Metro to Hold Six Public Scoping Meetings in April for Westside Subway Extension Project

Friday April 10, 2009

Metro (Metro) has added a sixth public scoping meeting for the Westside Subway Extension project, and invites public participation and input as the agency moves into its environmental review process.

A new meeting for the Koreatown – Mid-Wilshire – Wilshire Center area has been added on April 22. A complete listing of meetings is as follows:

• Wilshire/Fairfax area, Monday, April 13, 6 – 8 p.m., Los Angeles County Museum of Art West Terrace Room, 5th Floor, 5905 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA. Served by Metro lines 20, 720, 920, 217 and 780. Validated vehicle parking is available in the underground structure located at Sixth Street and Ogden Drive
• City of West Hollywood, Tuesday, April 14, 6 – 8 p.m., Plummer Park, 7377 Santa Monica Boulevard (at Plummer Place), West Hollywood, CA. Served by Metro Line 4. Free vehicle and bike parking is available at the location.
• City of Beverly Hills, Thursday, April 16, 6 – 8 p.m., Beverly Hills Public Library, Auditorium, 2nd Floor, 444 N Rexford Drive, Beverly Hills, CA. Served by Metro Lines 4, 14, 16, 704. Free 2-hour parking available in the adjacent structure.
• Westwood area, Monday, April 20, 6 – 8 p.m., Westwood Presbyterian Church, 10822 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA. Served by Metro Lines 20, 720, 920. Free parking available at the location.
• Koretown/Mid-Wilshire/Wilshire Center Area, Wednesday, April 22, 5 – 7 p.m. (note different time), Wilshire United Methodist Church, 4350 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles
• City of Santa Monica, Thursday, April 23, 6 – 8 p.m., Santa Monica Public Library, 601 Santa Monica Boulevard, Santa Monica, CA. Served by Metro Lines 4, 20, 33, 333, and 720 and Santa Monica Big Blue Bus Lines 1, 2, 3, 7, 8, 9, 10 .Validated vehicle and bike parking is available.

The scoping meetings initiate the Draft Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report (Draft EIS/EIR) process that was authorized by the Metro Board of Directors last January. This project is slated to receive partial funding from Measure R, the half-cent sales tax increase approved by voters last November.

Two “Build” alternatives are moving forward for analysis in the Draft EIS/EIR: a Wilshire Subway (Alternative 1) that extends the Metro Purple Line via Wilshire Boulevard, and; a Wilshire/West Hollywood Subway (Alternative 11) that incorporates all of the Wilshire Subway and also includes a spur from the Metro Red Line in Hollywood via Santa Monica Boulevard. A “No Build” alternative and a “Transportation Systems Management” alternative are also being considered as a required part of the environmental review process.

In January 2009, the Metro Board approved the two Build alternatives for further environmental review and preliminary engineering. At the conclusion of this phase of evaluation for the project, the Metro Board of Directors will be asked to select a Locally Preferred Alternative (LPA). Selection of an LPA precedes final environmental review, final engineering and construction.

Content presented at these meetings will be identical, so members of the public can attend on the day and location most convenient for them.

For additional information or questions, please visit the Westside Subway Extension Project web site at metro.net/westside or contact the project information line at 213.922.6934.