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I wish the lack of winters in SoCal, but every time I visit the traffic reminds me how much living in LA sucks. It is really nice to live in a city with a functional transportation system, even Chicago is more livablet from that perspective. LA just needs to bite the bullet at some point and spend the billions it is going to take to make the city livable. Besides that as a state California is still up there, and despite it's deep red hold out, there is a vast expanse of far shitter more conservative states out there with worse weather and far less to see. If anything California could be so much better than it is if it better leadership.
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Jun 28, 2013 12:30
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etalian posted:A good amount of trainwreck in LA is how similar to many other big US cities, the whole mass transit system of electric trolleys got gutted post-World War II to make way for the more efficient automobile and freeway system. Granted the unfortunate part is that not only did LA lose the red car system, unlike Chicago or New York it didn't have a subway or L system as a functional backup. Not only that but investment in mass transit since the 1990s has been relatively weak that point considering the size and population of the LA metro area. DC took out their streetcar system, they at least invested in a fairly robust subway system instead. , LA only still really have one heavy rail line and a handful of light rail lines. It is better than "nothing" but it isn't going to make the different. LA is literally suffocating from a lack of public investment. That said, I don't like the Red Car system have made a real difference, streetcars are relatively slow and low capacity and the greater LA basin is a large place. It didn't need to be torn up like it did, at least some of it could have been salvaged like the MUNI system but LA is more or less screwed because of its geography and the historical lack of a heavy rail system (due to a lot of reasons, including poor timing).
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Jun 28, 2013 15:23
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etalian posted:Yeah LA is really huge at 503 sq miles due to how the city aggressively annexed surrounding areas over the years. The Bay Area's geography (and better planning) have helped, but only to a point. No wants to admit it but a lot of the Bay Area has similar transportation issues to SoCal and there are a lot of overall similarities between the two areas. (San Jose anyone?)
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Jun 28, 2013 15:48
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Wax Dynasty posted:California will suck until it gives up its system of referendums and propositions. It makes it too easy for monied interests to subvert the legislature (which is ironic considering the original purpose of the system.) It is too late to give up on the proposition system, it is pretty much the only way to raise taxes at this point. Lobbyist already own the legislature anyway. Eh,Tex Mex deserves the reputation it gets
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Jun 28, 2013 16:42
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etalian posted:It's amusing how despite all the higher costs of during business big name companies such as SpaceX/Google/Loral would rather be in California for their corporate HQ than at a lower cost place like Texas or the South. Ultimately you get what you pay for.
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Jun 28, 2013 17:30
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Dusseldorf posted:Los Angeles is absolutely spending money to expand public transit faster than any other city in the county. The city is just huge and started way behind. Thats the thing, it is a drop in the bucket compared to the money they need spending. LA has a nice tidy system that only serves a fraction of the population. LA isn't going to be able to get much from freeway improvements (cost rise too much to add lanes to already built out freeways), they need more than light rail. The city is broke so it probably won't happen but it is already suffocating from its traffic and it will only get worse.
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Jun 28, 2013 18:49
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Dusseldorf posted:A ton of people ride the buses, just not white people. Thats the thing, buses especially in LA aren't very effective as a mass transit system. Lots of people use them but ultimately thats because are few alternatives beyond paying for a car. LA has mass transit, it just doesn't have the efficiency and capacity to make it effective. More light rail lines are fine (I guess) but once you start looking at their comfortable capacity, it is pretty clear they won't make much of a dent. Roughly 10 million people live in LA county alone, we are really only talking about a fraction of the population. The problem is more investment in roads won't lead to real improvement (look at the 405). The Bart is okay, but as others have said it has issues of its own and it really a commuter train. San Francisco does okay since it is such a dense and contained urban area but there are still glaring issues and lets not start on the Santa Clara valley. Also, yeah the situation with the green line and LAX is a disaster. Even Portland, Oregon has its light rail line to directly into the terminal.
