Subject: Passenger Transportation

• Behind every great man...

  For some reason, I had forgotten that former OC congressman and current chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission Christopher Cox is married, but married he is, and to a very industrious woman. Like many who belong to the bedrock traditional values strata of the Republican Party, which loudly proclaims the value of a stay-at-home wife, the Coxes are a two income couple. And a good thing, too, because while political appointments like hubby's have a limited shelf life, Mrs. Cox's busines

  August 2, 2006

• Pentagon Flyover Hysteria Rocks the Internets

  Ever since my cover story last Thursday hit the online conspiracy websites, my inbox has been bombarded with emails from folks obsessed with the events of Sept. 11, 2001 as they pertain to the U.S. Pentagon and an American Airlines jet that either did or didn't hit the building, depending on what theory you happen to believe. My story dealt with a pair of local 9/11 researchers--or "truthers," as they often call themselves--who have produced a DVD called "The PentaCon" alleging that a) the Amer

  August 19, 2008

• The Taxi Driver

  February 22, 2001

• Diary of a Mad County

  July 18, 2002

• Marine Wildlife Cruises

  April 2, 2009

• Travel Blogger Predicts Air Fares Between OC and SF Will Drop

  BNET (Business Net) travel blogger Brett Snyder predicts Virgin America's new presence at John Wayne Airport, coupled with Southwest Airlines' expansion of flights to and from San Francisco, will result in lower air fares between SFO and SNA, whose bustling terminal is shown here.That's crazy talk for anyone used to ponying up the big bucks to fly into Frisco (or, if you're like me, taking advantage of lower fares to Oakland or San Jose). Indeed, Snyder concedes United and American have "made a

  January 29, 2009

• Anaheim Tempts Wrath of Crabby Cabby

  Creative CommonsA series of ordinances before the Anaheim City Council tonight may result in the city incurring the ire of a local taxicab company that says it is being shut out of the competitive bid process.Konstantinos Roditis, President of 24/7 Yellowcab, tells the Weekly that he might sue the city if it goes through with a proposal to extend the expired franchise of A White and Yellow Cab, Inc. (also called "A Taxi"), a rival cab company. And the city wouldn't be surprised if he did, says p

  February 24, 2009

• Art Leahy Leaves OCTA for LA Metro: Good Riddance

  News item: Art Leahy, who has led the Orange County Transportation Authority for eight years, accepted an offer to head Los Angeles County's Metro - a transit agency with a $3.4 billion budget. (Courtesy of the Orange County Register) Be careful what you wish for, LA ... *The NOAA, which has jurisdiction because the project falls within a state-federal partnership known as the Coastal Zone Management Act, also said the TCA would be limited to one representative. But besides TCA Chief Execut

  March 6, 2009

• It's a Quick Read 24

  Orange County Register: Remember that recent lawsuit brought by the Newport Beach cop who claimed to have been passed over for promotions amid rumors and derogatory comments he was gay? Moxley has been blogging all about it. Anyhoo, Buena Park police officer Pedro Montez has filed a suit alleging the same thing--with a Latin twist! CALIENTE! . . . But who'll save the wee mountain lions? Scientists who track cougars (the non-Desperate Housewives kind) say t

  April 2, 2009

• Do You Believe a Passenger Jet Hit the Pentagon on 9/11? These Men Say You've Been 'PentaConned!'

  August 14, 2008

• Hey, You!

  Train in Vain

  October 18, 2007

• Moonnites

  July 12, 2007

• Lite Rail

  July 31, 2003

• Why Weyrich?

  August 26, 1999

• Cabs Dont Run on Juice

  December 14, 2000

• Hooray for OCTA?

  July 28, 2005

• Diary of a Mad County

  June 30, 2005

• Next Stop: Immobility

  An A to Z Guide to Surviving the Death/Pause/Sunshine of the CenterLine

  February 17, 2005

• Battle of the Boondoggles!

  January 27, 2005

• Center Bind

  December 9, 2004

• Supervisor Sig-Alert

  Broadwater campaigns to widen 22 freeway after suing to prevent new lanes

  February 19, 2004

• Railroad Schemes

  Two train projects, two cheerleaders, two results

  February 5, 2004

• Spy the Friendly Skies

  October 9, 2003

• Fear Factor

  August 21, 2003

• Track Record

  August 7, 2003

• Letters

  July 24, 2003

• They Have A Dream

  July 10, 2003

• Perp Walks

  August 15, 2002

• Stupidvisors

  June 20, 2002

• Train in Vein

  May 30, 2002

• Terminal Illness

  January 31, 2002

• Travis Bickles

  November 15, 2001

• Want Fries With That?

