Have a beef with the Expo Line's second phase?

If so, you've been granted two extra weeks to make a comment on the draft plan to build the Expo Line between Culver City and Santa Monica. The deadline has been pushed back from March 13 to March 27 on the project -- not a bad thing since it can fairly be described as hugely controversial.

The Santa Monica City Council, for example, recently weighed in and said it would rather the train go to Colorado Street instead of Olympic Boulevard, which would route it near the Crossroads School and require a few dozen coral trees to be ripped out of the median. The council also doesn't want a maintenance yard to be located in Santa Monica because a residential neighborhood is across the street. As an alternative, the council recommends putting it in neighboring Los Angeles near where the tracks cross under the 405 Freeway.

You can read the draft environmental impact report on the project at the Expo Line Construction Authority's website, which includes a page where you can submit your comment.

What's so controversial about the line? A variety of residents have argued about the route (Colorado or Olympic in Santa Monica, and Venice/Sepulveda or existing right-of-way in Los Angeles), how it will cross streets in L.A. (over, under or at street level), the amount of parking (way too little or extremely too little) and other issues involving aesthetics, need, safety and cost. Outside of that, everyone is in agreement!

--Steve Hymon

Comments

[Bob Zwolinski]

I still can’t believe the political hell we have to go through to get a stinkin’ light rail line built in this town! I have been desperately waiting for this line to be built since the MTA purchased the ROW almost 2 decades ago!
I am a Santa Monica homeowner living near Olympic & 14th. I would prefer the line to go down the median of Olympic rather than take lanes of traffic away from Colorado.
The coral trees are aesthetically benign and do nothing to the horribly ugly, industrial visage. The few proposed grade separations will greatly improve its running-time as well.
As for safety issues for Crossroad’s students, I’m sure they’re well educated enough to not get hit by a car, truck, bus or train while crossing Olympic Blvd. There is virtually no pedestrian activity on Olympic in Santa Monica. No one’s going to get hurt. You will definitely know when a train is coming.
As for the proposed rail yard, I have no comment. I wouldn’t have an issue living by one. I’m sure much of the adverse issues will be mitigated.
I hope the NIMBYs won’t cause too much hell, …but I’m well aware they already have!

[lsm]

Aw, come on, Bob Z. You CLAIM to be a homeowner near Expo II, but you completely blew your cover when you forgot to feign concern about school children in your neighborhood, threaten to file lawsuits to protect school children along Expo I, demand the tracks in your neighborhood be tunneled for several miles, insist the MTA do a feasibility study to gerrymander the tracks along a semicircle at least three miles away from your house and rail against the neighborhood discrimination posed by the proposed rail yard. You also forgot to demand ongoing subsidies for your roads and parking. Next you will probably claim you were not part of the proud group of nearly one-third of LA County voters who almost successfully voted down Prop R.