L.A. Metro To Release Draft Environmental Document For Westside Subway Extension Project September 3 - Five public hearings scheduled Sept. 20-29
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) will release its Draft Environmental Impact Statement/Report (EIS/R) for the Westside Subway Extension Friday, September 3 and encourages public comment at a series of public hearings now scheduled in September.
The Westside Subway Extension, a Measure R-funded transportation project, would extend Los Angeles’ subway system to the Westwood area. The Draft EIS/R evaluates alternatives that would extend the subway from the current Metro Purple Line Wilshire/Western subway terminus, as well as a potential connection to the Metro Red Line at Hollywood/Highland.
Members of the public can participate in one of five hearings to learn more about current project alternatives, and to register their comments or questions. The hearing on September 20 and 27 will be available by live webcast.
Monday, September 20, 6-8 p.m., Los Angeles County Museum of Art West – Terrace Room, 5th Floor, 5905 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90036. Served by Metro Lines 20, 720, 920, 217 & 780. Validated vehicle parking is available in the Museum’s 6th Street underground garage. Enter from 6th and Ogden. Spanish and Korean translation will be provided. A live webcast of this meeting will be provided at metro.net/westside.
Tuesday, September 21, 6-8 p.m., Westwood United Methodist Church – Fellowship Hall, 3rd Floor, 10497 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90024. Served by Metro Line 20. Free parking is available below Belmont Village, the building east of the Sanctuary. From Wilshire Blvd., use the Belmont Village driveway and proceed under the overhang to the underground parking lot. Park on levels P2, P3 or P4 and take the church elevator in the southwest corner of the parking lot. There will be signs to direct you to the meeting room. Spanish translation will be provided.
Wednesday, September 22, 6-8 p.m., Plummer Park – Community Center, 7377 Santa Monica Boulevard, West Hollywood, CA 90046. Served by Metro Line 4. Free vehicle and bike parking is available. Russian translation will be provided.
Monday, September 27, 6-8 p.m., Roxbury Park – Auditorium, 471 S. Roxbury Drive, Beverly Hills, CA 90212. Served by Metro Line 28 and Santa Monica Big Blue Bus Line 5. Metered parking is available along Roxbury Drive. Spanish translation will be provided. A live webcast of this meeting will be provided at metro.net/westside.
Wednesday, September 29, 6-8 p.m., Santa Monica Main Library, 601 Santa Monica Boulevard, Santa Monica, CA 90401. Served by Metro Lines 4, 20, 333 & 720 and Santa Monica Big Blue Bus Lines 1, 2, 3, 7, 8, 9, and 10. Validated vehicle and free bike parking is available. Spanish translation will be provided.
Special ADA accommodations will be available to the public for Metro-sponsored meetings. All requests for reasonable accommodations must be made at least three working days (72 hours) in advance of the scheduled meeting date. Please call the project information line at 213-922-6934. The TDD line is 800-252-9040.
The Draft EIS/R will be available for a 45-day public review period beginning September 3 and concluding October 18. The Metro Board of Directors is expected to consider the Draft EIS/R and select a Locally Preferred Alternative (LPA) at its October meeting following the public comment period. The LPA is the project that will proceed through final environmental review, preliminary engineering and also compete for federal “New Starts” matching funds. The project is partially funded in the Measure R half-cent sales tax, and is included in the 30/10 Initiative, which seeks to accelerate the completion of 12 countywide transportation projects within 10 years.
The Draft EIS/R will be available for review by visiting www.metro.net/westside and copies made available for review at selected libraries within the project area starting Sept. 3. A list of libraries containing the draft document will be made available on the project web site.
Public comments on the Draft EIS/EIR will be accepted through October 18, 2010. Comments may be submitted via e-mail to westsideextension@metro.net. Alternately, comments can be sent by U.S. mail to: David Mieger, Project Director, One Gateway Plaza, 99-22-5 Los Angeles, CA, 90012. The public also will be able to comment on Metro’s web site (metro.net/westside) by clicking on “contact us.”
