The following excerpt appeared in The Source on April 28, 2016. To read the full article, click here.
How We Roll, April 28: parking at the Azusa Gold Line stations – The Source
![dtazusa[1]](http://www.iwillride.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/dtazusa1-1024x655.jpg)
By Steve Hymon
April 28, 2016
Parking for the Gold Line is already prohibited on the streets in the Rosedale development immediately north of the APU/Citrus College Station, where the garage has been filling by 5:30 a.m. on many weekday mornings. The Council action taken Monday night involves the Azusa Downtown station, where Metro’s spaces in the parking garage have been filling between 6 a.m. and 7 a.m. on most weekdays. The city controls 145 parking spaces in that garage, which are not available to Metro riders — and Metro riders who park there will be cited by the city of Azusa.
Here’s the description of the action taken from the Council’s agenda:
RECOMMENDED ACTION: Review and discuss options to be presented by staff; adopt Resolution No. 2016-C30 imposing timerestricted parking on certain streets and parking facilities for Zone 1, bounded by Ninth Street to the north, Foothill Boulevard to the south, Dalton Avenue to the east and San Gabriel Avenue to the west and authorizing a parking permit program to allow residents to park on time-restricted streets; and adopt Resolution No. 2016-C31 imposing time-restricted parking on certain streets and parking facilities for Zone 2, bounded by Foothill Boulevard to the north, Sixth Street to the south, Dalton Avenue to the east, and San Gabriel Avenue to the west; and authorize staff to prepare permit applications and develop a parking permit program (without fee) for residents.
Audio from the Council meeting is here. The discussion begins at the 10:30 mark.
A few important points:
•The permit parking districts cover areas close to the station — where there are homes and apartments adjacent to the city’s business district.
•As city of Azusa officials note, Gold Line riders should not be parking in the Target garage across the street from the Azusa Downtown Station. Target has been towing cars, including 17 in a single day.
•I know there are people frustrated with the parking situation in Azusa and say the garages should have been built larger to accommodate the many people driving into Azusa from other communities to use the Gold Line.
•I think it’s worth remembering that Azusa was not planned to be the end of the Gold Line — there are plans to extend the Gold Line to Claremont and Montclair, if funding becomes available from Metro and San Bernardino County, respectively (funding is included in Metro’s potential ballot measure).
•It’s also worth mentioning that the other new Foothill Extension garages and lots have been filling up more slowly — Irwindale tends to fill by 9 a.m. and there are usually spaces available at Monrovia Station’s garage throughout the morning rush hour. The Duarte lot is small and sometimes fills. The Sierra Madre Villa garage in Pasadena used to fill or almost fill daily — and is now often well under half filled. So there are spaces there.
•Speaking more generically, the street parking rules vary near different Metro Rail stations. Generally, it’s often not easy finding long-term street parking near the more popular stations. There are exceptions. I personally think it’s a tough situation: I feel for those who want to take transit, I also understand the concerns of residents seeing increased traffic and parking on their streets.
As great as the Gold Line is, we, the people, have to do our part to make this system work, so that it doesn’t become a nuisance. Try not to drive there and use non-powered vehicles whenever possible. If you have to drive there, don’t park on other people’s property or wherever the city doesn’t want you to.
Otherwise, just like 60 years ago, the politicians and the oil companies will take it away from us.
Simple, right?
I so much wanted to take the train into union station 6 days a week, as that is what I work. But it has become impossible due to parking availability and I’m so frustrated over that. I spend 20 minutes looking for a place to park, and then have to go back to the freeway and continual on. I’ve gotten to the point I don’t even go look anymore. It’s useless to me at this point.
Last week at noon, I went to the Azusa Downtown station and could not find any parking. I wanted to go to Union Station. All the parking on the 3rd and 4th level were full but almost all of the “3 hour parking” stalls on the 2nd level were empty. I think some of these should be changed to 5 hour stalls. Who can ride to Los Angeles and get back in 3 hours if you plan to do some shopping or for an appointment. The first 2 floors are mostly unused at the Azusa Downtown Station.
I then drove to the Irwindale station and they were completely filled as well. There is no parking for locals who do not get to the parking lot by 7:00 am. This is the case for Citrus, Azusa and Irwindale. I love the new Gold Line extension and have used it to go to the Staple Center on weekends. On weekends and evenings, the parking lot is completely open.
There is a huge vacant dirt lot next to the APU/CITRUS parking structure. Who owns that & can it be converted to some additional parking? I agree about the 3 hour parking at the Azusa Station, the day I was there I only saw 8 other vehicles & 2 of those where in handicap parking. Luckily I found a spot on 2nd floor permit parking because it was after 10 am. On another day when I was in the area at noon I checked the Irwindale lot & it was 100% full, except for 1 handicap space & 1 electric vehicle charging space. Since the next build out is 6-8 years away you would have thought that Metro would have built a bigger parking structure at APU, very poor planing! If you are going after 10 am M-F check Azusa Downtown Station for parking in the permit area, because permit time is only for 5-10 am. For all interested the original Pacific Electric Railroad went out of business because people started driving cars & the PER started hauling local freight, which worried Southern Pacific/Union Pacific Railroad, so they bought out PER, it was not gas, oil & tire as though by many. My dad came to CA in 1935 & was a conductor on the Pasadena to LA Red Line until 1949-50. He meant my mom on the Red Car because she was a regular rider to her job in LA, they married in 1939. I was born in 1942 in Altaden .
