A fight over the Expo Line, Part 3

I posted two long items last week about the controversy surrounding at-grade crossings on the first phase of the Expo Line, the light rail line under construction between downtown Los Angeles and Culver City. (Click here for Part 1, and here for Part 2).

Today I want to look ahead a bit to the second phase of the project, which is planned to extend the line from Culver City to downtown Santa Monica by the middle of the next decade. If completed, it would be the first modern rail line to travel the entirety of the Westside to downtown L.A., although much of the route is south of the 10 freeway and wouldn’t stop near job centers such as Century City and Beverly Hills.

The line is still in the planning stages, but it is also submerged in controversy over two significant items:

1. The route: Will it follow the old rail right of way that the MTA purchased years ago and goes through Cheviot Hills and other neighborhoods near the Westside Pavilion shopping mall? Or, instead, will it detour around Cheviot Hills and detour on Venice and Sepulveda boulevards before rejoining the rail right of way? (See above map.)

2.) How will it cross busy streets on the far Westside? Will there be gated crossings that tie up traffic? Or will it tunnel under or bridge over some streets?

Click below to keep reading...

The Expo Line Construction Authority won’t announce its preference for a route until later this year. As for the crossings, the Authority is scheduled to announce its intentions at a community meeting tonight at the Vista del Mar Child and Family Services Gymnasium (3200 Motor Ave. in Los Angeles). Click here for a map.

Two groups have emerged that are watching both of the decisions closely: Light Rail for Cheviot and Neighbors for Smart Rail.

Light Rail for Cheviot is backing use of the existing rail right of way. The group envisions a rejuvenated and park-like rail corridor that serves the neighborhood. Karen Leonard, who is heading the group, said that she believes most people in the area want the rail line. She’s taking a wait-and-see approach as to the issue of how the Expo Line would cross busy streets, but said that she’s comfortable with most at-grade crossings.

That stance puts her in direct opposition to Neighbors for Smart Rail, a group that is being supported by several homeowners associations on the Westside, including the Cheviot Hills Homeowners Assn. The rail line cuts through Cheviot Hills mostly in a trench (see photo below).

Neighbors for Smart Rail has two main arguments.

The first is that the existing right of way goes through low-density neighborhoods where ridership will be poor. The group said that putting the line on Venice and Sepulveda is a better bet, because there are more people and businesses that would be near the train –- thus, it would have more riders. The group acknowledges such a detour may slow the line down on its way to and from Santa Monica, but says the delay would likely only be a few minutes.

The group’s other big issue is with crossings. It believes that at-grade crossings and frequent trains spell big traffic trouble on north-south streets such as Overland, Westwood and Sepulveda. All three carry heavy commuter traffic to and from the Santa Monica Freeway from big job centers such as UCLA and Westwood, Century City and the rest of West Los Angeles.

“They are going to stop north-south traffic completely,” said Terri Tippit, president of Neighbors for Smart Rail. “We said either build it right the first time or don’t build it. If they build it at grade, we’re going to have a nightmare here to move the traffic.” (*An earlier version of this post misspelled Tippit's name throughout as Tippet).

Tippit points out that the rail line passes next to an elementary school on Overland and that a station at Westwood Boulevard would include a parking lot that backs up to people’s homes. Tippit also said the Authority has indicated it may run shuttles from some stations to nearby Fox studios, which she thinks would also further complicate traffic.

But the heart of my interview with Tippit concerned the issue of NIMBYism. She and other members of the group have long complained about traffic; some other members of Neighbors for Smart Rail last summer waged a recall campaign against Los Angeles Councilman Jack Weiss, alleging his approvals of developments is making traffic worse. (They failed to gather enough signatures to trigger an election.)

Some of the same members of the group more recently supported one of two lawsuits against Weiss' and Mayor Antonio Villaraioga’s plan to convert Olympic and Pico boulevards to streets that are quasi-one-way. They said the plan would speed commuter traffic to and from the Westside, while opponents -- and the opposition was considerable -- said it would result in lost parking for businesses and likely tie up traffic worse than it already is. It's also worth noting that Weiss and Villaraigosa support use of the existing right of way for the Expo Line.

