The City of West Hollywood is getting the word out that Metro will be updating the community on the formal Environmental Impact Report (EIR) process underway for the Northern Extension of the Crenshaw/LAX line (Crenshaw North), the project that will bring Metro rail service to West Hollywood.
Metro is hosting two virtual community meetings to share updates about some of its work to date. Metro will collect additional public input, which will ultimately help to determine the final route for the project. Depending on the route selected, West Hollywood could be served by just one station on the eastern municipal boundary of the City, or there could be as many as four underground rail stations throughout the City. Residents, businesses, community members, and stakeholders are encouraged to attend one of the meetings to share thoughts about what destinations and route alternatives should be served by future rail service. Upcoming meetings will take place, as follows:
- Crenshaw Northern Extension – Community Update Meeting #1
Thursday, June 16, 2022, 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. (Details: City Calendar)
Zoom meeting link:Â https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83798019843
- Crenshaw Northern Extension – Community Update Meeting #2
Tuesday, June 21, 2022, 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. (Details: City Calendar)
Zoom meeting link:Â https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83798019843
For community members who cannot attend a virtual meeting, feedback may be submitted to Metro directly at crenshawnorth@metro.net or call Metro’s project hotline at (213) 418-3093. For more information about the project, to sign up for project updates, or to send Metro a comment, visit www.weho.org/metro.
For approximately six years, the City of West Hollywood has been working with West Hollywood Advocates for Metro Rail (WHAM), the All on Board Coalition, and the City of Los Angeles to build support for Metro’s Crenshaw North project and connecting the Crenshaw/LAX rail line with Mid City, West Hollywood, the Metro Red Line station at Hollywood & Highland in Hollywood, and the Hollywood Bowl.
Metro is in the middle of a legally required environmental study to analyze the potential impacts of the rail project and to inform its decision as it prepares to select the final route that the rail project will take between Mid City Los Angeles, West Hollywood, and Hollywood. During the upcoming meetings, Metro will report back on public input it received during the environmental scoping period in 2021, present refinements to the design for the project, and solicit additional public feedback on the project and route alternatives one final time before launching into the next phase of their environmental study and project engineering work. Once the current environmental process is complete, the Metro Board will decide on a final project definition and route known as Locally Preferred Alternative (LPA).
Of the three routes under consideration (La Brea, Fairfax, and the Fairfax-San Vicente Hybrid), the City of West Hollywood supports the Fairfax-San Vicente Hybrid alignment that would serve more West Hollywood residents and businesses as well as more of the key regional destinations, healthcare and cultural resources, and job centers in nearby areas of Los Angeles compared to the other routes being considered. The outcome of this Metro decision will have a huge impact on mobility, accessibility, and economic development in West Hollywood, and the City encourages all West Hollywood residents and stakeholders to make their voices heard in Metro’s process.
The regional impact of Crenshaw North cannot be underestimated. It will have a strong impact on many communities that are currently underserved by access to high quality transit service and will more conveniently connect the Los Angeles International Airport to the San Fernando Valley. It will also mean more mobility options to and from the City of West Hollywood and more convenient access to key healthcare and employment centers such as Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and the Pacific Design Center, as well as cultural and entertainment destinations such as the Grove and the Hollywood Bowl. With the highest ridership estimates of any light rail project in the country Crenshaw North will provide more equitable and convenient regional access and improve the overall efficiency of the transit system, which will benefit transit-dependent residents throughout the metropolitan area.
For a summary about routes under consideration, and why the City supports the San Vicente (Hybrid) route, watch this one-minute video on the City of West Hollywood’s WeHoTV YouTube channel: Finish The Line: A Route to Connect More People to More Places.
To learn about the numerous benefits of the proposed project, watch Let’s Finish The Line: Bringing Metro Rail to WeHo. More detailed information about the City’s efforts to accelerate the project is available at www.weho.org/rail.
For additional information about West Hollywood Advocates for Metro Rail (WHAM), please visit www.whamrail.com. For additional information about the All on Board Coalition, please visit www.allonboardcoalition.com.
For more information about the City’s Metro efforts, please contact David Fenn, City of West Hollywood Associate Planner, at (323) 848-6336 or at dfenn@weho.org.
