By heading along Venice, Sepulveda and Pico then into the Westwood Regional Connector as I propose, the Expo would accomplish three things: (1) define the north-south axis that forms the structure of the Westside system; (2) intercept all east and west bound traffic and orient it towards the Westwood core; and (3) establish the infrastructure that will be used for further expansion throughout the Westside.
As currently proposed, the Expo line runs roughly across the Sepulveda/LAX axis and meanders along an undeveloped right-of way far from any commercial activity or centralized residential areas. A hasty conceived alternative to the blocked Subway to the Sea, it’s quite likely to become a white elephant. However, it could be salvaged one of the following two ways:
1) Build the Westwood Regional Connector: The preferable way would be to route the line west along Venice Boulevard, north along Sepulveda, then east on Pico and through the Westwood Regional Connector to its terminus at UCLA. This would anchor the Expo at both ends with two of the systems regional hubs. Furthermore, the tracks constructed along Venice could in the future be shared by another line running from Hollywood/Highland to Venice via La Cienega. The tracks along Sepulveda could also carry two future lines traveling out of the Westwood stations: one to Venice and another shooting south to LAX.
2) Route it to Santa Monica via Pico Blvd: The less preferable option would also use the Venice/Sepulveda alignment outlined above, but would instead head west along Pico, then briefly follow the coast to downtown Santa Monica. This would provide desperately needed service to and from the Westside while also be serving local businesses, neighborhoods, and Santa Monica Community College. It would also create the infrastructure that could be used by a future line from UCLA to Santa Monica via Pico Boulevard.
4 comments:
As currently proposed, the Expo line runs roughly across the Sepulveda/LAX axis and meanders along an undeveloped right-of way far from any commercial activity or centralized residential areas. A hasty conceived alternative to the blocked Subway to the Sea, it’s quite likely to become a white elephant.
While the white elephant observation is likely correct I don't see the "hasty" part or the "meanders" nor the lack of residential density. Surely Expo in a perfect world would have been a lower priority than any number of projects but more than a dozen years of explicit planning is hardly hasty.
I often call the Expo the mid term abortion of the Beach Cities Loop but maybe we can be more insulting by calling it Green Line North.
John,
Much like you, I am also obsessed with getting a subway built to the Westside! I admire the work you’ve put into this!
I concur that the Wilshire Purple Line only needs to go to Westwood, at most, Bundy-Centinela. The city Santa Monica is much less dense and does not warrant a subway. There’s plenty of bus service on Wilshire and Santa Monica boulevards to handle the last 4.5 miles to the sea.
I believe that the Expo line should follow the original PE ROW all the way to its planned terminus at Colorado & 5th. Having it dog-leg up Venice & Sepulveda to UCLA would be a travesty. A north-south light-rail subway is desperately needed under Sepulveda from Aviation Station to the valley terminating at the Orange Line, or better yet, to the Van Nuys Metrolink Station.
Having lived at Pico & 14th for 20 years, I concur that a rail line should be built under Pico. All eastbound BBB’s local-7s and super-7s are packed as they leave Lincoln Blvd.
Is there a real need for a Venice Blvd rail line? The old PE ROW up the middle of Venice was abandoned in 1950 and finally paved over in the mid-60s. Let’s leave it buried.
As currently proposed, the Expo line runs roughly across the Sepulveda/LAX axis and meanders along an undeveloped right-of way far from any commercial activity or centralized residential areas.
Huh? It's literally across the street from the Water Garden at Cloverfield in Santa Monica, passes major employment on Olympic Blvd. in West L.A., and will end in downtown Santa Monica, all places where many cars jamming the west-bound I-10 in the morning are going.
See Friends 4 Expo for some images.
Santa Monica and West L.A. also have quite high population density. And Santa Monica is planning new mixed-use residential around the Expo stations.
2) Route it to Santa Monica via Pico Blvd:
There's no space to add tracks to jammed Pico Blvd., but the Expo right-of-way provides a close parallel. Except for SM College, the major destinations are farther north, not along Pico.
(Alan had Google ID difficulties and asked me to post this for him. I agree with the need for a north-south corridor, from the Valley to Westwood, Culver City, LAX, and the South Bay.)
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John may have the basics right, but little else.
First the Expo line on the original right of way is the BEST and only way to route the line to Santa Monica.
Yes a North South line with hubs is also essential with a hub at Pico and Sepulveda, Wilshire and Sepulveda, and at UCLA before going north to connect with the Orange Line and continuing on to Van Nuys and San Fernando.
Yes a line is needed from the Hollywood Red Line station to West Hollywood then along Santa Monica Blvd to Connect with the Purple line at Wilshire and Santa Monica and at Century City.
A line from Culver City along Venice Blvd through low density apartments to a connection at Sepulveda with the North South Line to Venice then North to Santa Monica where it would connect with the Expo Line and Purple Line could be built later.
A line down Culver Blvd to Plya Vista could “round out” the Westside rail network.
But First the Expo Line to Santa Monica along the original right of way, The Purple Line subway to Westwood and to the sea then the Hollywood to Century City line and so on.
This is about the location of the stations even more than the actual route.
John’s ideas seam to be taking valuable traffic lanes in almost all of his “designs” which is not necessarily the best way to go.
When possible keep the lines away from traffic and roads, but have the stations at where they can be the most convent for hubs and transfers as well as walk able to the greatest needs.
Alan
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