I suggested to Tippit that fighting a rail line in their own backyard certainly makes them appear to be NIMBYs, considering their history of complaining about traffic. At the least it raises the appearance of hypocrisy, if you believe the train may provide an alternative to sitting in traffic.

Tippit was having none of it.

“We’re not NIMBYs,” she said. “We’re the ones that end up working to make the project a better project. We’re the ones that work to get it right the first time -- maybe that gets longer and people get impatient, but in order to get it right the first time, it takes time.”

“They really need to build it right the first time,” Tippit added and said there was a good incentive to do so: such rail lines cost hundreds of millions of dollars. “It’s not that we’re against transit. No one likes sitting in a car. But if you’re going to build it, build it right. Learn from mistakes on the Gold Line. It’s almost as if these people are arrogant –- we’ll just build it anyway.”

Leonard, of Light Rail for Cheviot, sees things differently.

"I think for one thing a lot of people against it fought it 20 or 30 years ago, and they see it as an intrusion in a bucolic neighborhood," Leonard said. "Also they’re worried about the school and about property values. They’re just afraid. I think some people are afraid of other parts of the city coming on down [here]. One fellow stood up in the meeting and said something about his daughters being at home in the daytime. They’ve invoked the fear of crime."

The most interesting twist is that Tippit’s group is involved in the crossing gate disputes on the first phase of the project. The Authority is seeking approval from the state Public Utilities Commission to build the line at-grade next to two schools in South Los Angeles. Tippit said that her group is an "interested party" in the proceedings before the PUC and that her group also helped another group – the Citizens’ Campaign to Fix the Expo Line – get an attorney to fight for grade-separated crossings.

I told her that some people within the MTA privately believe that her group is trying to stop the train in its tracks in South Los Angeles, by getting the PUC to require expensive grade-separated crossings that would cost millions of dollars -- dollars the MTA doesn't have.

Tippit said that's not true. The group, she said, wants to make sure the right precedents are set on Phase 1 of the project so that crossings are properly built on Phase 2, should the existing right of way be used for the second phase.

The PUC is scheduled to make a decision on the Phase 1 crossings in November. The PUC will also have to eventually approve all the crossings on a second phase of the Expo, assuming it ever gets funding and construction goes forward.

It's not exactly thrilling stuff, but if you've ever wondered how decisions are made about where light rail goes and how it's built, the answer is that it's often done years ahead of time -- and is the result of discussions and arguments like the one detailed above.

What do you think about the Expo Line and where it should go? Leave a comment below.

--Steve Hymon

Map: Expo Line Construction Authority

Photo: Steve Hymon / Los Angeles Times

Comments

[Archie Bunker]

Karina,

Kids will be playing outside, the sounds for the crossing gates and the train passing by are so minor that you are basing your whole argument on something when kids are active and playing won't pay attention to anyways.

When they are walking down the street, they have to pay attention to cars and to look both ways before crossing the street they are not going to be neglectful and play around. They will do the same thing for crossing the tracks. It's the stupid arrogant adults that we have to watch out for at the crossings.

[Karina]

"If that is the case, how hard is it to get double panel windows inside the classrooms directly facing the right-of-way?

That would do the same thing without building an ugly bridge."

Dear Archie,

I wish you could be right. Unfortunately no manufacture came up with the double panel windows that can block the warning bells at that level. Also, LAUSD regulations require the school children to spend a certaint amount of the school time outside the classroom (fresh air). Lunch, recess, PE, after school care, and sport classes are the outside activities. Therefore the double panel windows are useless. Would you deny your child of the recess, lunch, play, and the physical education?

Karina

[Archie Bunker]

Karina,

If that is the case, how hard is it to get double panel windows inside the classrooms directly facing the right-of-way?

That would do the same thing without building an ugly bridge.

