Bring the subway to the westside

Bring the subway to the westside! Metro's holding public meetings this month  to discuss possibly extending the Red or Purple line  -- maybe all the way to Santa Monica.

If you live, work, or play west of Western Ave., this affects you. So join your fellow Angelenos who're tired of gridlock and ready to get out of their cars. After hearing the pros and cons of various different transit modes -- Rapid buses on bus-only lanes, subway, light rail, and aerial heavy rail -- you'll have a chance to put in your two cents on the plan.

All meetings'll run from 6 pm - 8 pm; I'm planning to go to the Santa Monica one. MetroRiderLA has public transit details for all meetings:

* Tue., Oct. 9: Emerson Middle School, 1650 Selby Ave., West LA.

* Thu., Oct. 11, Pan Pacific Recreation Center, 7600 Beverly Blvd., LA.

* Tue., Oct. 16, Wilshire United Methodist Church, 4350 Wilshire Blvd., LA.

* Wed., Oct. 17, Beverly Hills Public Library Auditorium, 444 N. Rexford Dr., Beverly Hills.

* Thu., Oct. 18, Santa Monica Public Library, 601 Santa Monica Blvd., Santa Monica.

Can't attend? Then get your comments in before Nov. 1, 2007, via this web form.

Plus -- If you're in front of your computer at noon on Oct. 17, chat with Metro Board Chair Pam O’Connor about your best transit ideas -- and about Metro's "traffic-busting plans for Los Angeles County."

Photo by Jonathan Pobre via Flickr

Comments

[Paul]

Here's the actual link to the comment form:

http://www.metro.net/projects_programs/westside/form.htm

[Siel]

Thanks for catching that -- Just updated the link on the post :)

[Dan W.]

Everyone should read the MTA’s Westside Extension webpages for some backup information. I’ve already written my sugestion letter in case I cannot attend one of the public hearings.

http://www.mta.net/projects_programs/westside/default.htm

The Purple Line is most likely to take the following route west from Western/Wilshire based on what I read:

Crenshaw/Wilshire
LaBrea/Wilshire
Fairfax/Wilshire
LaCienega/Wilshire
Beverly Dr./Wilshire
Santa Monica/Wilshire
Century City
Westwood/Santa Monica
Westwood/Wilshire
Veteran’s Hospital
Barrington/Wilshire
Bundy/Wilshire
26th St./Wilshire
14th St./Wilshire
4th St./Wilshire
Santa Monica Transit Terminal

I was heartened to see the possibility of extending the Red Line west from Hollywood/Highland.

There has to be some sort of connector to Santa Monica Blvd. running from Hollywood/Beverly Hills through West Hollywood.

Possible stops from Hollywood/Highland would be:

Sunset/LaBrea
Santa Monica/Fairfax
Santa Monica/LaCienega
Santa Monica/San Vicente
Santa Monica/Canyon
Santa Monica/Wilshire
Century City

I suggested an alternative for that “connector” which is being informally referred to as the ‘Pink Line” by more people now.

If it went from Hollywood/Highland to Sunset/LaBrea to Santa Monica/Fairfax to Santa Monica/La Cienega, but then headed south to Beverly/La Cienega to Wilshire/La Cienega to Olympic/La Cienega to Pico/La Cienga to Venice/La Cienega and ended at the Expo line, it would allow for a convenient north/south line connecting the city alongside the 323/310 split. This connector could eventually be extended down LaCienega to LAX from the north.

Connectivity is very important. Each connection and possible transfer increases the value of the line exponentially.

I chose La Cienega over Fairfax because La Cienega is more of a half-way point between Vermont and Sepulveda and I think more people would be served by it.

I chose Santa Monica over Sunset for the Fairfax and La Cienega stops because I think more people would be served by it, and West Hollywood would lobby to be fully included in the system.

Assuming the Purple Line and the connector through West Hollywood are finished and the Green Line is extended to the airport, then the Green Line should be extended further north up Sepulveda to UCLA and into the Valley, connecting with the Purple (w/Pink), Expo, Orange Lines and Metrolink, numerous Rapid Bus lines, and dozens of local bus lines. This would be the creation of a "system." Additional lines bring exponential benefit, not just lateral benefit.

