New Expo Line

As I drove into work this summer (sorry driving was my only option), I would always find myself glancing at the construction workers building the new light rail.  With so much controversy and hype built up around the new Exposition line, outlined by a USC staff writer, finally there was something concrete to show for it.  At first I was upset with all of the construction, since the streets that I use to get home were always closed or obstructed making my commute even longer after I had worked all day.  But overtime I adapted to the construction process and changed my regular path as I wondered where the rail line ended up.  It is odd to think that at USC people only talked about how the rail line was going to affect our campus and never mentioned what other areas the line traveled through or the major destinations that it was constructed to reach.  To be honest, this is part of the reason why I chose the Expo line for a blogging topic, so that I could learn more about it. 

You would think that once the tracks are laid down and the wires have been strung that a rail car would come flying down Exposition, but I have yet to see this happen.  The tracks are isolated from everything around them as they are surrounded by fences and not a single sole has been seen on them for weeks.  They must be working on other parts of the track.   For every football game, USC fans had to travel over the red carpet that covered the tracks, so that no one would get injured.  It makes no sense why the tracks were laid down in this area and have been lying vacant for months to only be crossed by people on Game Day.  Wouldn’t it have made more sense to construct this part of the route at a later time period as to not interfere with the thousands of people?  Maybe this was a test to see what traffic congestion would be like with the new train in place. 

Regardless the case, it was hilarious to watch the police trying to control the drunken crowd and yelling at people to not cross until they had the right-of-way, even though the street was closed to through traffic.  People would sneak past the cops and run across the street completely ignoring their demands just to get to their seats in the Coliseum a few minutes earlier. These actions may seem silly now, but someone is bound to get hurt in the near future.  I predict that one of these days, a student is going to attempt to run across the tracks thinking that they can make it before the train swishes by, and do to their impaired judgment get hit by the train.  This is one of the reasons why President Sample pushed so hard to have the train below ground or moved to Martin Luther King Blvd instead.  Eventually, someone is going to get hurt or die and then the city will reconsider their decision and realize that maybe this was not the best idea.  Just by walking through campus on Game Day you will understand what I am talking about and the potential risks. 

Expo Park/USC Station provided by the official Expo website

In my recent research paper, USC students admitted that they would utilize the Expo Line once the construction was completed.  Out of the 72% of students that have used the Los Public Transportation System, 68% are planning on riding the Expo.  45% of the remaining 28% of student who have never ridden the public transit system did agree to ride the Expo train, which is a huge improvement and the signs of a good trend of increased ridership.  Of course, the car still trumps all other forms of transportation because everyone feels it is more convenient and reliant.  It will soon be revealed if students really ride the Expo line or if this project is another drain on Los Angeles. 

So I went to a transit expert at USC and learned that she is worried about the Expo line being a light rail train instead of a heavy rail train, which will probably be needed in the future do to increases in population.  Once light rail tracks are laid, you can’t just go and rip them out, so regardless this decision is permanent.  To put the train below ground would probably have cost 10 times the amount of putting it at grade.  No matter what none of the options are perfect because in this case you can’t go below ground or above ground.  Bus rapid transit would also increase congestion and increase the problem of increased wait times due to traffic, since Los Angeles does not have designated bus, which is ridiculous and another topic for another day.  I guess the light rail will have to do and hopefully will be up and running shortly, but I remember reading somewhere that it might take another year. 

Anyway, what is up with the blue décor at the stops?  Don’t people know this is USC!  As one of my professors pointed out, whoever designed the train stops must have been from UCLA!  The bruins strike again!

Driverless Cars Hit the Roads

1.2 million people die in car accidents each year around the globe according to the World Health Organization.  In 2009, over 30,000 alcohol related car accidents occurred in the United States alone, with 2,800 of these occurring in California according to the Fatality Analysis Reporting System Encyclopedia (FARS).  Everyone knows that drunk driving has been a major player in the amount of car crashes and fatalities seen in the United States, but did you know that drowsy driving is also a large factor?  41% of drivers admit that they have dosed off while driving causing 1,550 deaths, 71,000 injuries and over 100,000 accidents each year (American Automobile Association (AAA) and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration). 

Watching the road narrow, as my eye lids get heavier and heavier with the desire to stay awake screaming from my body as I try to fight against the sleeping urge while I am traveling 60 mph down the freeway.  This reoccurring nightmare has forced me to wake up in a sweat with a large pit in my stomach of the fear of crashing into a car around me.  In today’s competitive environment, people are forced to work 18 hour days that result in these intense lifestyles, which have you begging for more time as you race against the clock.  But whatever you do, don’t drive a car or let someone get inside of car when they have not had any sleep.  It is just as bad as drunk driving because sleep deprivation will impair your judgment.  Situations like these are the reason why naps were invented!  Napping is my favorite thing to do and helps me get through the day in a healthier way than energy drinks, caffeine or even 5-hour energy can.  A 15 minute cat-nap in a car can save an innocent life long enough for someone to reach their warm, cuddly bed.  Another way of looking at it is, if a person injured or even killed someone in a tragic accident because they fell asleep at the wheel, then they would never be able to sleep after that incident.  So sleep now and drive later… or take a cab, the bus, call a friend or walk. 

Wouldn’t it be nice if there was a way that could cut the number of car accidents a year in half?  Not having to deal with the stress of driving through traffic congested areas. An option that would allow people to text and talk on their phones while sitting in the driver’s seat.  Being able to have a few drinks at a party and not have to worry about having to call a taxi or burdening your friend to take you home.  Or for people that can’t obtain a driver’s license, the freedom of operating and owning a car.  Well all of these things are possible with the invention of driverless cars. 

Google's Driverless Car provided by Edmunds Inside Line

According to the New York Times, Google has been test-driving their version of a driverless car, which has turned out to be a Toyota Prius with a weird metal attachment on the roof.  Little does anyone know that this piece of metal is the base for cameras, lasers and radar censors that track the surrounding traffic.  7 cars have been tested that each have driven 1,000 miles each without human intervention and 140,000 miles in total with only minor help.  The car would have been accident proof, if it wasn’t rear-ended at a traffic light.  Don’t get too excited because mass production is still a few years off. 

Driverless cars will revolutionize transportation by decreasing air pollution, since the cars can drive closer together and still be safe.  These so called “robot” cars are less likely to crash and so can be made of lighter material, which will reduce gas consumption.  Artificial intelligence is all the craze in Silicon Valley and the technology that has made these cars possible.  But can we really trust these cars with our lives?  Will they ever malfunction resulting in a fatal accident?  It is too early to tell, but the statistics so far have disproved these theories.  Google is doing everything in their power to run as many test simulations as possible in order to work out any of the kinks.  If driverless cars are no longer a dream of the future but have become a reality, what else is being secretly tested in Silicon Valley?  We will just have to wait and see what the next big technological boom will bring and hope that it will change society for the better.