[Karina]

Archie,

1. Yes - the higher population density the higher ridership. Therefore more people will benefit from the LR.

2. Charnock elementary school -when the train moves with along the traffic the warning bells are not used at all or at much lower dB level ( the noise level at the Charnock school will be under the Federal and States Regulation noise levels). Therefore, the learning abilities of the Charnock Elementary school students will not be affected by the noise pollution.

Every public study on noise pollution and its adverse health effects indicates that a noise level above Federal Regulation dramatically affect learning ability (and health as well) of the unfortunate children who live next to the noise pollution sources. Would you like your child not to be able to get a basic needs – a health and an education?

Karina

[Jason]

Along the right of way is:
1) Overland Avenue Elementary School
2) Notre Dame Academy
3) Palms-Rancho Park Library
4) Palms Park
5) Riddick Youth Center
6) Day Care Centers

These kids are the future of our city. If someone does not care to take their well-being, safety and security into consideration, then that is a big mistake. We are talking about the city's future but forgetting that these children are a huge part of it. The impacts that the light rail will bring upon these students year after year will be costly to our future.

[Archie Bunker]

Karina,

The reason MTA won't mitigate your concerns is because your mitigation of underground is practically impossible to build and pose greater impacts to the storm line which you haven't realized your neighborhood is in a 100 year flood zone.

In addition there is greater residential density on along the right of way in Palms then there is on the diversion. What about the children of Charnock Elementary school? Do you care about them to have a train going in front of them?

[Karina]

@Tommy,

IRRELEVANT!

Karina

[Tommy]

@Karina

The answer to YOUR problem is simple - move. From you description, your neighborhood is already a mess. You mentioned more than once how you have to deal with three major streets and two major freeways in the vicinity. You must have known before purchasing your house there that you'd have to deal with bad traffic and lots of pollution. How could you possibly consider that type of area a great place to raise a family? If anything, the light rail line will help to alleviate some of the traffic and air pollution.

And I have news for you - if I lived in an area where they were planning on putting a light rail line nearby, I'd be jumping for joy. Because that would mean I could use my car a lot less. Heck, I'm even thinking about moving to YOUR neighborhood just to be closer to this new mass transit!

[Steve]

If Mr. Goodmon, the Citizens’ Campaign to Fix Expo and Light Rail for Cheviot want the Expo line near them grade separated then I say fine as long as they're willing to pay all of the additional costs themselves. If they're not willing to "put their money where they're mouth is" then tough.

When BART was being built in the Bay Area most of the line through Berkley was going to be elevated. Berkley wanted the line in subway and to do this they agreed to pay the additional cost themselves. This should be no different.

If you want it, fine, you pay for it.

[Karina]

We are a community of 600 homeowners. We belong to the WGCA, which is located South of Pico, North of National and East of Overland and North of Midvale. Our properties are next to the Expo right-a-way. 90% of our homeowners do not want the Light Rail on the existing track (b/w Overland and Sepulveda) because MTA will never mitigate our concerns and this route does not provide fair public transportation to those who need it most. The LA city density population map indicates the lowest density population is on Overland right-a-way rout and the highest is on Venice/Sepulveda Blvd. The original MTA plan was to provide available public transportation to the people who most needed it in the highest density populated area (Venice/Sepulveda to SM).
With the MTA approval of the current at grade crossing at the Overland, Westwood and Sepulveda and the two additional parking lots on the Exposition Blvd. b/w Overland and Westwood our community will face a major public hazards: safety, traffic, air quality and noise pollution.

First – safety for our kids. Overland Blvd. (b/w Pico and National) accommodates 3 active schools, day cares, rec. center, park and library. Most of those kids must cross the Overland and Westwood to get to theirs homes. Train at grade is a disaster waiting to happen.