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Jun 28, 2013 19:38
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redscare posted:Nevermind the capacity, there's so much stupid built in that it hurts. Think the LAX thing is bad? Try the other end of the Green Line, where the final station is all of 2.4 miles away from the Metrolink (regional commuter rail) station. As a result, there's no easy mass transit link for anyone that lives in Orange County and works in the South Bay. And given how much aerospace and poo poo is around here, that's a considerable amount of people. Same for going the other way - I live in Long Beach within walking distance of the Blue line, but have no connection to the regional rail system unless I want to go all the way up to Grand Central station. Then there's the purple line spur, the lack of a connection to Glendale/Burbank of any kind, and the over-extension of the Gold line, to name a few others. Also, the Gold line, one of the largest light rail lines in country, is one of the slowest because it has to weave through residential areas. More or less, LA's public transportation system was built as a "optional" alternative and plenty of corners were cut in its design and construction. Granted, the ultimate issue is that the LA metro area is extremely vast and public transportation works best when it is walking distance. Regional rail in LA is simply an issue of there isn't enough track for both passenger and freight service. You have to take an amtrak bus to get to bakersfield because there is a only one rail line that goes north and its freight only. LA isn't the only city with a lot of infrastructure issues but Socal's population is comparable to the Greater New York area at this point and there differences in infrastructure is vast. LA isn't going to turn into Detroit, if it was, it would have already back in the mid-90s. It just is going to become a more and more unbearable place to live in. However, I would still take it over a lot American cities though. Ardennes fucked around with this message at 21:13 on Jun 28, 2013 |
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Jun 28, 2013 21:10
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One thing that isn't mention that often is about Southern influence in SoCal, LA unlike SF actually attracted far more Southerns when California became a state. There was even some pro-confederate unrest during the civil war. For most of the 19th and 20th, the upper echelons of the LAPD (including the chief) has had Southern origins and that was readily reflected in its policies and the attitudes of its street officers. Basically, for most of its early existence LA was a little slice of the south on the Pacific.
Ardennes fucked around with this message at 07:35 on Jun 29, 2013 |
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Jun 29, 2013 07:32
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Tom Smykowski posted:This and the migrations during the Great Depression partly explain the conservatism of the central valley, too. Yeah, doesn't Basketfield especially have a lot of families with history from that migration? Anyway, a lot of the hosed up stuff in SoCal especially isn't accidental or inexplicable. That said, LA city itself has a lot of good and interesting parts do it, and is far from being "intellectual void." Once live a couple other American cities, you can start to see some of LA's (and California's) general merits. The continual shame is how many good things in California are just pissed way through racism, classism and terrible leadership. I don't think Brown is actually that good, but for the abysmal state of Californian politics he is probably the best governor in recent memory (he is only mediocre rather than laughably terrible or evil).
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Jun 29, 2013 10:05
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The ultimate issue is three strikes and the swelling of California's prison population due the point it has become inhumane. The recent proposition ultimately didn't change that much and the damage has already been done. The state will probably go bankrupt again building prisons.
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Jun 29, 2013 13:53
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I am OK posted:There's welding that goes on too, as well as visual inspections at all of the corners. They have to turn all of the electricity off so you can't run anything really. It is probably possible to some extent, just it just would require billions to do, and you know how that works in this country. It probably isn't possible to run Bart 24 hours a day but it doesn't seem like it would be impossible to run 1 or 2 night trains at around 1 or 2 across the bay just to reduce drunk driving.
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Jul 2, 2013 11:44
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Nuclearmonkee posted:They need a contiguous window of time to do maintenance, and the regular 4 hour window is barely enough time to do anything. Tighten it and you are going to have more morning delays due to maintenance. It wouldn't be daily, maybe 2 days a week max on one section of the line.
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Jul 2, 2013 15:56
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Combining wages and benefits is intentionally misleading almost certainly to make the workers look like they are getting paid more than they really are. If you ask someone how much they make roughly, how many of them are going to include their benefits? Very few to none. It sounds like BART workers get paid median or less wages for the Bay Area, they have a right to strike especially to keep their wages constant versus price increases. Ardennes fucked around with this message at 20:06 on Jul 6, 2013 |
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Jul 6, 2013 19:25
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enraged_camel posted:A lot of people I have spoken to do mention their benefits. As in, "I make X per hour/month/year plus X/Y/Z benefit." My point is that usually separate those two things as different values. Yes, people mention and negotiate for benefits, but I haven't met anyone that just lumps in everything into a single figure like the newspapers do. They are just trying to inflate the salaries so public opinion turns harder against the workers, which makes it easier to crush the strike. Our press is not on "our side" here in the US.
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Jul 6, 2013 21:29
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Bizarro Watt posted:Good to see Gilroy getting attention for something besides garlic, I suppose. In my dreams, I'd like to have a high-speed rail line that goes up and down the coast. It would cost a ton and to be honest, I think I would rather leave at least the coastal area around US 1 minimally developed. quote:Obama will have been out of office for years by the time the first train runs. All of those signs date from around 2008-2009 when the Democrats controlled congress, they don't really care. Ardennes fucked around with this message at 21:50 on Jul 10, 2013 |
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Jul 10, 2013 21:47
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A Winner is Jew posted:The stretch from LA to about halfway between Bakersfield and Fresno will suck, but after that the Serra Nevada's should make the trip much more enjoyable / beautiful. Especially for trips in the winter / spring. The high desert is pretty cool too, basically the central valley stretch will always be tedious whatever you do but I assume the train will be able to blast through it in less an hour.
