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Although expected to pass, it's still extremely close to call. Measure R, which will raise LA County's sales tax a half-cent on the dollar for transportation, is winning by 27,630 votes. It needs two-thirds to pass and it's currently less than a percent higher than that at 67.65%. "At this point, the majority of absentee and provisional ballots have been counted," Bottleneck blogger Steve Hymon notes.
Blogger Darrell Clarke at L.A. Visions nicely summarizes what Metro's head honcho Roger Snoble said on November 6th on KPCC. "Construction of the Foothill Gold Line 'is able to move ahead very quickly, right along with Expo' Line phase 2 to Santa Monica in 2010 (21:00), as well as the Green Line to LAX (19:30)...On accelerating the Purple Line Wilshire Subway (1-D Westside Subway Extension, $4,074M, FY 2034-36), the LA Times Bottleneck Blog reported: 'During the news conference about Measure R's passage, Metropolitan Transportation Authority chief Roger Snoble said it may now be possible to extend the line to Fairfax Avenue within six or seven years and the line could get to Westwood in 20 years.'
Clarke also says the Regional Connector that will bring the Blue, Gold and Expo lines together is "expected to be competitive for federal funding (estimated $708M match to $160M local), which we hope can advance it from its current FY 2023-25 scheduled completion."
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I would love to have a Westside-South Bay connection. I wouldn't even mind the Crenshaw corridor as opposed to having to get off the Green Line to hop on the Blue Line by Alameda.
7 years to go 2 miles? 20 years.. to Westwood? So, what 30-40 for to SM? What a joke... give me my vote back.
I would love to be able to easily get form Hollywood to the west side with easy public transit. (Rapid buses are ok, but not quite rapid enough, nor environmentally-friendly.) Preferably, it will take less than 20 years, since I will probably not live in Hollywood by then and will have therefore lost interest.
These numbers are assuming that Metro is paying for the whole thing. If we can get federal money for the subway it would give it a much needed kick in the pants. Nothing is a sure thing, but the possibility of federal dollars for public transit infrastructure would appear to be far more likely under Obama. Villaragoisa hates that 20 year estimate and is pursuing help from the feds to speed that up. Subways are the most expensive up front system to create, and before Measure R there was zero funding for it, and a sales tax like this takes years to accumulate the funds to start heavy projects.
I'm with Nomad. I want my vote back. In 20 years I'll be driving my mid-life crisis car. I want a working subway line on Wilshire NOW.
Yeah, the 20 years for subway to sea is a very long time, but a reality if we can't get it funded. But it can be done in 5-10 years depending on upfront funding and now with a president coming into office that is more progressive and Villaraigosa's relationship with him, chances for funding is way higher than before.
Also, this isn't going to Santa Monica. It terminates in Westwood then goes up the 405 to the Valley. I'm not happy about that.
I think it's also worth pointing out that federal money doesn't get pumped into a project unless that project has funding of it's own. If we didn't have Measure R funds, then we would out right be disqualified for federal funding, and the chance of seeing that subway would be zero. This was a necessary first step, but it won't be the last, to make the train a reality.
About the terminating in Westwood thing, that is where Measure R money terminates for the purple line, not the planned route. It is planned all the way out, but additional funding would need to be secured to get it further West than Westwood. The route north along 405 is a separate thing all together. It is not part of the proposed subway, and is more likely to be some kind of bus system.
I'd like to invite everyone on LAist who is interested to get involved in the official planning that is required for a Westside Subway extension. We started with an Alternatives Analysis (AA) Study last year that we are nearly concluding. There has been a tremendous amount of public involvement throughout that study.
In January, we plan on asking the Metro Board of Directors to allow us to proceed into formal environmental review (known as a Draft EIR/EIS) for two potential alignments. This is a necessary next step and, out of this next phase of study, we will be able to recommend -- among other things -- an ultimate terminus for a project, the phases for how it would be constructed, timing, etc. I would also like to remind eveyone that the current Red/Purple Line subway was constructed in phases over several years.
Please go to www.metro.net/westside to find out about the AA Study, what we have considered along the way, the conclusions we have reached and how we got there. Please also sign up to be part of our data base so we can keep you informed of upcoming developments and you can get involved -- such as when the January Metro Board agendas is finalized, or when the final AA report is available. You can also leave us your comments and questions so they can be part of the official record. You can also join our Facebook group, Metro Westside Extension.
Jody Litvak
Metro Westside Extension Study Team
Twenty years goes by quickly. Unfortunately, traffic is goes to increase faster than any of these rail projects, esp here on the Westside. I could care less if I would personally benefit from these projects directly - but our city is going to come to a grinding halt without this.