Second - At the last meeting, the Expo Authority clearly stated that no grade separation will be implemented on Overland, Westwood, and Sepulveda Blvd. Instead, two extra lanes will be added to each side of the Blvd. in order to accommodate the additional cars. The plan clearly stated that there are many turns on Westwood Blvd. and Overland Blvd. will be eliminated in order to accommodate the new cars and busses. Today those turns are the only ways for us to get to our homes. Therefore, people who live on those streets or adjacent streets will not able to get home. Residents who need to use Overland to pick up theirs kids from Palms’ day care, Notre Dame elementary and high school, Overland school will be forced to cut through residential streets even more often. Two parking lots behind our back yards will add to the traffic confusion and instability even more. Each 60 min, the cars, busses, and tracks will be in stagnant condition for at least 16 to 24 min. More buses will be put on Overland, Westwood and Sepulveda to provide the commuters to the final destinations.

Third - Air quality will decrease dramatically in our community. More cars, more, busses, more parked cars, more stop time, and more car's accelerating at the crossing gates on the Overland, Westwood and Sepulveda leads to more gas exhaust from the cars and busses. Overland, Westwood and Sepulveda are in very close proximity from each other
(100-150 yards). We already have two major freeways funning through our neighborhood and 4 majors Blvds. that surround our community (Pico, Sepulveda, National, and Overland). Every other child has some pulmonary disease. Scientific Public Health studies concluded that populations next to the free ways and major streets have 5 times higher pulmonary disease than any other population. Children are the most susceptible to the air and noise pollution.---How much can we take?

Fourth- Noise pollution. Train bells will be actively and loudly used twice during the crossing. Each active train will be crossing Overland and Westwood Blvd. every 5 min. The warning bells will be used every 2.5 min or 24 times in one hour. The LR warning Bells produce a noise around 85dB or higher. The Federal State standards allows in the residential area to have max level of 65dB outside and 45 inside. The best sound mitigation can only decrease the noise level to the 75dB. The frequency of the warning bell will exceed the mitigated noise due to close proximity of the two intersections (Overland and Westwood). The residential properties are less then 16 yards from the rail track. The train will operate from 4:30 am to 1:30 pm. As of today we have noise pollution above the Federal Standards due to the two-major Freeways, two major Blvds. and a S.M airport. With the train traveling at grade no sound mitigation can provide a noise level in the range of the Federal Regulation regulations.

I have been in the public health studies for many years and can provide a scientific studies that conclude that noise pollution is the reason for significant health problems to the general pollution and especially to the most sensitive one (children and older people). Along the existing right-of-way track - 80% population are a young families with at least 2 little children. A home day care for the infants is right next to the track. Most of the day our children play outside and they are the most sensitive population. They are the one who will be most affected by the Expo authority policy and decisions. Can the Expo mitigate the safety and health of our children the most sensitive population?

And last -In the last two weeks the MTA workers have extensively cleaned the Expo right a way corridor, b/w Overland and Westwood. And the soil was turnover extensively. You must know that during an old rail-road operation pesticides and herbicides were used extensively along the rail road to control the weeds. Those pesticides and herbicides were banned by the EPA due to extreme toxicity to the humans and especially to the children. Numerous public soil remediation studies have concluded that contaminated soil should not be moved or cleaned because during the remediation process the existing toxic chemicals will be released to the environment - air and/or ground water and will harm the community.
We have young families with kids who live a long this corridor. Those kids play in the back yard all the time. One of the houses has a child-care (12 month to 3 year old). The children spend a lot of time outside. MTA did not take any precautions to protect the children and the families from the possible adverse health effect due to the soil turnover. A simple warning to stay inside during the expo cleaning hours, or keeping the window closed or washing the hands after playing in the back yard could dramatically reduce the adverse health effect.

Today at 9:00 am, an MTA’s contractor was spraying a herbicides all over the Expo track including the back of our back yard. The herbicides where sprayed from a big truck. The odor and the wet aerosol drops were all over my backyard. There is a day care right next to the rail track and children were playing outside. It is illegal to spray hazardous chemicals without public warning. Now instead of air we are inhaling a poison chemicals. How can we trust the MTA authority if a simple warning was not delivered to us. You may consider us, the people who lives right next to the Expo track (100s families and more) an insignificant population. But my family is significant to me. Do you and your family want to consider an insignificant?
We want the Expo LR be built right and safe and FRIENDLY TO ALL of US and not just for the people who are passing through our neighborhood.

