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For about a year Metro has been meeting with the public over the Westside Extension Project (they have a Facebook group too), usually dubbed as the "Subway to the Sea." In the Fall of 2007 Metro met with the public to talk about initial conceptual designs. Metro planners came back to the public in the Winter with 17 options (or alternatives as they call them) which included light rail, aerial rail, bus rapid transit and subway among them. Then in the late Spring, they focused the routes down into a set of seven options including two options that legally must stay through the process to the end: no build and transit system maintenance (improvements at the street level).
Tomorrow begins the next series of public meetings that will lay out the latest options, now whittled down to two subway alternatives. Follow the images and captions below for a little sneak peak on what to expect in the next steps for Los Angeles' public transit future.
In the end, this all comes down to funding. $4 to $5 billion has been thrown around the past year. But with construction cost increases, Alternative 1 (just the Purple Line extension) will now cost $6.1 billion. The additional of the West Hollywood/Beverly Hills route will had another $2.9 billion.
If Metro goes ahead with either of these routes, they will be competing for federal funding. Additionally, the outcome of Measure R on this November's ballot will play a factor as well.
As for a time line, if all were to go to plan, we are looking at 10 years minimum for the completion of the Westside Extension. When the Red/Purple Lines were being built, it opened in four phases in approximately 4-mile segments. Metro has not committed to phased openings of the project, if the project goes through and gets built.
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this route would seriously eliminate my need for a car...pending the issue of whether i'll still be here in the 40 years it seems like it'll take to build this thing.
I'll add it into the last slide, but we're looking at 10 years if all goes well :)
Los Angeles is growing up, awwwww
I wish I had a magic wand to make this happen right now!
I'm pulling for the second option. Having that Westbound connection at Hollywood/Highland will be the dealbreaker for me actually using this thing.
There's no way I'll get on in Hollywood to go to Santa Monica if I have to detour all the way down Vermont.
If the first option is chosen, I think they'd be losing all the potential westbound riders from North Hollywood/ Hollywood/ W. Hollywood.
"There's no way I'll get on in Hollywood to go to Santa Monica if I have to detour all the way down Vermont"
have fun sitting in traffic
Wilshire and 26th St station in SM! Yay Metro!
I was at the meeting in Santa Monica last night. I pray to God or somebody that this becomes a reality. It was encouraging to see a room full of people excited about transit. One slightly eccentric young gentleman presented during the public speaking portion a marker drawn dream vision of a complete rail system in L.A., which he has visions of at night. I put in my 2 minutes and stressed how snarled car traffic is by talking about how I beat car travel times from Hollywood to Santa Monica at peak times averaging 19 mph on my bicycle.
More like Subway to Shop! In a perfect world the stops would go like this:
Hollywood/Highland
Somewhere on Melrose
The Grove
Beverly Center
Rodeo in Beverly Hills
Century City Westfield Mall
Westwood Bristol Farms
Santa Monica Whole Foods
Third Street Promenade
This will also allow Tom Andrews and I the opportunity to further critique LA's fashions. Bring on the Leg Warmers!
i know one of obama's ideas to stimulate the economy was to fast track public transportation projects.
any of you know if metro is optimistic that they'll get some significant federal funding post-inauguration to make this happen sooner than later?