LOS ANGELES | Transportation News & Discussion

[JDRCRASH]

Feds to Loan Metro More than a Half Billion for Crenshaw/LAX Transit Line







Public transportation in Los Angeles today received a boost with the news of a large loan from the federal government. Metro will receive more than a half billion in loaned funds for it's nine-mile Crenshaw/LAX light rail line, which will take riders between the Green Line at LAX and the Expo Line, which is currently under construction.

"Today is a very good day," said Senator Barbara Boxer, who made the announcement this afternoon. $546 million dollars from the federal Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) program will be handed over to Metro, which hopes to break ground on the project in the spring.

The $1.4 billion project was originally slated to be built in the 2020s, but the funding means the line could be operational by 2016.

The project is one of twelve in the 30/10 plan, which envisions accelerating the construction and completion of 12 transit lines into 10 years instead of 30 years. Funds are guaranteed through Measure R, the 2008 voter approved half-cent sales tax increase that will be used to pay back the federal government. "This is our first confidence building measure to make 30/10 a reality," said Boxer. "What we want to do is take this as a template and a model.

"Jobs, transportation and infrastructure is an area where we [Democrats and Republicans] can find common ground and address the need for job creation and infrastructure investment by leveraging what cities and counties are willing to do by putting up their own money," said L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who lauded Boxer and her staff for championing 30/10. He said the unexpected money frees up Measure R funds for other projects.

The project received a $1.45 million grant from the federal government in August for the design of an intermodal transit center at Aviation/Century near LAX. "The Aviation/Century station will be a big one on the Crenshaw/LAX Line. Located at the northeast corner of LAX, the station will be serving both trains on the Crenshaw/LAX Line and also some trains coming up from the Green Line, not to mention the many bus lines serving the area," explained Metro's in-house blog The Source. "LAX officials have also said they plan to build a people mover to connect the airport terminal area to the train station, although those plans are far from finalized.

An official announcement with more details, such as terms of the loan, will be made next Wednesday at a press conference.

Source: http://laist.com/2010/10/15/3010.php

[LAsam]

The Crenshaw line and Expo Phase 2 being completed are the lines that could actually make transit pragmatic for me to get to me current job. Hopefully this also line also entails connectivity to LAX.

[ardecila]

Will the Crenshaw Line extend up to Wilshire initially, or will that be built in a later phase?

[LosAngelesSportsFan]

Originally Posted by ardecila

Will the Crenshaw Line extend up to Wilshire initially, or will that be built in a later phase?

I think phase one is from the expo line south, and then a second phase will connect to Wilshire and then up to Hollywood / Highland metro station as a subway. that is the hope at least. the extension will go through west hollywood, beverly hills and LA.

[OhioGuy]

So the Crenshaw line will provide a rail connection to LAX, but traveling between downtown and the airport will require a transfer? Seems like Crenshaw line trains should be able to turn onto the Expo line tracks at Expo/Crenshaw in order to allow for one seat travel between downtown and LAX.

[Quixote]

... He said the unexpected money frees up Measure R funds for other projects.

...

Does this mean there's now enough funds to build the optional Crenshaw/Vernon station? That's the heart of the Crenshaw community.

Anyway, the decision to pursue the fully-underground option for the Regional Connector is what killed the 5th/Flower station. Instead, the money will be spent on a Little Tokyo subway station. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I think that's a fair trade-off. The Gold Line doesn't have signal priority when crossing Temple Street in Little Tokyo and there aren't even any boom barriers. The current design is simply unacceptable for what is literally the heart of the rail network.

I'm still optimistic about 5th/Flower. If Metro could secure a loan from the Feds like they did with Crenshaw, I think they would have the extra $76 million needed to construct the station. Let's hope.

[Quixote]

Originally Posted by OhioGuy

So the Crenshaw line will provide a rail connection to LAX, but traveling between downtown and the airport will require a transfer? Seems like Crenshaw line trains should be able to turn onto the Expo line tracks at Expo/Crenshaw in order to allow for one seat travel between downtown and LAX.

