Metro Approves Final Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report (Final EIS/EIR)
Metro has approved the Final Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report (Final EIS/EIR) for the 9-mile extension of the Metro Rail Purple Line subway. Beginning at the current Wilshire/Western station, it is planned that the project will add seven new stations:
- Wilshire/La Brea
- Wilshire/Fairfax
- Wilshire/La Cienega
- Wilshire/Rodeo
- Century City
- Westwood/UCLA
- Westwood/Veterans Administration (VA) Hospital
Background
Over the past 30 years, tremendous population growth, employment growth, worsening congestion, changing land use and traffic patterns, as well as Metro’s growing challenge to meet transit demands, have all led to the need to improve mobility on the Westside of Los Angeles.
In fall 2007, Metro began an Alternatives Analysis Study (AA) for the Westside Extension Transit Corridor. Over a year-and-a-half, the AA considered whether transit improvement was needed in the area and evaluated different types of transit improvements and alignments. The AA concluded in January 2009 when the Metro Board of Directors decided to move forward with the Draft Environmental Impact Study/Environmental Impact Report (Draft EIS/EIR), which analyzed five subway alternatives.
The Draft EIS/EIR began in Spring 2009 to assess the impacts of alternatives both during construction and once the system is operating, and to look at possible mitigation measures. Issues addressed as the alternatives were refined included decisions about station locations and ultimate alignments. The Draft EIS/EIR process concluded in October 2010 with Metro’s staff recommendation for a Locally Preferred Alternative (LPA) to enter into the Final EIS/EIR process.
In Fall 2010, Metro authorized the preparation of the Final Environment Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report (Final EIS/EIR) to refine the Board-selected LPA, alignment, station and entrance locations, ridership data, costs; mitigation measures and responses to comments on the Draft EIS/EIR document. The Final EIS/EIR was released in March 2012 for public review. In April 2012, the Metro Board of Directors certified the Final EIS/EIR and approved the first phase of the project extending it to La Cienega. In May 2012, the Metro Board approved the second and third phases of the subway extending it to the Westwood/VA Hospital.
Metro and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) are partnering to meet the requirements of both the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) in the environmental assessment of the Westside Subway Extension project.
Project Schedule
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Release of Final EIS/EIR for public review & Public Open Houses
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March 2012
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Metro Board Approval & Certification of Final EIS/EIR
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April & May 2012
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Secure Record of Decision (ROD) and request federal “New Starts” funding
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Spring 2012*
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Secure federal funding, complete engineering, prepare bid documents, award construction contracts, begin pre‐construction activities (surveys, utility relocation, etc.), and complete Final Design.
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2012/2013*
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Begin construction
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2013*
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*Anticipated future dates
More Information
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Westside Extension Transit Corridor Overview
Last Revised:
Wednesday June 13, 2012
