Roundup: Malibu’s shrinking beach; cost increases at LAX; Amtrak train fire

The New Year’s Eve celebration wave has begun its journey around the world. Sydney, Australia, as the first major city to ring in 2009, hosted a huge fireworks show that drew a reported record number of spectators.

But with the financial, and other, storms that the past year has wrought on many, moods are somewhat tempered. Sydney’s crowds celebrated with “cheers, beers and a sense of relief,” according to the Associated Press.

Malibu | It turns out its name is no longer so fitting: Broad Beach, whose sands have drawn battles between public beachgoers and wealthy property owners, is shrinking. Read “Malibu’s vanishing Broad Beach a sign of rising sea levels, experts say,” and have a look at this short video about this beach at risk.

LAX | As we have previously posted, fares on the LAX FlyAway bus will be increasing on New Year’s Day to $6 one-way per adult boarding at Union Station and Van Nuys, and $5 from Westwood. At the airport itself, as of Dec. 26, rentals of Smarte Carte luggage carts increased to $4 per use.

Amtrak fire | In Lake Forest, in Orange County, an Amtrak train headed to L.A. from San Diego caught fire yesterday afternoon. No one was injured, though the incident did delay passengers for two hours. Read the L.A. Times report.

Happy New Year; see you in 2009!

- Susan Derby, Special to the Los Angeles Times

[Photo: High tide approaches homes along Broad Beach; Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times]

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This entry was posted on Wednesday, December 31, 2008 at 8:20 am by Susan Derby and is filed under Airline travel, California, Good Morning, Islands & Beaches, Los Angeles, News, Tips & Advice, Rail Travel. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a comment, or trackback from your own site.