The Crenshaw line will connect with a planned automated people mover at Century/Aviation, where an intermodal transportation center will be built.

Yes, those traveling to Downtown will have to transfer to the Expo Line. Your suggestion isn't new and it's been studied by Metro. They would rather extend the line farther north to Wilshire.

If you want a one-seat ride between LAX and Downtown, you will have to wait for the LAX Express. But even then, you would have to transfer at Union Station to get to the heart of Downtown. For now, the LAX Flyaway is your answer.

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[LosAngelesBeauty]

I think that a subway line down Beverly Blvd is imperative in the future to really allow people to live car free in "the city."

If you think about it, Beverly Blvd has tons of potential and is already a major thoroughfare.

It also slices Central LA right in half down the middle (where Wilshire Blvd. is the southern boundary and Sunset and Hollywood Blvds form the northern boundary).

If you think about it, you definitely need another east/west line down Beverly Blvd. from the Beverly Center all the way to the Vermont/Beverly Red Line station.




If you look at the map of the central city core, Beverly Blvd. really slices LA in half.

The line I drew is about 5 miles, which would make a subway down Beverly Blvd. about $1.8 billion (the price of LA Live!)

[edluva]

wow, matter of time before purple line gets the loan. as la goes, so goes the rest of the sunbelt. between purple, crenshaw, expo, the connector, and hopefully pink line, metro rail should have no problem surpassing half-million ridership in a decade. effective local transit has a multiplier effect over time - it enables high density development, which then feeds back into ridership. it creates the lifestyle. this is good not only for la, but for the country as a whole, because of the precedent it sets for all other auto-oriented cities across the nation. I wish I were fifteen years younger

i wonder why crenshaw was picked first though

[LosAngelesBeauty]

The next thing I also want to see is a modern streetcar that goes down Santa Monica Blvd. from Century City thru Beverly Hills to West Hollywood

-and-

A streetcar line that connects Chinatown with Echo Park/Silver Lake/Los Feliz along Sunset Blvd/Cesar Chavez, possibly connecting at Cesar Chavez and Grand Ave where the future Downtown LA streetcar line will be (by the music center).

It is very important that some of our greatest neighborhoods be connected by a circulator, esp. Echo Park/Silver Lake/Los Feliz.

[edluva]

that would be great, but their success would hinge on getting metro built to serve as feeders. once that happens, a "silver line" circulator would be instant success. in the meantime, does anyone know what ever happened to our pilot hail a cab program?

[LosAngelesBeauty]

Did I forget that I think there should also be an extension of the Gold Line WEST from Pasadena into Glendale and Burbank tying in with the North Hollywood Red Line station?

The Tri Cities are quite possibly the most critical "nodes" outside of LA that warrant rail connection on their own separate from Central LA. It would allow cross flow between the Valleys, which is still going to be important in the future as well.

[LosAngelesBeauty]

Originally Posted by edluva

that would be great, but their success would hinge on getting metro built to serve as feeders. once that happens, a "silver line" circulator would be instant success. in the meantime, does anyone know what ever happened to our pilot hail a cab program?

The Hail A Cab program is still there. I see the process in action now in DTLA, esp at night when people are bar hopping I assume.

[BrandonJXN]

Originally Posted by edluva

wow, matter of time before purple line gets the loan. as la goes, so goes the rest of the sunbelt. between purple, crenshaw, expo, the connector, and hopefully pink line, metro rail should have no problem surpassing half-million ridership in a decade. effective local transit has a multiplier effect over time - it enables high density development, which then feeds back into ridership. it creates the lifestyle. this is good not only for la, but for the country as a whole, because of the precedent it sets for all other auto-oriented cities across the nation. I wish I were fifteen years younger

i wonder why crenshaw was picked first though

This isn't you.

LABeauty: I agree that their needs to be a rail connection that links Burbank, Glendale, and Pasadena with downtown. Maybe a streetcar? Maybe light rail? But I agree that those 3 cities need to connect with each other as well as to downtown.

