ORANGE SLICES BUSWAY FACES REAL-LIFE COMMUTER TEST.Byline: Lisa Mascaro and Josh Kleinbaum Staff Writers Lawyers, bankers, teachers and other commuters left their cars in the garage Monday and piled onto the crowded Metro Orange Line, vowing to give the new busway a try on its first day of regular service. Busy professionals accustomed to stressful commutes on Ventura Freeway The Ventura Freeway is a freeway in southern California running from Ventura to Pasadena. It is the principal east-west route through Ventura County and in the southern San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles County. joined veteran bus riders as they traversed the San Fernando Valley San Fernando Valley Valley, southern California, U.S. Northwest of central Los Angeles, the valley is bounded by the San Gabriel, Santa Susana, and Santa Monica mountains and the Simi Hills. on the $350 million system, which drew an estimated 83,000 riders over the weekend, when the Metropolitan Transportation Authority offered free rides. Jeffrey Gold, a clinical psychologist at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. , boarded the bus in Warner Center, where he was optimistic that being able to take public transit rather than traffic-choked freeways would boost his longevity. ``I've lived in San Francisco San Francisco (săn frănsĭs`kō), city (1990 pop. 723,959), coextensive with San Francisco co., W Calif., on the tip of a peninsula between the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay, which are connected by the strait known as the Golden - I used to commute there. I lived in Boston. I'd like to get back to commuting again. Getting out of the car, being with people again, it's time It's Time was a successful political campaign run by the Australian Labor Party (ALP) under Gough Whitlam at the 1972 election in Australia. Campaigning on the perceived need for change after 23 years of conservative (Liberal Party of Australia) government, Labor put forward a better spent. ``I don't have the same stress response,'' he said. ``I may gain a few years on my life.'' Winnetka mom Christine Cruz hopes a 30-minute commute on the Orange Line will give her a few extra minutes each day to spend with her kids. ``I've been driving the freeway for years,'' said Cruz, a postal worker A postal worker is one who works for a post office, such as a mail carrier. In the U.S., postal workers are represented by the National Postal Mail Handlers Union - NPMHU and the American Postal Workers Union, part of the AFL-CIO. in North Hollywood. ``Sometimes I can get there good. Sometimes it takes me 1 1/2 hours to get home.'' And Adneisha White, who's been taking the Blue Line, the Red Line and a bus for the past four years between Vernon and California State University, Northridge CSUN offers a variety of programs leading to bachelor's degrees in 61 fields and master's degrees in 42 fields. The university has over 150,000 alumni. It's also home to a summer musical theater/theater program known as TADW (TeenAge Drama Workshop) that leads teenagers through an , hopes the Orange Line will chisel chisel Cutting tool with a sharpened edge at the end of a metal blade, used (often by driving with a mallet or hammer) in dressing, shaping, or working a solid material such as wood, stone, or metal. away at the hour-and-15 minute bus ride across the Valley from the subway to campus. ``This is like a godsend god·send n. Something wanted or needed that comes or happens unexpectedly. [Alteration of Middle English goddes sand, God's message : goddes, genitive of God, God ,'' she said, snapping photos on her first ride. ``I love it. I'm so happy.'' LAX security screener Chester Brown had similar high hopes that the Orange Line would shorten his convoluted commute. He plans to ride his bike from Burbank to the busway's North Hollywood Station; take the Orange Line to the Woodley Station; and ride his bike to the Van Nuys FlyAway fly·a·way adj. 1. Made or worn loose or draped, as to allow or suggest fluttering in the wind: a flyaway coat; long, flyaway hair. 2. a. , where he catches the city-run bus to Los Angeles International Airport “LAX” redirects here. For other uses, see LAX (disambiguation). “KLAX” redirects here. For other uses, see KLAX (disambiguation). Los Angeles International Airport (IATA: LAX, ICAO: KLAX, FAA LID: LAX . Valley College professors Richard and Sally Raskoff parked one Jeep at home and the other near Warner Center, where they joined nearly a dozen other professionals for a 6:40 a.m. trip. ``We just figured it goes where we want it to go, so we're going to take it,'' said Sally Raskoff, chair of the campus' sociology and ethics department, adding that her $52-a-month bus pass would pay for a week's worth of gas. ``We've been waiting for it. We're very happy to see it.'' David Snell boarded at the Balboa Station for what would be his normal 35-mile round-trip drive to Los Feliz, where he works on the TV show ``The Shield.'' ``I get exercise and I don't have to drive,'' he said. ``It's nice to think I get to do something a little environmentally friendly Environmentally friendly, also referred to as nature friendly, is a term used to refer to goods and services considered to inflict minimal harm on the environment.[1] without having to buy a hybrid. I get to, theoretically, get some reading or something done.'' Banker Robert Lee Robert Lee is the name of several people and could refer to:
