Mayor Urges Residents to Attend Subway Hearing

Mayor John Heilman is urging West Hollywood residents to participate in the Westside Subway Extension public hearing Wednesday at Plummer Park. Metro is conducting a Draft Environmental Impact Statement and Environmental Impact Report for a Westside subway that could potentially run through West Hollywood.

The Westside Subway Extension, a Measure R-funded transportation project, would extend Los Angeles' subway system to the Westwood area.

Metro is taking a look at transportation options to connect the current Metro Purple Line at the Wilshire and Western subway stop, as well as a potential connection for the Metro Red Line at Hollywood and Highland.  

"The city of West Hollywood remains supportive of a Westside Subway Extension and a process which ensures public participation and open and honest discussions of alternatives that will best serve the resident and business interests of the Westside. We urge the community to participate in the public hearing process," West Hollywood's Mayor John Heilman said in a statement.

The draft, which was released earlier this month, sets out five possible routes for the subway extension: one begins at Western Avenue and moves west along Wilshire Boulevard, stopping at stations at La Brea Avenue, Fairfax Avenue, La Cienega Boulevard, Rodeo Drive, Century City and Westwood/UCLA.

Other alternatives would add stations in West Hollywood near the Beverly Center and along Santa Monica Boulevard, and would provide connections to the San Fernando Valley via the Red Line, according to Metro's website.

Depending on which route is selected, the project could cost from $4 billion to $8.7 billion, the report said.

"Getting the subway as far as Westwood could be funded with revenues from Measure R, the half-cent sales tax approved by voters in 2008, along with anticipated federal matching funds. Adding the West Hollywood or Santa Monica leg would require finding additional funding sources," Metro says on its website.

The public is invited to comment on the draft EIS/EIR at a public hearing Wednesday from 6–8 p.m. at the community center at Plummer Park.

Residents have until Oct. 18 to submit their public comments on the draft. On Oct. 28 the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's board will decide at its meeting whether to approve the draft report with the "locally preferred" suggestions.

Residents can e-mail their public comments for the Westside Subway Extension to westsideextension@metro.net or mail to David Mieger, project manager, One Gateway Plaza 99-22-2, Los Angeles, CA, 90012. To view the draft, visit http://www.metro.net/projects/westside.