L.A. Union Station improvements

On a recent train ride from San Diego to Los Angeles I was very impressed by the improvements being made to Union Station. There are new signs and video boards strategically placed around the station to make it easier for passengers to find their gates and transfer from Amtrak or Metrolink to the L.A. Metro rail and bus system.

ElectroBike

At the Sherman Oaks Galleria I took an electric bike for a test ride and it was awesome. E-bikes are really the future of urban transportation. The company is called ElectroBike and they have a wide selection of electric bicycles to meet your needs and preferences.

L.A. Metro Purple Line Extension and other improvement projects

On a recent visit to Los Angeles I was pleasantly surprised to see construction taking place on the L.A. Metro Purple Line Subway Extension that will bring underground heavy rail mass transit to Miracle Mile, Beverly Hills, Century City and Westwood.

Los Angeles River Revitalization

On a recent visit to Los Angeles I walked along a recently revitalized stretch of the Los Angeles river in Sherman Oaks in the San Fernando Valley. The L.A. River Corporation is currently in the midst of a major project to revitalize the entire 51 miles of the urban river pathway. The aim is to "create a thriving environment, better transportation options, more public green space, smarter water conservation, a vibrant arts and culture corridor, and a whole new way for neighbors to interact with each other and nature."

Los Angeles LED street lights

In 2013 Los Angeles completed the world's largest LED (light emitting diode) street light replacement project, replacing more than 140,000 streetlight fixtures across the city. According to L.A.'s Bureau of Street Lighting, the switch has resulted in a 63.1 percent reduction in energy use and carbon emissions have been reduced by 47,583 metric tons a year.

Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center (ARTIC)

On a recent train ride from San Diego to Los Angeles on Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner, I saw the new Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center (ARTIC). The station is the proposed eastern terminus of a future streetcar system, is a proposed stop along the high-speed rail line currently under construction in California's Central Valley and is the southern terminus for a proposed maglev line from Las Vegas, Nevada.

Riding L.A. Metro

Photos and videos of a recent trip to Los Angeles where I hopped on the city's excellent public transit system that is improving and expanding every day.

San Diego bike sharing: DecoBike

San Diego recently joined thousands of other cities around the world with bike sharing programs. DecoBike San Diego launched February of last year with 80 rental stations and plans to eventually expand the city network to 180 stations. Will car-crazy San Diegans embrace bike sharing? While usage has been slow to start, if other cities are any indication, bike sharing will become more popular and be a game changer in terms of creating a bicycling culture and adding more bicycle infrastructure to make biking in San Diego safer and more enjoyable.

Torrey Pines State Beach and Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve

San Diego solar boom

Solar energy is soaring in Southern California -- surging past wind and hydro as the Golden State's top renewable energy source. On a recent visit to San Diego I was amazed at all the new rooftop solar. It seemed like every other home had solar panels on the roof, a noticeable difference from the last time I went out West a few years ago. It makes sense that San Diego would be the epicenter of America's solar boom given how much sunshine the region is blessed with all year round.

NYC's new 34th Street – Hudson Yards subway station

New York City recently celebrated the opening of the 7 line extension to Manhattan's rapidly developing Far West Side. The impressive new 34th Street – Hudson Yards station is spacious and clean and features wide platforms, bright lighting, easy to understand signage, colorful art and overall a sleek and modern look.

Riding D.C. Metro's new 7000 series train

I recently got the chance to ride in Metro's new 7000 series train cars and they are most certainly a clean break from the past. New design, new features, new technology. If this is the future of our currently beyond dysfunctional rapid rail system, then perhaps there is hope after all that Metro can get their act together and really become a world-class subway system instead of the pathetic mess it is in today.