Their cars, that is.

This article discusses the horrific lack of parking that has always plauged CSUF, even back in the age of the dinosaurs when I attended.   CSUF has always been, and most likely always will be, primarily a commuter school.

It was always advisable to get there at least a half hour before class started, but now it seems that a two hour window is required, which seems just completely outrageous to me.

Is there a solution, other than the aggressive ticketing policies they are enforcing to get more revenue to fund more parking garages?

Should they limit student enrollment?  Should they only accept people from within a certain geographical area? Actually, I don’t know if they can legally do that, but it seems kind of wrong that someone from Rancho Cucamonga (a person quoted in the article) is traveling all the way to CSUF.

What they probably need is another Cal State campus, but in these financial times, it ain’t gonna happen.

As traffic and attendance at the Disneyland Resort grows, parking continues to shrink. With the recently closed “2,226-space Timon parking lot, new parking spaces are needed during the $1-billion expansion of Disney’s California Adventure.” People have to park somewhere and that ‘somewhere is at the Buzz Lightyear lot located at 1946 S. Harbor Blvd on the other side of the current Cast Member lot past Katella Ave.

The Anaheim Planning Commission approved a plan to expand the current 12 acre lot to a much larger (temporary) 35 acre lot. The additional 2,500 spaces being created will hopefully alleviate the parking snarls around the Resort until the rumored parking garage is constructed just north of the GardenWalk some time in the next decade.

If you are traveling to the Resort, pay special attention to the Anaheim Police and Cast Members on hand to direct you – and follow their instructions about where to park. At this point the only location you want to avoid is the lot behind the Paradise Pier Hotel as that location still does not offer tram or bus service to the Main Entrance.

Here’s something you don’t see everyday: one of 500 field-trial Mini E 100% electric vehicles! This one was spotted charging in a parking garage in Anaheim. I have no idea who drives it but their attractiveness factor just multiplied by twenty. So sexy!

[poll=28]

Huzah!

And so it begins! For many years, the residents of Orange have been trying to find ways to get the trains the shut the hell up so we can sleep through the night. A couple years ago, it was decided that the city would install arms at all the railroad crossings that dropped down on both sides of the road on both sides of the tracks. This make it so the trains don’t have to blow their horns as much (or at all?? PLEASE???). Well it’s FINALLY starting! According to this flyer I got in the mail, it will all kick off Thursday August 27 at 4pm! Of course it’s a school night for me! But hopefully you all can go and tell us about it.

Although with the prospect of winning an iPod, Flip camera, train tix or gift cards, I may just show up a little late to class…….

Well, sir, there’s nothing on earth like a genuine, bona fide, electrified, six-car monorail! What’d I say? Monorail!!

OK, folks do we want buses or do we want a monorail? Well the city is gunning for an “elevated system“ to take us to their new transit hub, so our choices are “light-rail buses that would run under a guidewire, automated people-mover cars or a monorail similar to the one at Disneyland”.

I swear it’s Springfield’s only choice! Throw up your hands and raise your voice! Monorail!

Actually, truth be told, I support a people mover system. They are inexpensive to build, easy to maintain, efficient, safe and never break down. Still I’ll take a monorail too – anything to alleviate the nightmarish traffic that currently clogs the arteries of the resort district.

After years of expressing support for a high-speed rail project originating from Anaheim to Las Vegas, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid now favors a line that begins in Victorville.

That is bad news for Anaheim, who has been anticipating the high speed rail system in the plans of their newly approved design of the transportation hub, dubbed ARTIK, that has been in the works for years.  I know that the city of  Anaheim has lobbied aggressively for the maglev.

What gives, Mr. Reid?  I can tell that he doesn’t live here.

Because whilst I have no grudge against the expanse of sand that is Victorville, I would like to point out that often the longest and hardest part of the commute to Vegas is from Los Angeles/Orange County to Victorville.  Once you are up the Cajon, it usually gets much easier from there, depending on construction projects on the 15.  Yeah, it may be cheaper to build from Victorville, but once you’re already made it to the high desert, it seems to me you might as well keep on going. 

This is the problem with so many mass transportation projects in SoCal.  Just do the damn thing right the first time!

