[PRCo] Re: Is there really a good Transit System?

[ROGER Jenkins]

Mr.PROCHEK : That is absolutly true about the LA system as it was way
over budget [federal ] due to sloppy construction and numerous mistakes
by the Contractors , mostly Taliba-Saluda [sic]  and poor engineering .
The Red Line subway system was completly underground and dug by boring
machines that went thru water mains and flooded the entire subway [poor
engineering] aand got stuck due to a land shift under Universal Sudios !
There were portions that were done by cut and cover method. In Hollywood
along the boulevard , poor engineering allowed the buildings along an
entire section to sink 2 or 3 feet !!  NOT ENOUGH SUPPORT BUILT IN .  

   On the other hand the Metro Blue line THE FIRST line put in  that
followed the old Pacific Electric r-o-w most of the way using a subway
at the downtown end of it ,came in mostly on budget projections . The
only part that gave the project a problem and was overbudget was the
cities along the way thru Compton and further north of that was the
desire to level the track crossings from the original 2 0r more feet
above the street surface. This caused the contractor to dig down at
every crossing and sink all the utilities further down to clear the
lowered track base, This alone raised the cost millions above the
original price.  

    The construction on a new line to Pasadena that follows the old
Santa Fe r-o-w is being worked on right now and expected to open in 2003
. Further construction to East LA is being pushed aklong by the area's
people and may get funding soon.  So the original debicle has not
stopped extensions to the original system .