Sincerely,

Karina

[Tommy]

You Cheviot Hills people are NIMBYs, plain and simple. Just look at the person who said, "The light rail will add a huge stress factor to OUR current traffic situation. It's not solving OUR problems" (emphasis added). That is the very definition of NIMBYism. You are talking about traffic problems in your neighborhood, as if your neighborhood were the only one that mattered. But do you not understand that traffic is a problem throughout the ENTIRE REGION? That this light rail could potentially remove a significant enough percentage of people from the 10 to actually make that freeway manageable? I am sorry that you may be adversely affected by the Expo line, but the greater good of LA county is at stake.

[Dan W.]

"Our area is a community and a light rail DOES NOT BELONG IN A COMMUNITY."

----------------

LOL.

Delusional and misinformed NIMBY-ism at its worst.

Light rail will hardly disrupt the community. It will actually help the community. As Los Angeles' car culture continues its slow but inevitable decline, it will help this community, because it will allow its residents and visitors to travel to and from it.

If you buy a home near a rail right-of-way, you do so with the understanding that at some point that rail line may become active again. That time is now. Just because someone mispredicted the future doesn't mean the common good should be thwarted for everyone.

[Dan W.]

"Why not build underground? Other big city's in the US have wonderful subway systems that run smoothly, do not cause as many deaths as a light rail, and do not cause major devastation to surrounding neighborhoods. DO IT THE RIGHT WAY, EXPO!"

If this were proposed as a full subway project, it would never have gotten this far, or possibly even approved. It wouldn't have been built until AFTER the Purple Line was extended to Santa Monica and maybe even a Santa Monica Blvd. and Sepulveda rail project. Which, of course, would make the remaining NIMBYs in Cheviot Hills very happy.

We do need world class subways in Los Angeles, but that's not what this line was proposed to be nor will it be that.

And all these "deaths". What a straw dog. How many people are killed by cars every day? Are you advocating taking the roads away? I didn't think so.

If Santa Monica can have at grade crossings, then I hardly think this entire line should be underground.

Put in a few extra grade crossings if the money can be found, but build it period.

----------------------

"Why should the light rail pass through the right of way, along beautiful, quiet homes, full of children walking home from school, and families playing outside with their kids? You have to understand that this is a family-oriented neighborhood and a light rail has no reason to pass through here. "

Boo hoo hoo. It's no longer possible to live a low density suburban-within-urban lifestyle everywhere in Los Angeles. Welcome to the 21st Century.

As as for your "family" neighborhood -- is this imiplying that those of us who ride transit don't have or belong to families? This is that "I don't want those people in my neighborhood" argument again. Get over it.

Accessibility to Light rail will actually INCREASE the value of your properties as the car culture continues its decline.

People who buy homes near a rail right-of-way do so with the understanding that at some time that rail line may become active. NOW is that time. If someone didn't do their research before buying a home to know it was near a rail right-of-way or if they just assumed the Los Angeles car culture would last forever and the rail right-of-way would never be used, and they don't like that it now will be used, that is just too bad for them.

[Terri Tippit]

Years ago before Expo was divided into two phases and was one line,
Culver City City Council did not support it going through their city.
The City Council and the Redevelopment Agency passed resolutions that
do do not allow at-grade crossings anywhere in CC or any elevated
crossings in any residential area. MTA's original design, what would
have been cheaper at-grade crossings. went through the EIR and were
approved, only to have to redesign the entire end of the line to
accommodate CC. They then used $54 million of Prop1-B funds to pay for
it.

When LAUSD asked for grade separations for the safety of 2300 students
at Dorsey and 3500 kids at Foshay, Expo Authority said only if they
oculd pay for it themselves. No child in Culver City will be crossing
tracks, nor will a single car.

The communities west and east of Culver City in the city of Los Angeles
want the same standard applied to their communities.

