High Point Strategies, LLC

10/25/2024

I was delighted to recently open up a daily email I get from LA County Metro and see my younger face smiling back at me, along with Lloyd Levine, Zev Yaroslavsky, John Catoe, and Bill Coryell. It was to celebrate the new "MetroLiner," articulated buses being introduced to run on the (then) Orange Line.

This was back in 2004 -- the new line opened on my birthday (October 29) the following year.

1950: The last day of operations for Pacific Electric’s Baldwin Park Line.   2004: The Metro Liner makes its debut. The first of 200 high-capacity buses are slated to operate on many o…

10/01/2024

I am more than a bit of a transit nerd, so I have to note that today I used no less than 7 modes of transportation to get through my day:

1) Driving a private automobile
2) Metrolink
3) Walking
4) LA City DASH
5) Metro light rail
6) Lime scooter
7) Metro heavy rail

Except for Metrolink, these were mostly short trips, but each one made the most sense at the time.

09/23/2024

It's with great sadness that I acknowledge the passing of Francine Oschin,, one of my favorite people. Francine and I shared a lot of interests, most importantly a love of hiking and particularly the Sierra Nevada mountains, and also transportation policy, where we both worked in public affairs consulting.

Francine was a true daughter of the San Fernando Valley and worked tirelessly to improve our great region. She attended Cal State Northridge and served for many years as the president of the CSUN alumni association. She served in key roles in Council District 12 under Hal Bernson, and we served together for many years on the Transportation Committee of the Valley Industry & Commerce Association (VICA).

Francine's personality was knowing and sometimes a little "side-eye," but she had so much love for her family, friends, and passions. I first met her when she was running for Council in 2001 (a race won by Dennis Zine) and at a party for Caprice Young around that time.

Over the years we became good friends. She suffered some health issues in the last year, and passed away last week.

I will miss her dearly. I've linked to the SmartVoter bio she wrote for herself when she ran for CD 3 back in 2001. Her memory will be blessing to all her knew and loved her.

Francine Oschin is a 40-year resident of the Valley. Her long, proud record of public service and community leadership uniquely qualify Francine to represent the West Valley on the L.A. City Council.

08/12/2024

I post this article both because it is alarming and to make the point that public transit systems across the country are facing daunting issues. The pandemic really hit systems with difficulties, including dealing with homelessness, public safety, and the extra resources needed to deal with those issues, coupled with lower ridership caused by those issues and people working from home more.

In Los Angeles, Metro Los Angeles faces many of the same issues plus inflation in construction costs to build the unprecedented and very exciting expansion of the Metro Rail system throughout L.A. County. Difficult times, but I know the board and staff are looking for solutions.

Metro is in a financial crisis, threatening the D.C. region’s quality of life. Repeated operating deficits of up to a billion dollars are looming.

07/30/2024

Here's an update on the beginning of constructions on the new light rail line being built along Van Nuys Boulevard. The article by Stephen Scauzillo details the schedule for utility relocation and improvement work and then laying track, building stations and testing vehicles. This is getting real!

There will definitely be impacts to residents and businesses along the route, but I'm confident the long-term gain will be worth the short-term pain. This investment is going to bring huge improvements to the central Valley.
https://www.dailynews.com/2024/07/26/s-f-valley-light-rail-construction-begins-with-eminent-domain-biz-relocation/?

Construction is gearing up in SF Valley. Its first-ever light rail line will mostly run in the center of Van Nuys Blvd.

11/06/2023

Thank you Stephen Scauzillo.

A proposed Sepulveda Pass rail would go faster underground than a monorail above the ground, data shows.

07/26/2023

A little late but wanted to post some photos of yesterday's Metro State of the Agency event. Good to see a lot of friends and hear from Ara Najarian, Stephanie Wiggins, Janice Hahn, and new board chair Karen Bass. Metro is recovering from the challenges of the pandemic but there's still a lot of work to do on safety and cleanliness and dealing with the challenges of homelessness and substance use on the system.

04/06/2023

On this date in 1960, the US 101 portion of the Ventura Freeway in the San Fernando Valley was completed. Much of today's freeway system was still barely built or even on the drawing boards, as the accompanying map makes clear. Fascinating stuff.

1960: The last two sections of the Ventura Freeway through the San Fernando Valley are completed. Governor Edmund G. Brown and numerous officials at the Coldwater Canyon Avenue Bridge in Studio Ci…

02/22/2023

Another deeply reported and well-informed article on Metro transportation developments by the great Stephen Scauzillo .

The misnamed light-rail from Artesia to DTLA, called ‘West Santa Ana Branch,’ needs a new name. What would you name it?

02/15/2023

Keeping close track of this lawsuit, which asks for $2.7 bullion in damages, to make Fox News accountable for spreading absolutely false election lies, despite ample evidence demonstrating they were in fact lies.

NEW YORK (AP) — Fox News lost an attempt Tuesday to shut down a multibillion-dollar defamation lawsuit that accuses the network of spreading lies that a voting-technology company helped “steal” the 2020 election from then-U.S.

02/07/2023

Congratulations to Metro on completing Purple Line tunneling under the City of Beverly Hills. Tunneling is safe, effective, and makes for truly rapid transit.

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority has announced that tunneling for the Purple Line Extension subway project...

01/24/2023

We'd modify the sentence to say that "In order to best serve Los Angeles County, it is imperative that the project includes a stop on campus."

Editor’s note: Editorials do not represent the Daily Bruin as a whole. The board encourages readers to respond to our editorials at dailybruin.com/submit. The scoping deadline is fast approaching for the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Rail Authority’s Sepulveda Transit Corridor Project.