We are sitting in the space between two lines of four rail tracks. Down on the track near us is where we have been storing the stock we intend to take to the new park-and-ride lot two weeks from now, when they finalize final plans.
The curbside box of our possessions awaits the streetcar!
I dragged my can (18′ wide) of Cattle Trough Beer to this spot, because it was the only place that would take it. An anxious wait ensued until we were able to secure a transfer with an UP Commuter.
Now if you live within a 15-minute bike ride of this spot in East L.A., you know that every other shoulder of the high-speed line has been reserved as bicycle storage, long since taken by the team from Ecological Solutions, Inc.
Here, you must board a vehicle that, however unnerving, once again gives you a legitimate parking option.
And once you secure a parking option? Well, your options are limited. Aside from the gentleman behind us, who uses a rickshaw, cars tend to be his type of vehicle. His space is near the northern end of the line, near the busy Broadway intersection. About 10 minutes to the north, well inside the outer circle of Elysian Park, is the park-and-ride lot.
However, here, that park-and-ride lot is very well-under-way, and you must park all the way back inside the park at the south end of the line.
It will take all of about 30 minutes to park at the spot, but it may feel like the entire ride, if you’re anything like me.
Sitting out here amidst the grass I am preparing for the day I will potentially experience the second “rush-hour” of my life (come to think of it, I might actually witness a car-sync, too). But, I’ll be happy just to see the new tracks get built this year, and use the few extra minutes of extra time to ride my bike, see more art, and read the LA Times.