More on the Chargers below.

ICYMI: As expected, the announcement by Metro yesterday that the agency was partnering with Peace Over Violence to create a telephone hotline open 24/7 to victims of sexual harassment on the Metro system generated a lot of media interest. The number is 1-844-Off-Limits (633-5464).

Some things worth noting: Hotline conversations are confidential and can remain anonymous, and will be offered in English and Spanish.

Counselors will: listen; provide crisis intervention counseling and provide options for reporting the incident to law enforcement partners; make referrals to come to the Peace Over Violence centers for case management and in person counseling, and; provide referrals for other sexual assault and social service agencies across the county.

Heads up:

Once tree is removed crews will inspect equipment and make repairs as necessary. pic.twitter.com/Q9Q09Po1sX — Metro (@metrolosangeles) January 12, 2017

Auto sales hit new record as Americans buy more gas guzzlers (Scientific American)

Car and light truck sales rose for the seventh straight year in 2016 and sales of the largest vehicles rose seven percent over 2015 while smaller vehicle sales declined. The average fuel economy of new vehicles has been stuck at about 25 mpg since early 2014 and the transportation sector has seen its greenhouse gas emissions rise, reports Scientific American.

There are more stringent fuel economy standards on the horizon that were put in place during the Obama Administration — and manufacturers have been making vehicles that do perform better mileage wise. But:

Automakers said they think otherwise. Ford CEO Mark Fields his week said he was encouraged by “pro-growth” policies promised by President-elect Donald Trump and the Republican Congress, including lowering regulations and taxes. Automakers have asked Trump to soften fuel economy rules, which they say hamper production of the cars Americans want.

As someone who spends a fair amount of time at one end of the dog leash being dragged around Pasadena, it seems to me that I’ve been seeing a lot more SUVs on the road than a few years ago. In California the average price of a gallon of regular gas reached $4.25 in May 2014 and then slid under $3 in September 2015 and has stayed there since, according to state statistics.

Rex Tillerson says climate change is real, but… (The Atlantic)

President-elect Trump’s nominee for Secretary of State and the former CEO of Exxon-Mobil was, as expected, asked about his views on climate change during his confirmation hearings this week.

Tillerson said that he does believe that greenhouse gases do have an effect but said that he believes that the scientific community continues to have a hard time predicting climate change impacts. He also expressed support for the Paris climate accords, putting him at odds with what his future boss said on the campaign trail.

He also noted that he has supported a carbon tax in the past to help incentivize companies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Such a tax is pretty much a political nonstarter, although climate change activists have often said that a tax would likely be helpful in reducing emissions. The state of California has instead (like many other governments) gone the cap-and-trade route, which limits overall emissions and forces firms to buy credits on a market.

Of course, people can celebrate or despair the politics of the moment. But there’s always the opportunity to do something on your own about climate change: generally speaking, taking transit instead of driving alone results in fewer greenhouse gas emissions that you’re responsible for. Chew on that.

Chargers announce their move to L.A. (Union-Tribune)

If they play at PCC, you can park in my yard for $100 and I'll throw in the tweet that I'm an $%^#&%^ for charging you $100. https://t.co/ohAmvBJcvc — stevehymon (@stevehymon) January 12, 2017

Actually if they play at PCC, it’s a pleasant stroll from the Gold Line’s Allen Station. Or you can use the Lake Station and check out some of the eating opps on South Lake. The tortilla soup at Urban Plates is really good.

The team also announced later in the morning that they will play at StubHub Center in Carson. Here’s what I wrote about that last month:

I like the idea of watching (on TV) pro football in a tiny stadium, but StubHub isn’t quite as transit-friendly as the Coliseum, although it’s served by three Metro bus routes (52, 130 and 205) and the Torrance Transit 6 bus. StubHub is about 2.1 miles from Harbor Gateway Transit Center and a little more than four miles from the Blue Line’s Artesia Station, so I suppose so shuttles could be added from there — and, in fact, that might be a good way to practice for a potential 2024 Summer Olympics, as StubHub is a planned venue.

I am quite sure the issue of Metro shuttles to StubHub Center on game days will be conversed upon very soon. 🙂

Another interesting issue transit-wise is what happens when both the Rams and Chargers move into the new Inglewood stadium, which is slated to open in fall 2019 — about the same time as the Crenshaw/LAX Line is forecast to go into service. The closest stop will be the Downtown Inglewood Station, about a 1.5-mile walk from the stadium.

The Metro Board of Directors last January (after the Rams announced their move) approved a motion to study ways to improve transit to the stadium. So that’s in the works. It would probably be an uphill battle for a rail extension given that there’s no project directly in the works along those lines — but I think the presence of a second team will ensure the issue continues to get a good look and bus shuttles from the train could be one option.

Fun fact: the Chargers will be playing the Broncos, Raiders, Chiefs, Dolphins, Browns, Bills, Eagles and Redskins at home this coming season. I think you’ll be unpleasantly surprised at how many Browns, Eagles and Redskins fans live amongst us here. The Bengals are coming to Carson in 2018, btw — and I know Chargers fans are still smacking from the Freezer Bowl loss — as a result, the team had to wait another 13 years to lose a Super Bowl. (I have no memory of the 2013 playoffs).

I’m imagining the two groups of people happiest about this are Raiders fans and the San Diego Police Department. The Chargers’ move may end up meaning the Raiders stay in Oakland (and give L.A.-based Raiders fans a game closer to home each season) while the SDPD doesn’t have to work the annual Chargers-Raiders slugfest anymore, when the hostilities often spilled from the stands to the field of play.

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