[Elan]

The city of Pasadena is SUING GOLD LINE because Gold Line lied to them, just like Expo is lying to us now about Phase 2. Their homes are shaking everytime the light rail passes by, and home structures are falling apart as a result.

My home is by the row and it's not right for them to force upon us this noisy, ugly, crime-magnet they call a "light rail," that is destroying homes in other areas. The row may be Expo's property, but my property is at stake, too.

And they want to do all this at grade level? This all sounds like a development deal to me, rather than an acutal solution to traffic congestion. This light rail is only going to slow our city down because it's not being done right.

Why not build underground? Other big city's in the US have wonderful subway systems that run smoothly, do not cause as many deaths as a light rail, and do not cause major devastation to surrounding neighborhoods. DO IT THE RIGHT WAY, EXPO!

[Frida]

Why should the light rail pass through the right of way, along beautiful, quiet homes, full of children walking home from school, and families playing outside with their kids? You have to understand that this is a family-oriented neighborhood and a light rail has no reason to pass through here. Ridership here will be very poor, since we are made up of single family homes.

The Venice-Sepulveda route runs along a flourishing business district, where ridership will be incredibly higher. Plus, Venice takes riders all the way to the pier.

Moreover, the light rail will bring crime, noise and increased traffic to the residents who along the right of way. It will provide child predators with quick, cheap access to Overland Avenue Elementary School and Notre Dame Academy.

Additionally, Expo will be chopping be down dozens of trees to widen Westwood Blvd. I thought this project was a "green project"? Since when does a green project take down trees?

If they are going to build this, they need to do it the right way. If they are going to spend our tax dollars, they need to do it appropriately. A much more sensible solution would be a subway. Expo needs to think about the future of our city and a subway would be incredibly beneficial to the city. A subway would support our increasing population growth much more than any light rail could.

[Talia]

If you don't live by the right of way, you have no clue what is waiting for those of us who do. Have any of you driven on Overland Ave. to get on the 10-freeway and had to wait in bumper to bumper traffic, inching your way all the way down? Now, add a light rail to the mix, which is going to shut down traffic in both directions for 25 minutes out of every hour! The light rail will add a HUGE stress factor to our current traffic situation. It's not solving our problems, and it's not even mending them - it will worsen traffic.

Plus, at the Expo meeting they announced that parking on Overland Ave. would be restricted on either side, to open up an additional lane. First of all, once you add a lane and people become aware of it, everyone starts avoiding their normal routes to use the newly expanded street, which will lead us right back to sqaure one. Second, people LIVE on Overland Ave. They do not have driveways - they park on the street, in front of their homes. Where are they supposed to park once parking is restricted in front of their own homes? How would you like to come home late at night, after a long day at work, and have to park a mile from your own home? This is unsound and unsafe for us.

Also, they announced at the meeting that the light rail through Overland and Westwood would be at grade -- right through Overland Ave. Elementary School, Norte Dame Academy, and Palms-Rancho Park Library (ALL located on Overland Ave!!). Did you know that the Blue Line caused 91 deaths? How can Expo insist to build at grade by our students? They also mentioned that noise levels will be at its GREATEST decibel at Overland! Would you like your own children to have a noisy light rail pass every 2.5 minutes while your child is trying to earn their education??

This project is ridiculous. They are ignoring so many crucial aspects that would impact the community that lives by the right of way. LEAVE US ALONE!! Go to Venice, where no one is opposed.

Lastly, this all stems froms the selfish city of Santa Monica. Well, Santa Monica, just because you have problems, DON'T MAKE THEM OURS. Our area is a community and a light rail DOES NOT BELONG IN A COMMUNITY.

[Brian]

Whats with all these people saying the Expo will be obsolete once the Purple Line is complete? It won't be obsolete because people will still use it because its closer to their homes. Why would someone like me, who lives off of Western/Expo, go all the way to the Purple Line when I hnave Expo a block away from my house? You know, there are other people who need LRT near them. Its all just a part of the bigger map. More lightrail lines and more elevated rail lines going in every direction here in Los Angeles!