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Jul 10, 2013 21:54
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Zeitgueist posted:I think that line will never happen because it's essentially a weekend party bus for people in LA, there's not a lot of business reasons other than tourism, and I don't know that tourism alone could sustain that line. Unless I'm missing something. I guess the Las Vegas metro area is about 2 million people at this point, enough to probably deserve some type of line along with the usual tourist traffic. I like that everything between Carmel and SLO is just almost completely empty and undeveloped, it is a really cool area too with great beaches and some cool campgrounds. Monterrey is pretty great too.
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Jul 10, 2013 23:09
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Zeitgueist posted:I agree, but that doesn't make sense if it's running from Victorville. Yeah, I think it will just be on hold until the CSHSR looks like it is going to be fully built out but if its connected, you could get people flowing from all over California to dump their life savings into Vegas' hateful maw. quote:What would be the best way to design a statewide rail system that doesn't just end up benefiting rich people, from a conceptual standpoint? I guess build it as cheaply as possible, but to be honest it is going to be expensive whatever you do because it has to make its way through urban areas and our rail system is already too saturated as it is. It might make more sense to have some type of discount ticket program for the least used scheduled times that has an extra discount is you can show need. Ardennes fucked around with this message at 23:30 on Jul 10, 2013 |
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Jul 10, 2013 23:27
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Zeitgueist posted:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_High-Speed_Rail#Travel_times Uh the fastest (regular service) TGV goes about 200 miles per hour. Ardennes fucked around with this message at 22:05 on Jul 11, 2013 |
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Jul 11, 2013 22:02
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VideoTapir posted:What taxes exactly are strangling business in California? Nevada has little or no corporate taxes and no income tax and has state services to match.
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Jul 14, 2013 13:17
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Nevada itself is basically the "Ireland" of the West Coast, businesses only have a 200 flat fee. The state makes most of its money off of gambling, liquor and sales taxes. That said overall it hasn't been that successful, and Las Vegas isn't exactly a great place to live. In fact, Las Vegas is probably one of the saddest places on the planet (writing this from Moscow, Russia). Oregon has actually a really fairly decent tax system, no sales tax, and a inflation linked minimum wage. I just wish there were higher corporate taxes and few more income backets to give the state more income.
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Jul 14, 2013 16:30
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FMguru posted:NV gets a lot of money from out-of-state tourists showing up every weekend and pouring money into hotels, car rentals, airplane landings, and gambling. It's ideal - outsiders come, blow their cash on high-tax items that don't affect locals, and then leave without consuming any services (welfare, schools, fire departments, hospitals, libraries, senior centers, etc). There's a reason so many states have legalized gambling over the last 25 years - they're tired of spraying firehoses of their money into Nevada's coffers. There might be some nice new civic buildings but from what I heard the state of education is quite poor and most of the infrastructure looked pretty jury-rigged together. It is a nice system for them in some ways, but to be honest I have a hard time envying people living in Las Vegas. Yeah, they get all this out of state money coming in but the city (as well as Reno) is quite a hole because of it. quote:Las Vegas is pretty much captures some of the worst aspects such as sprawl, sense of isolation, lack of unique neighborhoods and lots of cookie cutter Mcmansion developments. It does really seem like a city built around casinos and some depressed residential areas to house the workers (as well as some Mcmansions for people with money obviously). It is like if you took San Bernardino, sprinkled it generously with gambling and prostitution and drop into the middle of the desert. There isn't really much there too do anyway unless you want that "classic" experience. Ardennes fucked around with this message at 16:57 on Jul 14, 2013 |
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Jul 14, 2013 16:52
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VideoTapir posted:I see you've never lived in Arizona. Touche, I guess but there is a price to pay for "low taxes."
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Jul 14, 2013 17:02
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Leperflesh posted:Let's not forget convention space. Las Vegas is the world's largest convention host, and people come from all over the planet (not just California) for them. The casinos are obviously the big revenue monsters, but convention space pulls in lots of tax money too. Admittedly, I do sort of admire the wide open expanses of desert especially since so much of it is relatively untouched. Yeah, if you wanted some time to yourself, it isn't such a bad place as long as you bring a really good hat. Yeah conventions do bring in a lot of money, but of course thats directly routed in gambling itself (if your going to build a giant hotel, why not add plenty of convention space)? Las Vegas is indeed a young city, but I think the gambling industry is many ways limiting its development and social diversity that other cities offer. If everything is more or less build around the strip and other casinos, the city is going to be gear toward that industry. Also, by being a sprawling post-war city dominated by cars radically reduces the chance for real neighborhoods to form.