Today I wanted to go to Disneyland to visit some friends who are here from out of town for MouseAdventure put on by Mouseplanet.com. My wife had to work and needed the car so I thought I would try the bus. A couple weeks ago I did the sametrip and I was there in an hour, but this being a Sunday and Mother’s Day, I wasn’t sure what to expect. It turns out the trip is only an hour and a half due to a thirty minute wait between the two buses.

I used that time to get coffee, a snack, catch up on some news, and start this article on my iPhone.
Even better the 2nd of the two buses for this trip has reclining seats!

The total fare one way is $3.00, but for $4.00 one can buy a day pass and save $2.00 if doing a round trip. (I have a monthly pass)

I arrived at the bus stop at Katella and Harbor at 9:45 and was inside Disneyland at 9:58 am, just an hour and thirty-five minutes from when I left my house, and already had breakfast.
It may have taken me about 15 minutes more from my door to a Dole Whip Float, but it was surely less stressful. I was able to write this on the way. Even better I didn’t have to stress about driving, parking, or wondering which tram I would get from the parking lot.

While there have been OCTA cutbacks recently, there are still plenty of workable routes to get around Orange County.

In just 1 day, Virgin America will make its inaugural flight into Orange County’s John Wayne Airport.

Orange County has a new high-tech hookup. Join iJustine as she hosts Virgin America’s celebrity air-to-ground stream for the launch of the OC. Video stream with cameo celebrity appearances will be online at 1:15pm on 4/29 at http://www.ustream.tv/channel/virgin-america-oc-launch.

While I couldn’t convince the wife to let me be on the flight (I wanted to do live MetBlogging!!!), I’ll certainly be watching to see if anything cool happens.

However, I have a small WTF bone to pick with VA. For the Boston launch, they had a huge party on the ground with celebrities and even got Richard Branson to dress in drag! Why do we have nothing here?! Oh well. Guess I’ll do the usual and live vicariously through the interwebs.

PS- If any of you are fans of The Crystal Method like I am, VA will be hosting a live chat sesion with them in the air on May 5 at 12pm. Check their site for more details.

For those of you contemplating a nice trip without having to drive – we all know how traffic is regularly, now throw-in the summer tourist and well … you know. Since the summer travel season is at our doorstep I have a very nice alternative, the train. 

A couple of Sunday’s ago the husband and I decided to take Amtrak from Irvine to Santa Barbara for a day-trip on the Pacific Surfliner. Neither of us have taken the train (in the U.S.) nor had we been to Santa Barbara. Gasp, yes, I know. Anyhoo, it was a fantastic experience. We were able to get somewhere in Southern California, a couple of hours away, without white-knuckling it ‘cause we were so stressed from creeping along on the freeway. What’s more relaxing than watching the sunset over the Pacific? 

On the advice from friends who have made the same trip or use the train occasionally we upgraded our tickets to Business Class. Since we went on a Sunday we were told, correctly, that the return trip gets very crowded with weekenders returning home. For $14 more a ticket you are guaranteed a seat (not assigned) plus you get complimentary snacks, the paper, and a free alcoholic beverage (just show your ticket to the guy behind the counter of the cafe car). Nice! Our car was virtually empty. Granted this is before tourist season really hits, but the coach cars were packed.

Here’s my little tip: if you get on the train south of Los Angeles, going north, and want to see the ocean, which by the way, doesn’t come into view until you are north of Oxnard, sit on the right side of the train i.e. the side closest to the mountains. Yes, it sounds wrong, but after L.A. the train loops around, so if you were facing forward before L.A. now you’ll be going backwards. So, is it clear as mud?

The LA Times reports that the Laguna Niguel City Council will be holding a meeting to decide what measures they can take to ensure that this year’s 30th annual “Amtrak Mooning” event in July doesn’t become the debacle that it did last year.

It seems that last year, it ballooned from a formerly innocent event (er, as innocent as baring your assets to strangers can be) to a booze-and-sex-filled orgy on the side of the tracks. Our intrepid Jon was actually there.

It’s another example of the bad kids ruining it for everyone else, isn’t it?

I encourage Laguna Niguel to take whatever steps they deem necessary to keep the a-holes out of it. This event may be a tradition, but it isn’t a “right.” And if people can’t control themselves, there is no reason that Amtrak or the city of Laguna Niguel should have to stand for it.

Although I’m curious, has anyone actually been ON the Amtrak during this thing? Do they warn you to avoid the westerly side of the train if you don’t want to see pale, naked butts?

Photo courtesy of Caveman 92223’s flickr photostream