A Threefold 'Thank You' to Los Angeles
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A Photo Gallery of the Things I am Grateful for This Year
10 Random Albums To Be Thankful For
What I'm Thankful For
Here's to Your Health: Thanksgiving Edition
In Purple, the two Westside Subway Extension Alignment Alternatives | Download a PDF of this map here
As exploratory drilling for the possibility of a subway to the Westside continues to take place on city streets, Metro is gearing up for another set of community meetings for updates on the project (meeting info is below). Last Spring, public meetings gathered input on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement/Report (DEIS/R) process that is currently underway. Next month, they will present a summary of what was heard at those meetings, provide updates to possible route alternatives and discuss the subway construction process if the project goes forward.
Where does the project stand today?
Back in January, the Metro Board approved two possible projects, technically "build alternatives," for further environmental review and preliminary engineering, which is currently underway. Those two build alternatives are extending the Purple Line down Wilshire Blvd. westward and an alternative that includes the aforementioned Purple Line extension plus a Santa Monica Blvd. spur from the Hollywood/Highland Metro Red Line station that would meet up with the Purple Line on the Westside.
By law, Metro also has to study a "no build" alternative and a “Transportation Systems Management” alternative--basically, beefing up the current fleet, schedules and routes.
Once this process is over, the Metro Board will vote on their preferred alternative (many in the public hope for the Wilshire/Santa Monica one). Then Metro will move on to a final environmental review, final engineering and construction.
Public Meetings
All meetings are from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. and are easily accessible by public transit. Parking is also available at all the locations.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Wilshire United Methodist Church
4350 Wilshire Boulevard
Los Angeles
Spanish & Korean translations will be provided at this meeting
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Plummer Park
7377 Santa Monica Boulevard
West Hollywood
Russian translation will be provided at this meeting.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Santa Monica Public Library
Multi-Purpose Room
601 Santa Monica Blvd.
Santa Monica
Spanish translation will be provided at this meeting.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Beverly Hills Public Library
Auditorium
444 N. Rexford Drive
Beverly Hills
Spanish translation will be provided at this meeting
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Westwood Presbyterian Church
10822 Wilshire Blvd.
Los Angeles
Spanish translation will be provided at this meeting
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I'm pushing for the plan that includes the Hollywood/Highland spur. That extension through West Hollywood is critical in my opinion.
I'm excited that this seems to be moving forward, but even when these extensions are finished, there's still a long way to go before LA has really extensive subway coverage.
I'm hoping that one day I'll see a line moving directly under Ventura blvd, with a connection running through the Sepulveda pass from Sherman Oaks to Westwood, making a nice big loop around the hills. I'd also like to see a short line connecting the Expo & Purple lines on the west side. I can dream, can't I?
I'm selfish, but I'm hoping for a way to take the Blue Line from Long Beach up to downtown to connect to a train to Santa Monica daily. I know it's a pipe dream, and I will probably be retired before it ever happens, but it's nice to hope and dream.
I would happily spend the same amount of time on trains as I do in my car daily, just to not have to deal with the stress of the 405 every day.
I keep wondering why they are so stuck on the idea of digging up Wilshire Blvd. I can't help but think they are going to have everyone and their mama sueing them just like when they dug up Hollywood Blvd for the Redline.
Wilshire makes sense. It's a major strip for businesses, shopping, museums, apartment complexes, etc. It flows directly from Koreatown to Beverly Hills, Westwood & Santa Monica. I don't really see a better alternative. Better to have it underground, since there's no room for it above.
Hollywood is better off having the red line than not, so whatever they had to go through to make it happen seems worth it to me.
I think Wilshire Blvd. adjacent makes more sense. Yes Hollywood is better for having the Redline run through it. But I do think that the cost of digging up Hollywood Blvd and all the related law suits could have been avoided or at least minimized by digging a block north or a block south of Hollywood Blvd.
The PDF show is Alternative 11. I'll be surprised if they go with Alternative 1 seeing that it doesn't provide for a stop in West Hollywood the area most supportive of Measure R. We need Alternative 11 and we need federal support to move it forward. I believe they have $4.3 billion in funding ready to roll and this alternative will have a final price tag of $7.1 billion. NY gets another Hudson line and we get chopped liver.
There does not seem to be a direct link via subway/rail between USC and UCLA. This is a problem.