The BRU will fight it because the Purple Line would mean the end of their campaign for a socialist, bus-only transit system utopia. Single-occupancy motorists trying to hold onto the past will fight it because they cannot brings themselves to acknowledge that the golden age of single-occupancy motoring in Los Angeles is behind us forever.

We who support Southern California’s economic and environmental sustainability will have to keep advocating to our elected officials until it is completed. No more balancing the state budget on the back of needed transportation projects.

[manuel]

I agree with all the things he said. But hurry up with the 405 line! huhu. I am tired of the traffic on the pass. How about theses stops for the 405 line: Santa monica/405, sunset/405 ventura/sepulveda, 405/orange line, roscoe/405, Nordoff/sepulveda. These new transit lines have to go faster than 80 mph.

[Dan Wentzel]

Extending the Green Line northward, I'd pick:

LAX Transit Center
Fox Hills Mall (Jefferson/Slauson)
Washington/Culver
Venice
Pico / Westwood (transfer to Expo Line)
Olympic
Santa Monica (transfer t0 Purple Line)
Wilshire (transfer to Purple Line)
UCLA
Getty Center
Mulholland
Ventura Bvd.
Magnolia
Victory Blvd (transfer to Orange Line)
Sherman
Vannuys Metrolink Station

The line could also go South from LAX to the Long Beach Aiport.

--------

I wonder if it is worth, because of the great distance involved, having the 405 line be Metrolink Service. It could go from Orange County Airport, to the Orange County Metrolink Line to the Long Beach Aiprot to the Blue Line
to LAX to the Expo Line, the Purple Line, Ventura Blvd., the Orange Line and Van Nuys Metrolink. Metrolink has greater capacity and needs to run every 10-12 minutes, not every 45 minutes..

Many cities have unlimited ride passes that allow people to ride any type of rail or bus within a paticular zone. A 405 Metrolink that allows people to ride with their MTA pass would be very popular.

But, a Green Line extension into the Valley is probably more politically feasible. But let's get this Purple Line going! Start with letters to your elected officials to fund it and not balance the budget by cutting funds for it.

[zz ziled]

October 3, 2007

"Crenshaw Blvd: The not-so talked about transit corridor"

Full Article @:
http://laist.com/2007/10/03/crenshaw_blvd_t.php
-----------------------------------------------
The community meetings are as follows:

Monday, October 15
6 to 8 p.m.
Darby Park
3400 W. Arbor Vitae St.
Inglewood, CA 90305
(310) 412-5391

Wednesday, October 17
6 to 8 p.m.

Nate Holden Performing Arts Center
4718 W. Washington Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90016
(323) 964-9768

Saturday, October 20
9 to 11 a.m.
Audubon Middle School
4120 11th Street
Los Angeles, CA 90008
(323) 290-6300

At the beginning of each meeting, there will be an open house format where Metro will provide the public opportunities to speak with project representatives and view study display maps. After a project presentation, including its purpose and need, Metro will request public input through the submission of written and verbal comments.

Those unable to attend the meetings can submit their comments by writing to Alan Patashnick, Metro Planning Director South Bay Area, Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro), Mail Stop 99-22-3, One Gateway Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90012. Comments may also be submitted through e-mail at patashnickalan@metro.net or by phone on the project information line at (213) 922-2736. Comments should be received no later than Monday, November 5, 2007.

[Brad]

I know I'm late to post but The Transit Coalition is a non-profit that deals with Los Angeles transportation issues. I just listened to a presentation by their director, Bart Reed, and was very impressed with his vision for LA's future (especially in terms of light rail). There are a lot of possibilities; hopefully the political will, and money, will be there as our population keeps increasing.

http://thetransitcoalition.us/

The MTA and several regional agencies offer an EZ Transit pass that's good on almost every service in the basin (MetroLink being the major exception).

http://www15.serrahost.com/mtanet/Detail.bok?no=30