BUILDING LIGHT RAIL TRANSIT IN EXISTING RAIL CORRIDORS: PANACEA OR NIGHTMARE? THE LOS ANGELES EXPERIENCE

The Los Angeles County Transportation Commission (LACTC) is constructing a 21-mi light rail transit (LRT) line between the cities of Long Beach and Los Angeles. Sixteen miles of the line are being constructed on right-of-way acquired from and shared with the Southern Pacific Transportation Company. The design and construction of this portion of the project have proven to be far more difficult and costly than was ever imagined initially. Among the more challenging aspects have been the need to maintain railroad operations while relocating the freight line and constructing LRT, undertaking an extraordinarily large utility relocation program, acquiring hundreds of real estate parcels in addition to the railroad right-of-way, and dealing with extensive institutional problems related to grade crossings, insurance, license agreements, franchises, and the permitting and approval processes of the political jurisdictions through which the railroad alignment passes. It is important that those planning similar projects gain a full appreciation of LACTC's experiences so that realistic cost estimates can be prepared for the purpose of making accurate comparisons of railroad right-or-way alignments with other alternatives.

• Record URL:
  http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/sr/sr221/221-028.pdf
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/isbn/0309047137
• Supplemental Notes:
  • This paper appears in Transportation Research Board Special Report No. 221, Light Rail Transit: New System Successes at Affordable Prices - Papers presented at the National Conference on Light Rail Transit, May 8-11, 1988, San Jose, California, Conducted by the Transportation Research Board. Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved
• Corporate Authors:

  Transportation Research Board

  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001
• Authors:
  • McSpedon, Edward
• Conference:
  • National Conference on Light Rail Transit
  • Location: San Jose California, United States
  • Date: 1988-5-8 to 1988-5-11
• Publication Date: 1989

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Figures;
• Pagination: pp 426-441
• Monograph Title: LIGHT RAIL TRANSIT: NEW SYSTEM SUCCESSES AT AFFORDABLE PRICES
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Board Special Report
  • Issue Number: 221
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0360-859X

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Conferences; Costs; Light rail transit; Right of way (Land)
• Identifier Terms: Los Angeles County Transportation Commission; Southern Pacific Railroad
• Uncontrolled Terms: Sharing
• Subject Areas: Construction; Finance; Highways; Planning and Forecasting; Public Transportation;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00483679
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 0-309-04713-7
• Files: TRIS, TRB, ATRI
• Created Date: May 31 1990 12:00AM