It’s a bit of an insult to tell us to park at Irwindale because it’s less full. That’s over half way to my work, so what’s the point? We all know that APU/Citrus will not be the terminus forever, but that still doesn’t explain the poor foresight in making it so small. Sierra Madre wasn’t going to be the terminus forever, but their parking lot is much bigger. It sounds like there could be some concessions made at the Azusa Downtown Station parking. Why can’t they consider re-configuring and perhaps adding more metro parking?
William–
I beg to differ as to the reason the Red Cars and other rail systems were removed.
It was something called National City Lines, a conspiracy between Standard Oil, Firestone Tires, General Motors and Phillips Petroleum. All parties had something to gain by getting rid of these rail system.
They were caught in the act and officially convicted. The fine: $1,000.
The people were to blame too. They felt that, with freeways, cars and unlimited oil that does nothing to our environment, why have street cars?
When they were taken away, no one really cared. There was no political will to stop it.
Now you know…
Gary:
I love it that you say “conspiracy” for that shows me that you are another victim of urban legend as was I until I did some research on the subject & I suggest you do the same before you act like you are the expert on the matter!
Regards,
William
William–
OK. Poor choice of words.
How about “convicted”? As in they were convicted of the crime. Officially. No fairy tale.
If you’re one of those that think oil is a loving god, please do consider the war and conflict they’ve caused over the course of over a century and the environmental destruction they’re doing now.
Removing the Red Cars required very little effort compared to the above.
Don’t try to marginalize me by calling it an “urban legend” or a “conspiracy theory”. It’s in the history books and in the Supreme Court’s records. Maybe you want to look it up.
Also, don’t try to mislead people on this forum or try to change history. They should look it up, too.
And, National City Lines was fined $5,000, not $1,000 as I stated earlier..
Not that it makes a difference. It’s still not even a slap on the wrist, is it?
To be fair, it wouldn’t have worked without the naïveté and short-sightedness of the people of the Los Angeles area.
Maybe we can get it right this time…?
Gary I think you are getting the two things confused! The National City Lines case was about them forming a transportation monopoly for the purpose of ‘Conspiring to monopolize sales of buses and supplies to companies owned by National City Lines’. They were acquitted on the first charge but not the second in 1949.
This is not what caused the demise of the Red Line (PER), people fell in love with their cars & freedom that their cars gave them & it still is in our DNA to this day, unfortunately! I drive a Prius, but try to make it a habit to use the Gold Line, because it takes me within 3 blocks of my sons house & my son got me hooked on it when I was living in Pasadena, but now I live in San Dimas. I took it to Jury duty downtown LA & the other day I took it to Union Station & then FlyAway to LAX for my GOES pass interview.
Again last week I took the GL from APU, I was lucky someone was just pulling out otherwise it was 100% full, to Arcadia Station & the free Arcadia Shuttle (free until 06/15, then 50 cents, maybe 25 for seniors) to my doctors office which is 100 yards from the Santa Anita Race Track stop. I am trying to do my part, but you have to have time & patients to ride rapid transit. My daughter lives in Montrose & takes the Metro Freeway Express bus to downtown LA M-F to her job, so as a family we are doing our part.
Maybe Metro can lease some of the nice flat lot next to the APU parking structure or Azusa will give up some of their Downtown Station 3 hour parking or change some of it to 5 or 8 hrs, but then they would lose parking ticket revenue! Where can you go & shop or eat & be back in 3 hours & enjoy yourself? My trip to LAX for my 15 minute interview was a 5.5 hour round trip! But my back did not hurt from being stuck in stop & go traffic!
Anyway Gary read Wikipedia on Huntington, he married his Uncles wife after his Uncle died, so they had two fortunes together to do things like the Huntington Library! He made a bigger fortune from the PER getting people out to his real estate holdings like Huntington Beach, before the car became a household item & spoiled everything!
My next GL ride is going to be lunch at Philippe’s with my son a short walk from either the China Town stop or Union Station.
Gary have a great day & ride!
Bill
I just don’t see it that way, and it may be you that’s confused. For the record, the aquittal was overturned in 1951, the end result being the $5,000 fine, with a fine of $1 more for each executive.
Look, if you’re waving the flag for Excon-Mobil or any other oil company, we’ll convince each other of nothing, so I’ll close this thread myself.
But bear in mind Oil is the past. Rail travel, wind and solar are the future. The fossil fuel industry will be an industry no more very soon.
Enjoy your trip with your son. I hope it remains an option. I’ll do my best to make sure it does by reminding people of the past.
–Gary
And yes, that lot needs to be developed. Quickly.
Gary:
I am not waving a flag for anything except to use less oil, gas & rubber & more rapid transit! That is why I have a senior pass & drive a Prius!
Do you remember the smog of the 50-70’s when you could not even take a deep breath with out coughing? I do!
I am not confused about anything & took the time to re-read the information about the lawsuit! There may have been an indirect influence on the demise of the Red Car System from them, but it was bought out by Southern Pacific/Union Pacific & they are still using some of the old Red Car right of ways along side of the Gold Line & other lines as I write this!
I will enjoy my sandwich at Phillipe’s next week!
Bill