Connector Refines Plans to Fit Into Little Tokyo
Metro
A smooth curve from the Little Tokyo station to 2nd Street (green alignment) creates the need for less property acquisition (shown in blue) and less cut-and-cover construction (shown in red). Original alignment shown in red.
DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES — No neighborhood has been more vocal than Little Tokyo in the planning process for the Regional Connector, the $1.4-billion link intended to connect the region's light rail lines through Downtown. This week a new design for the station at 1st and Alameda is being offered as a response to the neighborhood's concerns.
The refined station takes up only half the space of the previous design, fitting into the northern half of the block bounded by 1st, Alameda, 2nd and Central. More importantly, it creates a gentle curve onto 2nd Street that could allow Metro to use open land at 1st and Alameda to insert the Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) needed for construction of the underground line.
In the plan approved by Metro's Board of Directors in October, that machine would have been inserted directly on 2nd Street via cut-and-cover digging.
In fact, the new design eliminates cut-and-cover on 2nd Street completely. That should create less construction-related impacts for businesses and residents, while also allowing Metro to avoid a large storm drain located underneath the street.
For construction staging, Metro could acquire part of the 1st and Alameda site that had been planned for a large mixed-use development. Negotiations between the City of Los Angeles and the developer of the proposed Nikkei Center ended in December, two years after the developer won the right to buy the land.
The October approval of the project's Locally Preferred Alternative allowed work to begin on the Connector's environmental documents and an application to be made for federal funding. Earlier this month Metro received notice from the Federal Transit Administration that it could continue with preliminary engineering, a strong sign that the agency intends to approve that request.
More documentation needs to be submitted to the agency in April, leaving a short window for community meetings needed to hash out final details.
Little Tokyo community members at a presentation on Wednesday afternoon were eager to get into the timelines for when the cut-and-cover on Central and at 1st and Alameda would take place. Those sort of specifics will begin to be addressed in the next two months.
Metro believes the Regional Connector will save 20,400 daily hours of commute time by cutting down on the need for riders to transfer between lines.
It will create one new transfer, though. With the proposed Y-configuration, there would be no tracks connecting Union Station and the East L.A. section of the Gold Line.
Metro has proposed running trains from Long Beach to Pasadena using the existing Blue Line and Gold Line tracks and from Culver City to East L.A. using the Expo Line and Eastside Extension tracks.
Once completed, the project will create an entirely underground link between the Blue Line's current terminus at 7th and Metro and the Gold Line's tracks at 1st and Alameda, adding stations at 2nd/Hope and 2nd/Broadway and replacing the existing Little Tokyo / Arts District Gold Line station with the new underground design.
Richard Figueroa on January 12, 2011, at 05:19PM – #1
Although it's too bad about going from Pasadena to East LA, it will be great to finally be able to take one teain to Long Beach.
LAofAnaheim on January 12, 2011, at 05:46PM – #2
More people traveling from East LA to Pasadena want to go to the core of downtown LA, which is Civic Center, Pershing Square and 7th street Metro Center. It's a small sacrifice, and only for a real minority (watch how many people transfer to the Red/Purple at Union Station coming from both North or South of the current Gold Line). This is the best solution.
Guest on January 12, 2011, at 09:15PM – #3
will the businesses at 1st and central and 1st and alameda be closed? isn't the new restaurant Spice Table, opening there soon? what about the structures that are there? I was under the impression that they are 19th century structures and remnants of old little tokyo.
Scott Mercer on January 12, 2011, at 09:16PM – #4
Would you still able to go East L.A. to Long Beach without a transfer?
And by extension, Whittier to Long Beach, once the Eastside line is extended?
By the by, since the FTA has given the stamp of approval to the Purple Line extension and the Regional Connector, now probably is the time to start naming train routes with letters rather than by colors. We WILL be running out of obvious colors soon enough.
(The BRT lines can get letters also, but only those with true grade separated busways, the current Orange Line and Silver Line...actually the Orange Line will have two routes, one terminating at Warner Center and one terminating at Chatsworth.)
(L train, Long Beach to Pasadena, etc.)
James Fujita on January 12, 2011, at 09:49PM – #5
Something's not quite right here.
I'm not worried about tunneling underneath Japanese Village Plaza. The map above shows that it will skirt the recently remodeled mall. Mitsuru Cafe won't be touched and Mikawaya's mochi ice cream will be safe.
Modern tunneling techniques are much safer than the NIMBYs will have you believe.
And the curve going into Little Tokyo subway station will be smoother. That's a good thing.
However, there's something odd about doing this in order to save Office Depot. That's basically what this will do. The old building on the south side of First Street at Alameda will have to go. But generic Office Depot and Starbucks will be saved.
And the Nikkei Center will have to wait until after construction. Huh?
Ginny-Marie Case on January 12, 2011, at 10:24PM – #6
James...read BlogDowntown's update on the Nikkei Center http://blogdowntown.com/2010/12/5929-nikkei-center-development-runs-out-of-time
James Fujita on January 12, 2011, at 10:43PM – #7
I knew that the Nikkei Center was on hold. However, clearly they hadn't given up yet. This would seem to complicate that.
And that also doesn't explain why saving Office Depot would be more important.
Tornadoes28 on January 13, 2011, at 07:46AM – #8
James, the buildings next to office depot (Weiland's) were goners anyway. Saving some property even if it's the Office Depot is a good thing. Not to mention the popular eating and coffee places attached to Office Depot.