[dktshb]

Originally Posted by edluva

wow, matter of time before purple line gets the loan. as la goes, so goes the rest of the sunbelt. between purple, crenshaw, expo, the connector, and hopefully pink line, metro rail should have no problem surpassing half-million ridership in a decade. effective local transit has a multiplier effect over time - it enables high density development, which then feeds back into ridership. it creates the lifestyle. this is good not only for la, but for the country as a whole, because of the precedent it sets for all other auto-oriented cities across the nation. I wish I were fifteen years younger

i wonder why crenshaw was picked first though

I wish I were 25 years younger. The next generations of Angelenos are going to have the transit we've all been longing for.

[LosAngelesSportsFan]

Originally Posted by edluva

wow, matter of time before purple line gets the loan. as la goes, so goes the rest of the sunbelt. between purple, crenshaw, expo, the connector, and hopefully pink line, metro rail should have no problem surpassing half-million ridership in a decade. effective local transit has a multiplier effect over time - it enables high density development, which then feeds back into ridership. it creates the lifestyle. this is good not only for la, but for the country as a whole, because of the precedent it sets for all other auto-oriented cities across the nation. I wish I were fifteen years younger

i wonder why crenshaw was picked first though

man, aint that the truth. if all this started 7 or 8 years ago, i would be a happy man right now.

i was also wondering why Crenshaw was picked first. I would think the other high priority lines would be ahead, but maybe the money was right for this line.

[LosAngelesSportsFan]

i think an important change with this growing networking would be later running trains. It could start with thursday - saturday service until 3 am, 20 minutes headways. I know i would use the trains more often and i know plenty of people that would as well.

[Sodha]

Originally Posted by LosAngelesSportsFan

man, aint that the truth. if all this started 7 or 8 years ago, i would be a happy man right now.

i was also wondering why Crenshaw was picked first. I would think the other high priority lines would be ahead, but maybe the money was right for this line.

Crenshaw was picked first due to the following

1 - it's in the FEIR process and expected to be released early 2011. Thus, once approved after 45 days of issuance it can go out to bid. So, construction can start next year after certification. The Expo Line Phase II is already certified and the money is already granted from the state funding sources (Prop 1B) and Measure R ($1.5 billion). Measure R wouldn't have provided funds for Crenshaw until 2013. So instead of waiting 2 years for construction on Crenshaw, it can start next year.

2 - politics. Something had to be given to South LA if we were already constructing Expo Line (westside), Subway (westside), Foothill (San Gabriel), Orange Line (valley), Gold Line eastside (eastside). For equity reasons, Crenshaw Line was created and it's gotten this far. Plus, the future for Crenshaw Line is enormous because it will be the westside's north-south rail line once it goes north of Exposition.

[pesto]

I'm afraid that part 2 of Sodha's answer is the real driver. Pork is what this is called and it is pouring out to every corner of the country in the form of bridges to nowhere, 10 lane rural highways, useless government buildings, etc. Happens every election.

The Crenshaw Line does not go to the Westside. It goes to somewhere south of the edge of the low density, low employment area between DT and the westside and then stops. It connects LAX to neither the westside (where demand already exists) or DT, where we are trying to build urban amenities.

It's a pokey pork barrel project connecting nowhere. It is useless as compared to Purple or Pink, or even LAB's suggested Beverly Line all of which would outperform it by miles. Even it's defenders suggest you take the bus to LAX instead unless you live near Washington and Crenshaw. And traffic is light enough on Crenshaw that express buses would serve that corridor quite well.

A shame that the 1.4B couldn't be put toward the Pink Line.

[pesto]

Just to get off my Crenshaw negativity, the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena problem is interesting. Trolley from DT LA to Glendale makes some sense since it is short (4-5 miles), connects dense areas and Glendale has shown a willingness to allow development along Brand, Colorado and south of 134 generally.

I'm not sure about the extent of demand for Glendale to Burbank and Pasadena. Being part of a metro area heavy rail might make more sense (Ventura to San Bernardino) but I don't know that trains every 20 minutes are needed. Could be wrong.

A cross SFV line into the SGV is too far away to imagine right now.