Never mind....:
Looking for a Connection
Some See Proposed Transit Project as Downtown's Missing Link
by Anna Scott
Depending on who you ask, Downtown Los Angeles in 15 years - with the completion of L.A. Live, the $2 billion Grand Avenue plan and thousands of residential units - could either be a quagmire of congestion or a model of urban planning.
The Gold Line currently runs from Pasadena to Union Station, and is being extended to East L.A. A new plan for a Downtown Regional Connector would help people navigate between the Gold, Blue and coming Expo lines. Photo by Gary Leonard.
Hoping to contribute toward the latter, the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority is in the early stage of planning a project that would connect the four light-rail lines that will eventually traverse Downtown, creating more direct routes throughout L.A.
The Downtown Regional Connector would create a link between the Gold Line, which opened in 2003 and connects Pasadena to Union Station; the upcoming Gold Line Eastside Extension, which will continue the route through East L.A., with completion expected in 2009; the Blue Line, which runs between Long Beach and a station at Seventh and Flower streets; and the future Expo Line, which will also feature a Seventh and Flower stop as it stretches to Culver City.
Metro officials recently launched a study of various options for the proposed connector, including an aboveground or at-grade light-rail or a subway. The study area encompasses approximately two square miles, roughly bounded by the 101 and 110 freeways, Alameda Street and Seventh or Ninth streets.
The proposal is estimated to cost between $250 million and $800 million, said Metro project manager Dolores Roybal, who added that no attempts have yet been made to identify funding sources. The system is likely at least 10 years away, she said.
Nonetheless, at a series of public meetings held by Metro over the past few weeks, the proposal has generated serious discussion Downtown, where many view the connector as a potentially vital counterpart to the neighborhood's multitude of development projects.
"We think it's very important to ensure that proposed routes maximize Downtown development and revitalization efforts," said Veronica Perez Becker, vice president of legislative affairs for the Central City Association. "We also feel that anything that makes transportation work more effectively and that recognizes Downtown as a transportation hub is a good thing."
A Long Haul
The Downtown connector was originally conceived nearly two decades ago as an extension of the Blue Line north to Pasadena, but was abandoned in the early 1990s because of a lack of funding.
The proposal was retooled to fit subsequent light-rail expansions, including the construction of the Gold Line. Metro conducted an initial feasibility and cost study of the current proposal in 2004, and the agency's board approved funding for a full-fledged study last year.
Earlier this month, Metro officials held two informational meetings - both Downtown - on the project. They also participated in a discussion at last week's Downtown Los Angeles Neighborhood Council meeting.
There, community members questioned how the Downtown Connector would gel with developments underway in the area, particularly the Grand Avenue plan, which is expected to create 2,600 new housing units, plus retail and a hotel.
In response, Roybal said Metro is looking into building a station on Bunker Hill, adjacent to the project. In a separate interview, Beatrice Hsu, vice president of development for Related Cos., said that the developer is working closely with Metro and "would be very interested in having a stop somewhere in the vicinity of the project."
Others questioned whether officials are considering how the Downtown Connector might complement a proposed Red Car trolley that would run along First Street to Broadway, Olympic Boulevard and Figueroa Street. That system "would start to be the backbone of transportation Downtown," said DLANC President Russell Brown at last Tuesday's meeting.
Despite questions, area stakeholders have generally expressed enthusiasm about the Downtown Regional Connector.
"It's an absolutely necessary piece of the puzzle for regional connectivity," said Downtown resident and gallery owner Bert Green. "It has to be done; it's a plan for the next 100 years."
Perez Becker of the Central City Association said she expects that "if they make it easier to do so, more people will come through and to Downtown."
Looking Ahead
Metro officials expect to produce a final report on the Downtown Connector, with preferred routing options, by July 2008, said Roybal.
If the Metro board approves the report, officials can then begin an environmental study, which could take up to three years. They would also start to look for funding at that point.
"On a very aggressive schedule," said Roybal, riders can expect the connector to be running in seven to 10 years. While Metro has endured, and continues to face, major funding challenges across the board, officials, at least for now, seem dedicated to the Downtown Connector.
"It's extremely important to establish connectivity," said Diego Cardoso, a Metro executive officer and a city planning commissioner.
"We're talking here about the future of Los Angeles," he said. "We're talking about the future of Downtown."
Contact Anna Scott at
[email protected].
page 3, 11/19/2007
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