Downtown Connector: Above or Below?

Metro is looking into connecting the three light rail lines that hit downtown -- Gold, Blue and the soon-to-be Expo -- so that one day, a commuter may be able to travel from Long Beach to Pasadena or from East LA to Culver City -- all without transferring.

Eric Richardon from blogdowntown reports that the two alternatives that Metro is currently looking into differ in cost by only $150 million. That's surprising considering one is undeground and one is at-grade at street level.

With all the talk of a streetcar coming to the neighborhood plus the effects of a light rail snaking through downtown, underground seems to be the choice of most people. Add in the fact that 48 trains per hour will use the Connector during peak times, according to Richardson.

Related: Speaking of streetcars, how about one for the NoHo Arts District?

Photo by Fred Camino of MetroRiderLA