Sorry for the light posting. Been traveling a lot for the holidays, but I’m back in town soon. Unlike last year, I’ll have pictures from New Year’s and the Rose Parade, and will resume normal posting next week. 

Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas (and Hanukkah), and a Happy New Year to all.

[Millard Canyon Wall, Originally uploaded by The Real Zajac]

http://travel.latimes.com/articles/la-tr-millard30-2008nov30

In Friday’s open forum, Brian posted this question:

Some intersections have signals that allow both protected left-turns (with a green arrow), followed by a period with unprotected left-turns (where you wait until on-coming traffic has cleared before you complete your turn).

In Pasadena, they use two different setups for these intersections. Some use a 5-light setup; after the protected turn cycle, the green arrow turns to a yellow arrow, then just a green ball remains to indicate the unprotected portion of the cycle. Along Arroyo Parkway near the Gold Line crossings, the setup is to use a green arrow for the protected turn cycle, and then use a flashing yellow arrow to indicate the unprotected portion.

Is the plan to settle on one method, and change all the intersections to that? Or, will they continue with the two different setups, which can be a little confusing to the uninitiated?

Thanks.

My own searching proved less valuable than contacting the city of Pasadena. Here’s the response from Norman Baculinao:

Thank you for your inquiry and interest on this topic. You are correct
that we have two different signal display setups for what we call
“protected/permissive” left-turn (PPLT) signals. The use of green ball
during the “permissive” left-turn is the existing and the most commonly
used signal display not only in Pasadena but everywhere else nationwide.
The flashing yellow arrow display along Arroyo Parkway is a fairly
recent signal display arrangement that just got statewide and nationwide
approval as an “alternate” signal display for PPLT signals. It has been
tried and tested for over two dozen locations nationwide during the past
five to eight years and has been demonstrated to be easier to understand
for most drivers compared to the green ball standard.

At this point, the City has not made any decision to do a planned change
outs from the existing standard. However, the City will be pursuing
more flashing yellow left-turn signal installations at new signal
installation projects, and possibly at existing locations as budget
would allow it. I envision that the confusion about how the flashing
yellow left-turn signal would eventually diminish as more agencies
install the signals and it becomes more common to motorists. Due to
cost constraints and other factors, I also envision that we will have
these dual standards for some time to come.

I hope that this answers your questions. Please feel free to contact me
at 626-744-4263.

Norman Baculinao, PE
Traffic Engineering Manager

For the record, I vastly prefer the blinking yellow to the hard red arrow.

The curious retirement of Councilman Tom Adams got even odder Tuesday night as Adams lashed out at well, no body — and everybody. The nastiness came toward the end of a discussion of cuts to the City budget, which revealed that all City departments are taking a 2.5% cut as a result of the State budget crisis and general economic gloom.

The report and accompanying decision, while obviously significant, were not all that surprising or controversial. Every city in the area is having budget trouble. At any rate, a 2.5% cut to non-salary expenses is not minor but there also aren’t a heck of  a lot of options — even if there were a politician outside of Sacramento who wanted to raise taxes, anyone who knows anything about business knows that would only raise unemployment, further reduce consumer spending and generally make matters worse.

So,Monrovia, and most other cities are doing what Sacramento ought to — living within their means. Imagine that (but, I digress).

Mayor Rob Hammond took great pains to emphasize that no public safety positions are being cut (more on that later), but frozen positions in other departments would remain frozen.  After the budget presentation by City Manager Scott Ochoa and staff, Adams launched his nasty shot, prefacing his comments with words to the effect of ’since I’m leaving soon, I can speak my mind on things I wouldn’t have said before.’  (I wasn’t taking notes, so that is not a direct quote, but it captures the essence).  Read the rest of this entry »

Something that’s bothered me for, oh, two years now. The SGVN newspapers continually break their links within hours (sometimes minutes) of publishing. Come on, guys.

[Note: The FC Blog only breaks its links once in a while, and then it does so catastrophically, taking the entire blog down.]