I don't think there will be too many NIMBYS from the Village Plaza or the apartment building next door, especially since this plan is MUCH better than the cut and cover alternative. That would have been horrible for the shopping center and residents.
Eric Richardson (@blogdowntown) on January 13, 2011, at 08:05AM – #9
James: I would think it's less about the specific building and more about not having to acquire what is a pretty large parcel. That's acquisition money out of the budget.
That it's the modern, non-descript buildings that get spared is a little ironic though.
Guest on January 13, 2011, at 09:11AM – #10
The original plan was always a North/South Long Beach-to-Pasadena route, and an East/West East La-to-Santa Monica route. This is the best solution.
Guest on January 13, 2011, at 11:20AM – #11
I echo the same questions as Guest 1 (Commenter #3). Will Senor Fish, Weiland Brewery and Spice Table be closed, altered, acquired for/during construction? I, to am eager to see construction schedules and timelines.
Guest on January 13, 2011, at 11:34AM – #12
So will this free up some money for the 5th and flower station? if they dont have to acquire the large parcel, then there should be some money to put towards that station.
D
Ron Fong on January 13, 2011, at 12:04PM – #13
For a number of community stakeholders the interest in saving Office Depot has more to do with its parking. Personally Id rather redevelop the site and put parking underground.
It's an unfortunate situation for Spice Table. In plans reviewed at community meetings as recently as October it appeared their building would not be acquired.
Scott Mercer on January 13, 2011, at 01:11PM – #14
Look closely at the map.
Looks like Weiland's will be okay, just missing having a tunnel under it by inches.
Also, it appears that cut-and-cover will be under the streets only.
So Senor Fish will probably be saved, but it will have a tunnel directly underneath it.
James Fujita on January 13, 2011, at 02:40PM – #15
If the community is okay with this new plan, then I'm okay with it. That would make Little Tokyo ten times smarter than Beverly Hills, which is still acting NIMBY.
I'm curious to see if Weiland's and Senor Fish will need to be torn down or if Scott Mercer is correct.
And I'm still a little concerned about the effect this will have on developing the Mangrove/ Nikkei Center property.
Guest on January 13, 2011, at 03:34PM – #16
This simplified solution will save money.
How could the former 'Atomic Cafe' structure be taken apart and reassembled to complement the portal and elevated pedestrian crossing at the First and Alameda intersection? In an artistic way, of course. That is one historic building, with or without the neon sign. Could the reassembled building be elevated and integrated with the pedestrian bridge?
A new Atomic Cafe?
Ginny-Marie Case on January 14, 2011, at 06:08AM – #17
It is difficult to see, but in this particular refinement the property that would be needed to be purchased is everything north of Yogurtland.
Joel Covarrubias on January 14, 2011, at 10:27AM – #18
Sounds good, I can't wait to ride this thing. Imagine, heading down into Little Tokyo station at First/Central, hopping a train, and being at Disney Hall, 7th/Metro, or Staples Center, all in a matter of minutes!
James Fujita on January 14, 2011, at 04:10PM – #19
By now I've pretty much resigned myself to the fact that the old Atomic Cafe building is a goner.
The new station, directly across the street from the Japanese American National Museum, will be more than adequate compensation for me. Put one of the station entrances at 1st/ Central.
However, something ought to be done to memorialize the Atomic Cafe. I'm not sure about Guest #5's idea; rebuilding old structures can go wrong very easily.
But a mural, or artwork of some kind would be reasonable.
And I'm still concerned that Metro will mess up any hope of redeveloping the corner of 1st/ Alameda. Still hopeful that it can become more than just a parking lot.
William Crandell on January 14, 2011, at 07:36PM – #20
The first brick building, a dwelling house, was constructed in 1853 on the east side of main north of Third in 1853. A duplicate of this structure was constructed in 1860 immediately to the south, for the exclusive use of Army captain Winfield Hancock. The sides of the old Atomic Cafe building could be backed by reinforced concrete and disassembled. It only requires a commitment. Caring about the civic memory.
The duplicate structure at Third and Main was picked up and moved a short distance in 1895 to allow for construction of the Gray Hotel. This building was ground zero for one of the great legends of the U.S. Civil War, the legend which is the emotional centerpiece of Michael Shaara's Pulitzer Prize winning book The Killer Angels. My brother has deconstructed this legend in a chapter in his new book on downtown published last month by 'Visions of L.A.' It is the city's "pre-Hollywood Hollywood epic" and is equally as tantalizing as the old legend.
JDRCRASHER on January 15, 2011, at 02:26AM – #21
I like this plan. It makes a future 2nd Regional Connector down Alameda to the Blue Line Washington station much more feasible.
Friskie Buffet on January 16, 2011, at 07:16PM – #22
something is wrong with that east l.a. gold line...i was on it during the height of the weekday am rush recently and the two underground stations were almost empty, and the trains were also lightly used.
Downtowncommuter on January 20, 2011, at 07:46PM – #23
What up with 5th/Flower?
I'm tired of hearing about how vocal the LT hood's residents are. Given that they're RESIDENTS, I suppose they would be vocal! Meanwhile, the hundreds of thousands of taxpayers who could use the 5th/Flower Station are silent because 98 PERCENT OF THEM HAVE NO IDEA THIS IS GOING ON!
Seems to me the board is suppose to represent ALL the taxpayers, not just the ones who live nearby.