E Line (Expo Line)

(On Tuesday night, an email from our friend Jonathan Weiss appeared in the Streetsblog inbox celebrating what appears to be a successful conclusion to the Expo Greenway proposal to create an environmentally friendly water garden.  Weiss's email can be found below.  For more Streetsblog coverage of the Greenway, click here.  For more coverage of this week's announcement, visit Rancho Park Online. - DN)

As recently as August of last year, the Expo Construction Authority was dropping hints that Phase I of the Expo Line would be open by now.  Instead, the delays that have hampered the project from the beginning have continued as the Line moves towards its elusive opening date.

Earlier this afternoon, the Expo Construction Authority Board of Directors approved a $541.7 million design-build contract to the Skanska/Rados team, a no-commuter parking option for the Westwood Station and an aerial station for the Sepulveda Boulevard Station.  Earlier in the day, the Los Angeles City Council had unanimously backed the Rosendahl/Koretz motion funding the Sepulveda aerial station.

Tomorrow 2:30 P.M. today, at the Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration, the Expo Construction Authority Board of Directors will meet and vote on several major issues, not the least of which is awarding the Phase II "design-build" contract to Skanska/Rados Expo 2 Joint Venture.

Yesterday, we showed some of the possible designs for the Westwood/Exposition station of the Expo Line and called the decision "what's next for the Expo Construction Authority."  However, there's a lot more on the table than just the station design for one station.  Karen Leonard, one of the Chairs of Light Rail for Cheviot, checked in with Expo staff on the community outreach process for Phase II including an "Urban Design Committee" and "Bicycle Advisory Committee."  Her letter to community leaders can be found below. - DN

During today's debate over whether or not to approve a "life of the project" budget for Phase II of the Expo Line, County Supervisor Gloria Molina used the occasion to quiz Metro staff on new projections for Measure R revenue.  Originally, the half-cent county-wide sales tax was projected to produce $40 billion in revenue over thirty years.  However, in large part due to the Great Recession and high local unemployment rates, that projection has dropped 10% in two and a half years to $36 billion.

Back in December, Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Thomas McKnew issued a preliminary ruling to dismiss the lawsuit brought by a coalition of Westside homeowner and community groups fighting Phase II of the Expo Line, which will complete the connection from Downtown Los Angeles to Downtown Santa Monica.  Last night, McKnew it official and denied the lawsuit brought by Neighbors for Smart Rail.  Expo backer Gökhan Esirgen sent out an email last night celebrating the ruling and commenting that, "This was the only major remaining legal hurdle facing the Expo Line."

A recent article in the newsletter for the Cheviot Hills Homeowners Association provides an amazing example of how two people's viewpoints, and rhetoric, can present two different stories. When I first read the article from CHHA, I actually didn't recognize that it was coverage of the same story I wrote back in September of 2010.