Dublius points out today’s monster story in the LAT about Pomona’s woes. I’ll answer his question on Monday after I get in touch with Scott Gold (if he returns emails, anyway). The story, though, certainly doesn’t flatter Lord Rothm-, Mayor Rothman:

Elliott Rothman, Pomona’s new mayor, stepped into City Hall on Monday and shook off the dreary night. He had a round face and a comb-over, and his expression was no less dour after he took off his overcoat, revealing a tie decorated with an image of Frosty the Snowman.

[snip]

At 7:04 p.m., he pounded a gavel to open his first City Council meeting.

His honeymoon lasted 14 minutes.

At 7:18, the first speaker tore into Rothman and three of his allies on the council, accusing them of orchestrating the removal of Police Chief Joe Romero, a 33-year veteran. A few minutes later came the first suggestion of revolt.

“You have taken out the heart of this community,” scolded Virginia Madrigal, 62, a retired educator. “Don’t get yourself too warm in your seat.”

Next came Milo Rodich, 73, who stepped to the microphone and rattled off his phone number. Call him to join a “massive recall,” he said. “Let’s give them a hell of a battle!” he shouted, and stormed out to applause, as Rothman looked on in silence.

A combover and a Frosty the Snowman tie. Boy, Eliot Rothman is a class act. Not to mention a great public face for your community.

To be honest, Rothman actually looks to me just as I’ve always imagined a Pomona politician would. Sleazy, balding, and tacky.

Another fun note from the article:

The mayor and City Atty. Arnold M. Alvarez-Glasman insisted during Monday’s meeting that Romero had retired voluntarily, prompting catcalls from the audience.

You can always count on Alvarez-Glasman to say something ludicrous. God bless you, A-G.

Here’s a new idea: every Friday you submit your questions. Over the next week, we’ll (the collective FC writers and I) will answer them. Probably, the majority of answers will be supplied by yours truly, but if any other writers want to take a stab, we can split them.

So, fire away with any questions you have. Want to know why reader AA is such a “parking tard?” Wondering why certain roads are so noisy? Curious as to why Romero won’t talk? Ask the question in the comments, and I’ll do my best to give it an answer.

One question per comment and other readers are welcome to jump in with answers.  I’ll answer questions next week in the order they were left. Fire away.

I drove up to Mount Baldy on Wednesday afternoon to enjoy the snow. I was greeted with it snowing. Sideways.
After trying to enjoy things, my girlfriend was miserable so we left (that and I was worried about being able to get back down).

As it turned out, I picked a good time to go home. Ice was building up on the road and folks were smacking into each other, causing massive backups. I crawled downhill behind a protective snowplow, but still had to play with the brakes carefully to prevent sliding, especially on one section where I was pumping the pedal about three times a second for close to five minutes.

More pics after the jump.
Read the rest of this entry »

Our own Frazgo is being modest for once, but you can join him, and a lot of other great artists this Saturday night from 6-10 p.m. at Paint ‘n Play on Myrtle Avenue in Monrovia. 

The Monrovia Association of Fine Arts (MAFA) will have its Annual Party that evening in the Gallery.  There will be plenty of holiday goodies and food will be served.  Gallery promotions and sales will continue throughout both events.

  

The artists showing work that evening will be Marsha Ubovich, Bill Hyatt, Doug Gordon, Janice Kuhm, Nicolas Reyes, McCarthy Photography, Montecito Fine Arts with Rouzanna Berberian and Frank Zgonc.  The artists will be there to discuss their art work as well as help you in your purchase decision.  As an added gift from Paint n Play Art Studio and Gallery they will be providing a courtesy gift wrap for your purchases made that evening.

 

Frazgo has donated his 12th work this year, fulfilling his pledge of donating one per month.  That photograph, and other photos, paintings and other works of art will be auctioned during the night to raise funds for MAFA to support arts programs in local schools.  Obvioulsy arts funding for schools is essentially nil these days.  MAFA is a great cause, and anyone is welcome to join, even bloggers who got voted out of the Rotary club.

 

Hope to see you there.

Yup..Spencer Cross over at LA Metblogs beat me to the post. Hilda Solis for sec’y of labor. Too bad we can’t get someone from here for transportation sec’y who’d help get us a transit system that addresses regional needs rather than just getting to downtown LA.