No PUC decision on Expo Line street crossings today

State officials have postponed making a decision today on two controversial street crossings for the Expo Line light rail in South Los Angeles.

The California Public Utilities Commission was scheduled to decide how best for the light rail line to cross Farmdale Avenue next to Dorsey High School and a pedestrian tunnel adjacent to the Foshay Learning Center.

The Expo Line Construction Authority wants to build the rail line at street level, while the Los Angeles Unified School District and community activists say that would pose a danger to students trying to cross the street. Among the solutions they've proposed is putting the rail underground or on a bridge at one -- or possibly both -- of the locations. 

The PUC wanted more time to consider the matter, said an agency spokesperson. This is the second consecutive month that the PUC has postponed hearing the issue. Its next meeting is Feb. 20.

Here's a link to the long, long written record of the issue on the PUC website, including recent submissions from all interested parties.

-- Steve Hymon

Comments

[Richard]

Funny how the people in the neighborhoods where the Expo Line is don't know how to use crosswalks!

[Andre Freimann]

I'ts LIGHT RAIL people... not some slow moving streetcar. One only has to look at the dismal failure of the GOLD line's at-grade crossings or any other at-grade crossing to see that in the long run, at grade crossings are dangerous and slow down traffic for all methods of transportation. To save a few $$ it's not the way to go. Grade separation is the right thing to do and in the long run will make rail more efficient and safe.

[Alan K. Weeks]

It is all very sad that several groups of NIMBY's and the Los Angeles School system have hog tied the California Public Utilities Commission for two years.The School system and other opposition groups must have spent millions in fighting the Metro Construction Authority to block a grade crossing. There are hundreds of thousands of grade crossing in seventy five or more countries that operate safely. They don't draw histerical NIMBY's who are afraid to leave their house because of mortal danger in crossing the street. I think the School Board should have spent all the legal fees on School Lunches for the poor. Perhaps the Public Utilities Commission should dig up King Solamon to help them make a decision. They have postponed the decision for over six months. The longer they wait more people will come to object to any crossing. How did we ever get this disfuncitional?

[GM]

Mr. Freimann: Could you provide documentation on the "...dismal failure of the GOLD line's at-grade crossings?" I may be missing something, but I believe this to be a totally false statement.

[pitbullstew]

this whole project coulda-woulda -shoulda been a monorail the whole way!
what a mess.