[Alan K. Weeks]

What is it about Americans that love a "Tug of War'? We seem to have these NIMBY wars going on for years. In Los Angeles it takes over ten years to plan and build a Light Rail Line. Here were are squabling over crossings. Under ground or above ground. Subway or Monorail. It
is just nuts. The Chinese Government is building 38 Light Rail Lines in Cities all across China. I am sure they don't go through this same pathetic process. They will just build the lines because they are needed. Then the people will come and ride. No meetings no fuss. We really do not need 500 NIMBY Transit experts to design the Expo Line. Please lets just build the line and start using it while we are all still alive.

Alan Weeks

[Fred Camino]

Joel West said: "Morgan is exactly right — what is needed is the subway to the sea which (like in NYC or Chicago) will take riders long distances at a speed approaching that of a car."

Average speed of subway trains in NYC and London are 20mph. A ride on the 21.8 mile Red Line in Chicago takes 1hr 10 minutes at best, for an average speed of 18.5 mph.

The "dreadfully slow" Gold Line actually has an average speed of 29mph. The uber-fast totally underground grade separated Red Line averages about 31mph. Even the Blue Line, which essentially runs in the street and stops at traffic signals on its last leg averages 25mph.

If it takes the Expo Line 45 minutes to make its 15.2 mile journey from Downtown to Santa Monica, it's average speed will be 20mph, the same as underground rail in NYC and London.

[James Monroe, Jr.]

In response to Mr. Bob Zwolinski comments, I must respectfully disagree. Just because something worked 60 YEARS AGO in Chicago, it does not mean it will work today. Smoking cigarettes worked 60 years ago, but does it today? Please do your research next time before making such unbased conclusions. The proposed transit system it outdated, impractical, and unbased. It solves none of the city's major concerns, including the main ones: traffic and economy.

[Joel West]

The problem is that the Expo is useless as an East-West line from downtown to Water Gardens. No one wants to sit in a grade-level trolley (or a bus) that takes an hour to go from downtown to Santa Monica. San Jose made this same mistake — detouring via downtown city streets to serve influential land owners rather than at high speed down the center of Hwy 87 — and has the low ridership to go along with this mistake. (cf. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BATN/message/11742)

Morgan is exactly right — what is needed is the subway to the sea which (like in NYC or Chicago) will take riders long distances at a speed approaching that of a car. Unless MTA elevates trains above major freeways (an alternative I argued for 28 years ago) the only place to put high speed trains across the Westside is in a tunnel. At $1+ billion/mile, it isn't going to be cheap, but (as noted) it isn't getting any cheaper.

In the meantime, the Expo authority should approve whatever route gets people quickest from one end to the other. The faster the line, the more riders to pay the capital costs — and, BTW, more riders not driving, clogging the freeways and adding to CO levels in the basin.

[Steve]

The Cheviot Hills HOA ("Smart Rail"? - give me a break) is classic NIMBYism. I'd rather they admit that and fight the rail line truthfully. Taking the Venice Blvd. route would be a HUGE mistake, as the street has too many x-streets and would add countless unneeded minutes to a trip. There may be more people on Venice but building an elevated structure would cost TENS OF MILLIONS MORE than the existing ROW through CH. I will be less likely to ride the EXPO line if it goes through Venice. Who needs the inconvenience?!?!?

[Luis]

It's a geat idea, but it is already causing traffic hell on many streets. MTA should just wait until September.

I already took a good look of Exposition Boulevard and it looks great!!!

[Culver Citizen]

I live near the terminus of Expo phase 1, and along the right of way approaching the terminus. I will be furious if any group blocks phase 1 or phase 2. This light rail will be a boon to every Westside neighborhood it touches. Just serving Sony and the Water Garden, and connecting the Westside to USC and downtown, will significantly improve the lives of tens of thousands of commuters. If it stops in Culver City, however, it will only be a shade better than the pathetic downtown to Western and Wilshire spur.