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Dream: Build light rail and cluster high density mixed-use housing and commercial around the stops. Reality: LA runs out of water as climate change intensifies

Dream: Build light rail and cluster high density mixed-use housing and commercial around the stops. Reality: LA runs out of water as climate change intensifies in the Rockies.

ariwilson 5y ago
LA will never run out of water; it's not the major water user in CA state and it has a huge body of potentially drinkable water next to it and the cash to use it.
- sydbarrett74 5y ago
  Yep. I'd point to crops like almonds (one of the thirstiest crops imaginable) being grown in the Central Valley. 10% of CA's water goes to this one crop. Unfortunately, farmers are doubling down on this lucrative product while they still can. Whatever happens when most of CA goes dry isn't their concern. I guess they'll retire to Florida.
- politician 5y ago
  Californians will never approve the energy generation projects required to unlock high volume desalination. They'll be drinking water pumped overland from Colorado until the Hoover Dam is dry.
distances 5y ago
Rail should have enough stops for continuous high-density housing, I strongly feel that is what makes a city. Trams for connecting routes and subways for the main transit through the city.
acdha 5y ago
You'd save an order of magnitude more water by cutting back agricultural and landscaping usage. If those apartment buildings are professionally designed, they're likely to be more efficient than random houses with ±30 years age on fixtures. What seems to be working well in LA is building up buses. When I was out last June I noticed buses with dedicated right-of-way (physically separated) and that seemed to be running well during peak times, which is quite eye-opening when you count and realize that the bus which just went by was carrying more people than all of the vehicles in the 4 lanes of stopped traffic.
- clairity 5y ago
  there’s only one truly dedicated busway here in LA (orange line in the valley). some other buses (like silver line) have sections of busway, but are mostly traveling on shared streets. there’s been a back-and-forth on dedicated bus lanes and some plans for more busways, but there is a lot of misplaced pushback from drivers on this (that it would increase traffic). i do think that buses are a good lower-cost mass transit option, but without the reliability/security that comes with dedicated infrastructure, it will be hard to get more angelenos to rely on the bus for daily use. currently metro is focused on removing fares, but all that will do is lower their budget (modestly) and worsen service, which will be counterproductive to the goal of increasing ridership.
  - acdha 5y ago
    I was out around the G Line, and not for a long trip but it definitely seemed to be working there. The traffic complaints are always amusing because it really shows how people don't want to accept that the current system just doesn't work. I grew up in Ventura and have family around LA, and there have been so many road projects which made traffic better for maybe as much as 6 months until usage increased to match.

Dream: Build light rail and cluster high density mixed-use housing and commercial around the stops. Reality: LA runs out of water as climate change intensifies in the Rockies.

ariwilson 5y ago

LA will never run out of water; it's not the major water user in CA state and it has a huge body of potentially drinkable water next to it and the cash to use it.

sydbarrett74 5y ago
Yep. I'd point to crops like almonds (one of the thirstiest crops imaginable) being grown in the Central Valley. 10% of CA's water goes to this one crop. Unfortunately, farmers are doubling down on this lucrative product while they still can. Whatever happens when most of CA goes dry isn't their concern. I guess they'll retire to Florida.
politician 5y ago
Californians will never approve the energy generation projects required to unlock high volume desalination. They'll be drinking water pumped overland from Colorado until the Hoover Dam is dry.

distances 5y ago

Rail should have enough stops for continuous high-density housing, I strongly feel that is what makes a city. Trams for connecting routes and subways for the main transit through the city.

acdha 5y ago

You'd save an order of magnitude more water by cutting back agricultural and landscaping usage. If those apartment buildings are professionally designed, they're likely to be more efficient than random houses with ±30 years age on fixtures. What seems to be working well in LA is building up buses. When I was out last June I noticed buses with dedicated right-of-way (physically separated) and that seemed to be running well during peak times, which is quite eye-opening when you count and realize that the bus which just went by was carrying more people than all of the vehicles in the 4 lanes of stopped traffic.

clairity 5y ago
there’s only one truly dedicated busway here in LA (orange line in the valley). some other buses (like silver line) have sections of busway, but are mostly traveling on shared streets. there’s been a back-and-forth on dedicated bus lanes and some plans for more busways, but there is a lot of misplaced pushback from drivers on this (that it would increase traffic). i do think that buses are a good lower-cost mass transit option, but without the reliability/security that comes with dedicated infrastructure, it will be hard to get more angelenos to rely on the bus for daily use. currently metro is focused on removing fares, but all that will do is lower their budget (modestly) and worsen service, which will be counterproductive to the goal of increasing ridership.
- acdha 5y ago
  I was out around the G Line, and not for a long trip but it definitely seemed to be working there. The traffic complaints are always amusing because it really shows how people don't want to accept that the current system just doesn't work. I grew up in Ventura and have family around LA, and there have been so many road projects which made traffic better for maybe as much as 6 months until usage increased to match.