Expo Construction Authority

Anyone awaiting word on whether the group fighting to stop or reconfigure Phase II of the Expo Line would file lawsuit doesn't have to wait until March 6, the last day they can file to legally challenge the certification of the Environmental Impact Statement approved by the Expo Board on February 4. At a meeting of Neighbors for Smart Rail last week, the organization was collecting checks and promising from the podium that a legal filing was in the works.

After years of debates, threats of lawsuits, contentious community meetings and even heated discussion on Streetsblog message boards; there was a feeling that yesterday's meeting of the Expo Board to debate the certification of the environmental documents for Phase II would be a momentous meeting.  Predictions of a 4-3 vote either for or against certification seemed a safe bet; with the exception of the Transit Coalition's Bart Reed who predicted a "blowout," everyone I talked to thought it would be close.

As soon as today's Expo Board Hearing begins, which should be in a couple of moments, Streetsblog will begin "tweeting" the coverage live at http://twitter.com/lastreetsblog.  Once the Board votes on the Final Environmental Impact Statement on Phase II of the Expo Line, we'll post the results at this link.  Tomorrow morning a post with more complete coverage of the meeting will come tomorrow morning.

Tomorrow's meeting of the Expo Construction Authority Board of Directors promises to be one of the best-attended, most controversial and longest meeting of the body. The Board is scheduled to vote on approval of the Final Environmental Impact Statement for Phase II of the Expo Line, and there are still many issues that are controversial with various constituencies. The meeting begins at 2:00 P.M. at the Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration at 500 West Temple Street. For those of you that plan on listening in at home, you can call in at (213) 974-4700 or (877) 873-8017. Spanish language call information and more details at the meeting can be found at the Expo Construction Authority's website.

While our headlines and calendar sections are full of news and meetings about transit cuts happening all over the map of L.A. County, thanks to the passage of Measure R, there's also going to be a lot of meetings about expansion. While I'm not saying that advocates shouldn't fight to protect their favorite bus lines, be they Metro, DASH, or Big Blue Bus, sometimes it's nice to remember that things aren't all bad.

It finally appears as though the Expo Bike Path, the path that is going to run parallel to Phases I and II of the Expo Line is going to be built.  After the Expo Construction Authority punted on taking the lead on the project earlier this year, leaving the federally funded path to Los Angeles, Culver City and Santa Monica to complete the environmental reviews; it appeared the path might not happen.  After all, if construction couldn't begin by the time Phase II of the Expo Line began construction, the path would become unaffordable.  

I just got off the phone with Darrell Clarke who confirmed our suspicions, the Expo Construction Authority Board of Directors has authorized the staff to move forward with the studies for Phase II with the "LRT-2" alignment down the existing right-of-way and then Colorado straight to Santa Monica.

Tomorrow, the Expo Construction Authority will vote on a "Final" route for Phase II of the Expo Line that will undergo an environmental study before final design and construction.  The staff has recommended, and the Board will almost assuredly follow their recommendation, that the they move forward with option "LRT-2" or in layman's terms a light rail option that will run down the existing right-of-way before turning down Colorado Avenue towards the coast. 

Today, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) finally released its twice delayed, two-years in the making, decision regarding whether or not to allow Phase I of the Expo Line be constructed at grade past Dorsey High School and the Foshay Learning Center.  The ruling clears the way for Phase I of the Expo project to be completed by 2010.