[WrightCONCEPT]

Originally Posted by bzcat

Do you think WeHo will buy off on an E-W spur line on Santa Monica Blvd while the N-S alignment goes via La Brea?

I strongly doubt that the City will except that considering they feel they were the strongest supporters of the two recent sales tax measures. Unless it is a streetcar that only serves their city limits to which they use their funding as a down payment for it and Metro contributes the rest as a consolation.

I think a lot of us have this understanding that Santa Monica Blvd probably should be its own transit corridor AND that La Brea is the one of the most logical N-S route.

If WeHo get a spur line that connects to Hollywood Highland and that spur line can eventually be upgraded into a proper E-W line, that should provide Metro with political capital to choose the most logical N-S route. Of course the budget will be even higher but I think total ridership will be significant higher as well. And you can definitely have phased segments if you build the spur line.

Think of a spur line as phase 1 of Venice Beach to DTLA line... so eventually, it will go something like this: Venice Blvd to La Cienega Blvd to Santa Monica Blvd to Sunset Blvd to DTLA where it could connect with West Santa Ana Branch to Artesia.

Here's the issue with our fantasy lines, saybanana is exactly right, they need to be part of a Long Range Transportation Planning (LRTP) document as a strategic unfunded project for their to be even consideration and even then it is part of pecking order of other Regional projects as the poster noted;

Originally Posted by saybanana

I know everyone is having their fantasy maps on possible lines, but the reality is this N-S is the only line in the next 30 years. If La Brea is picked then West Hollywood will not have any line until 50+ years from now. West Hollywood knows it and thats why they want the line there. Plus I bet they want a line that goes directly to LAX rather than have to do a transfer.

There are just way too many projects on the wait list waiting for money and the longer it is the more expensive they will become especially very costly LAX-Valley route. Even the better spend rail line on Vermont Ave is downgraded to a BRT. No money to upgrade the Orange Line to rail. So talking about a Pink Line is just fantasy at this point.

Right now, what is in the LRTP document is "Crenshaw Corridor Northern Extension to Hollywood" there is nothing that says "Santa Monica-Sunset Blvd High Capacity Transit Corridor" or even a "Venice Boulevard Transit Corridor"

So it really doesn't matter that I could think of it this long line as from Venice to Artesia via Culver City, WeHo, Hollywood, Downtown LA etc.

What matters is that those lines need to be included in that LRTP document.