going west, and we don't mean bethesda

The "edge cities" of Los Angeles.

This week, Just Up The Pike leaves East County for the West Coast. I'll be in Los Angeles attending Rail~Volution, an annual conference on "building livable communities with transit," with the help of our friends at the Coalition for Smarter Growth.

Longtime readers know I really like Los Angeles. Though it has a reputation for car culture and sprawling suburbs, it also has a really robust transit system and lots of great urban neighborhoods. That combination makes it an interesting example for places like Montgomery County, which also have a little bit of everything. (Of course, it's also like 80 degrees there right now, though that doesn't feel as scandalous as going to the beach in December.)

I'm looking forward to learning about great places all over the United States, meeting the people who work to make their communities better, and riding LA's expanding transit system. With Montgomery County looking at a a Bus Rapid Transit system and the potential for a future light-rail Purple Line, this is a great opportunity to look at a place that's had success with both.

Keep an eye out for blog posts on all of those things I said, and if you have any suggestions for things to see, and especially things to eat, feel free to let me know in the comments. I'll see y'all back at home on Thursday.