciate your help in getting the survey out to your readers.

Here is the link - http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=xkqYXo3tCaEZBkdMSHOWTw_3d_3d

also here's a code version to drop into your website if that's better - Click Here to take survey

Thanks for you help!

Sincerely,
Alexis Lantz

In L.A. Dogs Wouldn't Ride the Metro...

So my brother sent a note to his friends about my article about dogs using the Metro in Moscow with the tagline that in L.A. they would have to learn to ride the 405. The response is above.

Stephen Colbert's News of the Week: LA Streetsblog

I knew getting archived in the news.google feed was going to be worth something.

Anyone that reads Colbert Nation for the "State of the Nation" (i.e. to what Stephen is reading about himself) will see that the top news item from last week is an LA Streetsblog story: "Stephen Colbert's Tips for Drivers and Cyclists." Since I know Stephen appreciates a shout-back as much as a shout-out; thanks for reading Colbert Report staff!

If you're ever in L.A., I'll treat for lunch at Buddha's Belly.

All hail the Flying Pigeon, the Orange 20 of the Eastside

Yesterday my wife and I headed over to the Flying Pigeon Bike Shop an 3174 North Figueroa Street (two doors down from the Bike Oven) to picket out the cargo bike that will be the primary form of transportation for me and Samuel in a couple of months. The shop's owner, Josef Bray-Ali is no stranger to anyone that knows me well whether it be as the guy with the baby in the bike co-op Streetfilm or as the firebrand poster ubrayj02 at Streetsblog. What we discovered in the past two days is that he's also a heck of a bike shop owner.

When we arrived, I had already decided I wanted the Flying Pigeon's bucket bike, aka the Bakfiet Light as we were referring to it, but Josef insisted on walking me through all the steps. His "sales pitch" included offering me a ride on his bigger, sturdier, and heavier Dutch Bakfiet, a bike that he doesn't sell, and walking us through a series of Extra-Cycles. However, despite his best efforts to get us to buy from someone else, we held firm and got ourselves our Flying Pigeon Bucketbike (which Marybeth and I have already named Bessie).

Un-happy with the state of the bikes in the shop, Josef decided that before he would let me pedal away he had to give us new tires, a tuneup, straighten the rims, and do all sorts of little adjustments. I should also note that in the time we were in the shop yesterday and today Josef was fixing rims, selling tires and even the I Bike LA shirts.

After the bike was ready to go today, he put me in touch with a stenciler and had me out on the street. Let me tell you, riding a bucket bike brings to unique experiences versus riding on Gunpowder. First, people stop and stare at you. I had a couple of kids that recognized the Charlie Brown shirts from a group ride and rode next to me asking questions for awhile and one of the "purple shirts" downtown chatted me up.

Second, it's a lot like riding a tank. The route I took from Flying Pigeon to my house was 11.2 miles, but I felt like I had finnished one of the longer loops on the River Ride. I've got a lot of riding to do in the next couple months to build up my leg muscles to get ready for the kiddie taxi routine I'm planning in 2010...