  June 7, 2001

• Money and Lies

  June 7, 2001

• An Open Letter to the John Wayne Airport Commission

  May 3, 2001

• A Too-Modest Proposal

  October 7, 1999

• Derailed

  September 9, 1999

• Letters

  September 9, 1999

• The Demand Game

  July 1, 1999

• Something's Stinky

  March 18, 1999

• Letters

  February 18, 1999

• Letters

  December 24, 1998

• JWA Scene: Richard Branson, MC Hammer, Bimbos, Himbos

  Courtesy of GadlingNice turbines!Clockwork's invite to Virgin America's inaugural flight to Orange County and John Wayne Airport launch party last week apparently got lost in the mail. Fortunately, Grant Martin received his, attended and lived to blog about it on his Gadling travel site.Some people say that the Virgin airline brand is the epitome of overindulgence and tackiness. That in pulling away from the legacy carriers they're backing themselves into a velvet lined, absinthe swigging corner

  May 7, 2009

• Is OCTA Sacrificing Transit Service for Executive Pay?

  Courtesy of OCTAWill Kempton moves to OCTA from Caltrans, where he has served for five years.The hiring of Caltrans director Will Kempton for the Orange County Transportation Authority's vacant executive director position would seem like a step down. After all, the Schwarzenegger appointee oversees 50,000 lane miles of state highways, an annual budget of $14 billion and $10 billion in current transportation projects under way. He is expected to begin Aug. 3 at a regional agency with a $1.2 annua

  June 22, 2009

• Railing For and Against Pringle, Umberg, High-Speed Rail

  Curt PringleIf they go to their graves winning no more recognition for their years of public service, Anaheim Mayor Curt Pringle and ex-Assemblyman Tom Umberg can be comforted by the fact that they at least received a shout out from the California High Speed Rail Blog, which applauds both in the post titled "Orange County Takes Over the CHSRA Board."The CHSRA would be the California High Speed Rail Authority, the state agency planning a future high-speed rail network in the Golden State. Pringl

  July 6, 2009

• Online Bookings Lone Bright Spot in Gloomy Travel Industry Forecast

  ​PhoCusWright Inc., a market research firm with offices in Connecticutt, New York and Europe, has found a lone bright spot in a travel industry that will continue to be brutally battered well into 2010: online bookings.  "The main online travel agencies should benefit from the ongoing secular shift in transactions from traditional points of purchase toward the Internet," says Jack Fuller, the author of what's actually a 2008 market trends study that's been updated for 2009.

  July 31, 2009

• Another Bright Spot Emerges for Travel in 2010

  ​Close readers of everything that Clockwork churns out for your viewing enjoyment may have caught the July 31 post on online bookings being the lone bright spot in a travel industry that will continue to be brutally battered well into 2010. That was based on the findings of market research firm PhoCusWright Inc. Perhaps PhoCusWright should compare notes with HIS Global Insight, whose data shows business travel will also recover next year.

  August 17, 2009

• SeatGuru Lobbies for More Airline Loos

  SeatGuru.com is pooh-poohing the airline industry over "a going concern": customers having to wait in line for restrooms at 30,000 feet.  The online resource for air travelers calls this "bladder abuse." "Airlines with too few bathrooms per passenger create frustrating lines that are a real safety concern," says SeatGuru founder Matt Daimler in his bold call for regulation.

  September 15, 2009

• Proposed LA to San Diego High Speed Train Would Avoid OC

  ​A Los Angeles to San Diego high-speed train proposal that's picking up steam (sorry) would bypass the traditional Amtrak Surfliner route down the coast through Orange County and instead head eastward from LA through the Inland Empire.The state plans new tracks for 220 mile-per-hour trains from Los Angeles to San Diego via Pomona, Ontario, Riverside, Murrieta and Escondido. Trains would make the trip from LA's Union Station to downtown San Diego in one hour and 18 minutes. Amtrak's Surfliner f

  October 12, 2009

• UPDATED: To Fly For: Virgin America's Onboard Menu

  ​When was the last time you chose an airline based on the food it offered? Nope, I've never done it, either. Years back, Virgin Atlantic used to provide pretty good grub, even in cattle class. No longer: Every recent flight I've taken with them has been characterized by slop guaranteed to make you hurl, from the revolting pizza-like creations filled with tomato paste, peas and carrots (vile!!!), which seemingly got so many complaints it's now off the menu, to bad stews and curries. There was o

  September 30, 2009