In the context of general equities, this describing a buy interest in which a dealer is asked to offer stock, often involving a capital commitment. Antithesis of in touch with. a way off the freeway. ``I'm sick of the 101, and I like to read while going to work. It'll probably be as long or longer (than driving), but it's less stress. I have enough stress to deal with.'' Still, some frustrations were found along the way. Riders want an express bus from end to end - or at least more green-light priority - to trim what's about a 40-minute trip. Many regular riders remain concerned about cutbacks to Line 156, a workhorse route between the Valley and Los Angeles, that was cut to make way for the Orange Line. One rider complained she couldn't buy a handful of tickets in advance so she can ride a few times a week without having to worry about fares. Others said there need to be better signs identifying the stations. ``Right now, it looks like it's going pretty slow,'' said Napoleon Sandoval, 26, of Canoga Park, a regular bus rider. ``Too many stops.'' MTA (1) (Message Transfer Agent or Mail Transfer Agent) The store and forward part of a messaging system. See messaging system. (2) See M Technology Association. 1. (messaging) MTA - Message Transfer Agent. and city Transportation Department officials will be monitoring the line to see what adjustments are needed to improve speed and ensure safety. Concerns have been raised about crossing the busway, after a number of close calls and one noninjury crash between a bus and motorist. But many commuters Monday expect the new service would ease the ride. Aaron Paige takes the Blue Line from his home in Long Beach to the Red Line in North Hollywood, where he boards the 163 bus to his parts-assembly job off Tampa Avenue. The bus ride takes 1 hour and 15 minutes, which he thinks he can reduce to about 25 minutes on the Orange Line. ``I think it's a great thing. This takes you straight there.'' And Anna Reyes, who has been commuting for 20 years from east Hollywood to Warner Center to clean houses at a senior complex, says the Orange Line cut her commute from 90 minutes to an hour by avoiding Ventura Boulevard Ventura Boulevard is one of the primary east-west thouroughfares in the San Fernando Valley; as it was originally a part of the El Camino Real (the trail between Spanish missions), Ventura Boulevard is the oldest route in the San Fernando Valley. It was also U.S. . ``Perfect,'' she said. Whether commuters continue their courtship with the busway remains to be seen, with plenty of riders saying they're not sure whether the Orange Line will truly become an alternative they can use. ``Normally, I drive. I'm trying it because of the price of gas, and dealing with traffic,'' said Leslee Usher, 50, who commutes from Panorama City to Woodland Hills. ``I've got to transfer to one bus to get to work, so I've got to see how the timing works out.'' Bruce Mitchell, commuting from Sun Valley to Warner Center, said he planned to give it a month. ``I was getting tired of the stop-and-go drive on the 101. I figured I'd give it a try and see if it works out.'' Lisa Mascaro, (818) 713-3761 lisa.mascaro(at)dailynews.com IF YOU GO The MTA's Valley Governance Council will meet at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at Van Nuys City Hall, 6262 Van Nuys Blvd. Questions or comments about the Orange Line can be addressed to the panel. CAPTION(S): 4 photos, box, map Photo: HOW THEY DID IT (1 -- color) Jeffrey Gold, clinical psychologist at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles Drive to Orange Line Winnetka Station park-and-ride lot. Take Orange Line to Red Line North Hollywood Station. Take Red Line to Vermont/Sunset Station at Childrens Hospital. (2 -- color) Christine Cruz, mom and postal worker Drive to Orange Line Winnetka Station park-and-ride. Take Orange Line to Red Line North Hollywood Station. Walk to work on Chandler Boulevard. (3 -- color) Adneisha White, child development major at CSUN CSUN California State University Northridge Walk to Blue Line Vernon Station. Take Blue Line to Red Line downtown. Take Red Line to North Hollywood Station. Take Orange Line to Reseda Station. Take Reseda bus to CSUN. (4 -- color) Chester Brown, airport screener Ride bike from Burbank to Orange Line North Hollywood Station. Take Orange Line to Woodley Station. Ride bike to Van Nuys FlyAway to LAX. Tina Burch/Staff Photographer Box: IF YOU GO (see text) Map: no caption (Orange Line route) |
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