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Jul 14, 2013 19:39
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Leperflesh posted:Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe most/all of the Strip, with all the big casinos, is actually outside of Las Vegas' city limits, specifically to avoid city taxes and regulations? Yes, but just by the nature of sprawl the entire urban area has fully encompassed the strip to the point it has more or less become the more dominate focal point of the city... but doesn't pay taxes.
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Jul 14, 2013 20:06
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etalian posted:The bigger near term problem is the lack of water conservation for places such as Central valley using the irrigation ditch system, using water hungry crops in what is basically a mediterranean type climate or places like LA trying to have perfect green lawns year around. Yes, but they are going to put more idiotic signs on the I-5 in retaliation!
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Jul 15, 2013 15:04
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I think I will use "the" in front of every highway name until I die, it is too ingrained in my brain at this point to stop. Eventually the rest of humanity to have to learn to conform. Ardennes fucked around with this message at 00:06 on Jul 20, 2013 |
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Jul 19, 2013 23:34
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Leperflesh posted:It's not a derail, because this is a specifically California argument and this is the California Megathread. Where else would we argue about this? To me, it just sounds more forceful and clear, ultimately it is because freeways are so important to life in LA that it is almost a honorific. You must properly honor the great 405, for it controls life and death.
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Jul 20, 2013 00:08
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etalian posted:I like the article on apartments of the future for the Bay Area: Rapidly approaching just straight up dystopia.
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Jul 20, 2013 17:46
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Eh, I wouldn't take either. You probably don't need more than 500 sq feet a person if that but those micro-apartments just go too far.
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Jul 21, 2013 02:13
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Oregon? Hey "best beer" is a pretty multi-sided fight at this point.
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Jul 21, 2013 03:15
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Dusseldorf posted:Well LA is building railed transit faster than any other city in the US so they already know. Yeah LA has a long way too go (as a native), rail lines are being built but the metro area is suffocating in traffic. A big part of it is money, but there has been a real void of leadership as well. I guess because of the house nothing can be done, but yeah it is a real problem. Ardennes fucked around with this message at 06:26 on Jul 30, 2013 |
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Jul 30, 2013 06:23
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So Angelenos, Zankou Chicken, does it deserve its reputation or not? It seemed fine, not necessarily any different than similar places (I don't know if you want to say an Armenian place is Middle-Eastern... but the food at least really is).
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Aug 6, 2013 06:19
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nm posted:Depends on where. The kind of sketchy one on Sunset at Normandie is awesome. This is the only one I've been to except the one in Montebello and it was fine, but not as great. I have been on the one on sunset, it seemed fine, and the one on Van Nuys. Both seemed to be about the same. Not too different than RoRo's also on Sunset (across from Crossroads of the World). So what is greater LA's weakest food category? It isn't Mexican, Chinese, or Korean obviously. I guess pizza isn't spectacular, but doesn't seem that bad. Not a lot of representation of French food in Southern California? Maybe Thai? We get to claim In-N-Out, Tommy's and Astro. Ardennes fucked around with this message at 06:49 on Aug 6, 2013 |
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Aug 6, 2013 06:42
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cheese posted:I hope you like rain, outdoor sports/hiking and hate Costco! Ah, paradise. Yeah, San Brenardino is the largest county in the US, largely enough to contain entire mountain ranges, deserts and urban areas in it (most of it is still terrible). I guess Big Bear is pretty cool if you can accept artificial snow for it being so close to LA. Having usable beaches and skiing/snowboarding in the same metro area is kind of nice.
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Aug 12, 2013 23:31
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Thanatosian posted:Speaking of the Bullet Train... Elon Musk of Paypal and Tesla Motors fame thinks he has a better idea. Being trapped in a tube without a bathroom or the ability to stand up sounds pretty terrible to be honest.
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Aug 13, 2013 03:51
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Granted, you could always destroy the presidio and a build a hundred+ tower blocks.
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Aug 16, 2013 05:06
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A White Guy posted:This is the attitude that most of Southern California and parts of the Bay Area have taken on. So in order to reduce sprawl you don't want to build very high density (public) housing within the city of San Francisco? You know the Presidio is San Francisco right? Either you sprawl out and build more freeways or build a bunch of high density housing near mass transit (if would require building at least a Muni line out there but there plans for at least BRT then light rail on Geary). Maybe you just want to hang a sign out on the city limits that says "town's full"?
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Aug 16, 2013 08:00
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To be honest, if you want the supply of housing in San Francisco to dramatically increase, something is eventually has got to go. That or you work on the current system of sprawling out with a few new super-expensive condo towers, which seems to be the route of least resistance.
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Aug 16, 2013 19:52
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