Chris Loos on October 28, 2010, at 10:30AM – #1

Do these Beverly Hills NIMBYs realize that the tunnel will be 70' feet down, and will be drilled with tunnel boring machines, not "cut and cover" construction? In other words, construction and operation will make no noise, and will cause zero disruptions. If the whole thing was hypothetically done secretly, they would never even know the tunnel was there.

Sean McElwain on October 28, 2010, at 10:43AM – #2

Rich neighborhoods vehemently protesting public transportation projects that affect them are more often than not veiled racist isolationist chicanary

Public transportation means that the poor become mobile and most of the poor in this city are not white - Think I'm crazy?

Chris Loos on October 28, 2010, at 11:12AM – #4

This same thing happened 30 years ago with the DC Metro, specifically the University of Maryland/College Park station on the Green line. Rather than allow the station in the center of the campus, the chancellor pushed for the station to be located 1 mile away, at the other side of College Park. His fear was that "criminals" from DC would cause trouble on campus if the Metro went there. Of course, what he was really saying is that DC has a lot of black people, and he didn't want them on campus.

30 years later, the student body, faculty, and staff alike are all frustrated that you need to catch a 15-minute shuttle bus ride to get to the station that could have been steps away. The irony is that after you board the train, the ride to DC is only 30 minutes. The location of the station increased the travel time from College Park to DC by 50%. Smart eh?

I have no doubt that if the Century City station is built at Santa Monica blvd rather than in Century City proper, the whole city will be regretting it...even Beverly Hills residents. As the Metro system is built out, the culture in the city will change. Angelenos will come to appreciate- and rely on transit in greater and greater numbers...even Beverly Hills residents. Its up to us to make the right decisions now, and NOT give in to the whims of a few fearmongering residents, so future residents can enjoy a Metro system that MAKES SENSE.

Scott Mercer on October 28, 2010, at 01:18PM – #5

As I commented on the earlier, entry, Metro has mentioned the possibly of extending the 7th Metro via a portal.

Brigham Yen also added that an underground passageway into the 505 Flower shopping center should be built.

These could be constructed much more cheaply than a full station. Let's keep pestering Metro to find the money to do this; I think they owe us this small concession after gutting the full station.

Russell Brown on October 28, 2010, at 07:49PM – #6

The motion that was passed today was to approve the LPA (Locally preferred option) as the fully underground alternative with 3 stations- 2nd & Hope/ 2nd & Broadway/ Spring & Office Depot underground.

A lengthy discussion was also revisited about the 5th & Flower station. A unanimous motion was passed to report back in one month on an option to put the 5th & Flower station back in IF the local property owners agree to pay the $2 million for the continued environmental work.

However, the discussion made it very clear that extra funding outside of the metro budget or federal match was needed to pay a significant share of the $80 million station costs if it was added back in.

A couple of issues are in play.

Originally, the entire project was envisioned as an entirely above ground system with 4 stations. However, above ground stations are really just concrete pads beside the tracks. As the presentations went through the community process, the reality of full trains every 2 minutes going on each track mandated that this become an underground system.

The original proposal would have been similar to the blue line system on Washington Blvd breaking through the 2nd Street tunnel and completely taking over 2nd Street all the way through Little Tokyo to Alameda. (Scary).

Early on, the community saw this as more an extension of the subway system than a surface suburban model rail system. (Good call).

However, everyone deferred on Little Tokyo because it was complicated and that community was not engaged. Late in the game, Little Tokyo got involved and Metro worked to come up with an excellent solution of an underground station. Many in LT were willing to kill the entire project if it was an all above ground system, or a partially underground system at 3 stations but above ground at 1st and Alameda.

Measure R only allocated $160 million to a project that was always forecast to be at $800 million to $1.1 billion even in the preliminary documents.

By the time an all underground system was agreed and 4 stations included instead of 3, the costs had risen to $1.3 billion.

Also understand, that the cost effectiveness numbers of this will be the best rail project in the nation. Target is $25. With 4 stations the numbers are at $16.77 with 3 stations you are at $14.83 Very good.

My sense is that Metro and City Hall feel VERY confident that they can get a 60% match (instead of the usual 50%). $720 mil versus $600 mil. But Metro is required to show a fully funded project and to show maximum stewardship of wise use of funds.

As a comparison, the cost of this station is almost the same as the entire downtown streetcar 4 mile system (less the $10 mil from CRA).

Significant 7th & Metro portal improvements nearer 6th Street and Flower can also be a very good compromise. Connecting to Macy's Plaza and the underground food court could also work to improve access at significantly lower costs.

Today was a HUGE step forward on the Regional Connector and the Westside Extension, but much work is left.

And a BIG part of all this will easily be what happens on Tuesday Nov 2nd. IF the House of Representatives changes to Republican, and the Republicans follow through on stopping most transportation spending except roads, all urban rail projects and high speed rail will be very significantly slowed.

Local participation and voting changes the game by rewriting the rules. Hopefully, common sense and leadership will continue to push urban transit coalitions and solutions.

Jerard Wright on October 29, 2010, at 08:57AM – #7

Another component that I think that Downtown BID and the like can work with the 5th/Flower folks on is to suggest/include an additional portal entry at 3rd/Flower for the Bunker Hill station with improved streetscape components along Flower street from 5th to 3rd Street.

This would be a wonderful urban design component that will further bridge the physical gap of not having a station at 5th/Flower and relieve potential strains at 7th Street/Metro Center.

Brigham Yen on October 30, 2010, at 02:34AM – #8

When I was working at the Downtown Center BID back in 2005, I met with a Metro official where we walked through the 7th/Metro station and he pointed out that there were “push outs” that could expand the station (apparently, he helped design the stations).

Anyway, I brought up to him that cities like Taipei have underground malls connected to their subway stations and the 505 Flower underground mall should be connected to 7th/Metro.

He said it was possible, so it leads me to think that Jim Thomas, who is the owner of City National Bank plaza and the 505 Flower mall, would be very supportive of this idea since 7th/Metro will probably be the busiest station in the entire region and many of those transit riders may go into his mall and shop/eat at the many businesses in there.

Perhaps someone needs to put this on Jim Thomas’s radar screen…