Here are several of the proposals I have presented over the years. I'll post more as I find them (many are still on old disks or computers, or in print awaiting scanning).
A few notes:
The Santa Clarita Valley historically has had no direct transit connections to the rest of Los Angeles (save for an infrequent commuter bus). This was a proposal to extend SCRTD routes into Santa Clarita. However, SCRTD, claiming lack of authority, never extended the service. Expanded transit service to/from Santa Clarita never materialized until the 1994 Northridge Earthquake necessitated it.
Strong opposition had developed to the proposed Expo light rail line in the Cheviot Hills area of Los Angeles. My proposal would have routed the rail away from residential areas, and onto a busy portion of Pico Blvd, using a tunnel under a large shopping center.
While my plan was met with mild interest, Metro balked at the tunnelling costs. An economic downturn in 1994 put most rail expansion plans on hold anyway. When Metro began planning anew in 2007, opposition to the line, while still extant, had diminished to the point where the agency was able to overcome it and build the line through Cheviot Hills.
1994 was a bad year, economically, for the LACMTA. The agency had a plan to save money by cancelling all weekend and night service, and other draconian cutbacks. This was my plan to save LACMTA some funds, mostly by allowing other bus agencies (Foothill, Santa Monica, Montebello, etc.) to assume operation of certain, lesser used, bus routes. (As it turned out, many of the bus routes in question ended up with other agencies, operated by private companies as part of LACMTA's own privatization scheme, or simply cancelled in light of changing travel patterns.)
Response to LACMTA's San Fernando Valley bus route restructuring proposal. LADOT did implement a reverse-commute version of the #423 (Thousand Oaks-Los Angeles) in 1998....
Suggestions for service changes including enhanced services along the I-10 and I-210 corridors, service to the University of La Verne and Raging Waters, and service delivery alternatives.
Suggestions for Santa Monica's Big Blue Bus. SMMBL extended service east of Pico/Rimpau to the Wilshire/Western Metro Red Line station in 2011--a mere 13 years...
Probably the most notable suggestions in this proposal involve the Harbor Transitway (routes consolidated into the Silver Line in 2010).
Of particular note: reworking of stopping patterns of I-10 commuter buses, express version of the #480 (realized with Silver Streak in 2006), Foothill Transit operating service to Brea (current #286) and connections between Pomona and Chino (Omnitrans #365).
Metrolink was about to start service in October 1992. This proposal would have provided dedicated shuttles between Union Station and various parts of Downtown LA, at least until the Metro Red Line opened. If I recall correctly, LADOT provided two or three shuttle routes similar to those proposed here. Only the "Bunker Hill Shuttle" still exists after the Metro Red Line started service in early 1993.
Several suggestions I presented at a Metrolink (Southern California Regional Rail Authority) board meeting. Although my proposal to provide letter names for the Metrolink routes went nowhere, we have seen plenty of expansion in off-peak service since then.
A real estate developer was selling a large plot of (formerly railroad-owned) land near the Metrolink San Bernardino Line in San Dimas. In June 1999, I presented a proposal for a San Dimas Metrolink station to the City Council there. They expressed a mild interest, but decided not to pursue it, preferring to wait until Metro extended a light rail station to San Dimas. There is now a business park on the land, and while the Metro Gold Line extension to Azusa is scheduled to open in 2015, funding for an extension further east to Montclair (which would include San Dimas) is uncertain.
An attempt to get the Riverside Transit Agency and Sunline Transit (Palm Springs) interested in providing interconnecting service. (Sunlink operated from 2000-2004, then Sunline Transit started a commuter line to Riverside in 2011).
A concept map of the regional bus routes in Riverside and San Bernardino Counties. This was when Inland Empire Connection #110 and #496 (and #120 to Redlands, for a few months) were running. It also included connections to Palm Springs, the mountain communities (Lake Arrowhead, Big Bear, etc.) and to Victorville, also run by IEC.
Line #496 (Los Angeles-Riverside), then operated by the Riverside Transit Agency, was being substantially cut back because of funding limitations. The Riverside County Transportation Commission suggested that Foothill Transit (which operates west of Montclair) extend one of its routes to Riverside. The document contains my suggested route (note the limited stop service along Holt through Pomona, Montclair, and Ontario), along with supporting materials from RTA, RCTC, and Foothill Transit. Foothill, which initially expressed a mild interest in operating to Riverside, eventually backed away, citing lack of equipment.
Proposals to strenghten intercity transit links within Riverside County. Possible partial inspiration for RTA's Commuterlink service, implemented in 2003.
Proposal to improve transit between Riverside and Palm Springs via Beaumont/Banning
Proposals to consolidate transit services in Ventura County. (A long sought-after commuter bus route between Ventura and Santa Barbara started service in 2001. In 2009, legislation [SB 716] was passed requiring Ventura County to provide a transit service plan.)
Proposal to adjust service in the Santa Barbara area, as well as to implement connections to Santa Barbara North County cities (Lompoc, Santa Maria, Solvang, etc.) Also contains proposed changes in legislation to expand the Santa Barbara Metropolitan Transit District so as to cover the entire county.
Another call to implement all-day, interconnecting public transportation in Northern Santa Barbara County (Lompoc, Santa Maria, Solvang, etc.) Such a service was implemented in 2005 as the "Breeze Bus," between Lompoc and Santa Maria. Two additional intercommunity services, the "Wine Country Express" between Lompoc and Solvang, as well as a second "Breeze" route between Santa Maria and Solvang, have been added more recently.
Charles P. Hobbs (cph1776 (at) yahoo (dot) com)
Updated 8/27/2015
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