With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today during our fall member drive.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Linking the Lines: Metro Approves DTLA Regional Connector Transit Corridor Project
The Regional Connector (Map via Metro)
()
With the opening of the Expo Line, thousands of Angelenos and visitors to the area now have another way of getting from Point A to Point B. But in Downtown, where many of the city's light rail and subway lines have terminal points, not all the lines intersect. To make getting from one line to another easier, Metro has just approved plans for a connecting line.
Thursday, in addition to approving a similar document for the Westside Subway extension, The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) Board of Directors certified the Final Environmental Impact Statement/Report (EIS/EIR) for the $1.37 billion Regional Connector Transit Corridor Project.
The specific plan approved by the Board was Metro’s Locally Preferred Alternative, a 1.9-mile fully underground light rail line that includes three new stations at 1st/Central, 2nd/Broadway, and 2nd/Hope, according to Metro in a news release issued Thursday.
Metro explains the scope of the project on their site:
Support for LAist comes from
The Regional Connector will connect the Metro Gold Line, Blue Line and Expo Line enabling passengers to travel from Montclair to Long Beach and from East Los Angeles to Santa Monica as a "one seat ride". By providing continuous through service between these lines, the Regional Connector will improve access to both local and regional destinations - and greatly improve the connectivity of the transportation network for the region.
As part of yesterday's approval, Metro also signed off on two additional aspects of the project:
- Relocating the Little Tokyo/Arts District underground station to minimize property required and eliminate the cut-and-cover segment on 2nd Street in Little Tokyo originally required for construction. - Launching a Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) from the northeast corner of 1st and Alameda Streets, the mangrove property formerly known as the Nikkei development, instead of 2nd Street.
And the rest of the money? Metro explains:
The remainder of funding is identified through a combination of state funding sources that include proceeds from the California High-Speed Rail Bond, additional local funds and a 50 percent requested match from the federal New Starts program. The project was included in the Obama Administration’s proposed FY13 Budget to initially receive $31 million. The funding proposed requires Congressional approval.
Adds Villaraigosa: "[The Regional Connector's] construction will quicken transit travel times, provide more reliable service, create thousands of jobs and bring billions of dollars of economic benefits to our county."
At LAist, we believe in journalism without censorship and the right of a free press to speak truth to those in power. Our hard-hitting watchdog reporting on local government, climate, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis is trustworthy, independent and freely accessible to everyone thanks to the support of readers like you.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
Restaurants share resources in the food hall in West Adams as Los Angeles reckons with increasing restaurant closures. -
It will be the second national day of protest against President Donald Trump. -
The university says the compact, as the Trump administration called it, could undermine free inquiry and academic excellence. -
This is the one time you can do this legally! -
Metro officials said it will be able to announce an opening date “soon.” -
While working for the county, the DA’s office alleges that 13 employees fraudulently filed for unemployment, claiming to earn less than $600 a week.
Best of LAist