Reminder: The latest round of four public meetings for the Downtown Regional Connector light rail project begin on Friday in downtown Los Angeles.

The meetings are a good chance to catch up on the project as work continues on its draft environmental impact report. In particular, Metro officials will be offering a better look at an underground option for the line that would include a tunnel under Alameda Street and a new underground station in Little Tokyo.

The Downtown Regional Connector would connect the Gold Line to the Blue Line and the future Expo Line. The primary  purpose of the project is to allow passengers on any of the lines to travel through downtown L.A. without having to transfer. That means quicker travel times.

The press release from Metro with meeting dates and times is posted after the jump. Readers should note that Friday’s meeting is scheduled to be shown online. There is also a media briefing tomorrow, which we’ll cover here on The Source.

NEW COMMUNITY UPDATE MEETINGS FOR REGIONAL CONNECTOR PROJECT SCHEDULED APRIL 9 THRU 17

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority will be conducting several community meetings to update the public on the latest developments on the Regional Connector Transit Corridor Project April 9 thru 17 and invites community participation.

The purpose of the meetings will be to present details Metro’s new fully underground build alternative underneath the Little Tokyo/Arts District, detail the benefits of the various alternatives studied and provide an updated schedule for completion and review of the project’s Draft Environmental Impact Statement/Report.

The content presented at these meetings will be identical, so those attending a session should seek a time and location most convenient for them. Meetings are scheduled for the following dates:

•    Friday, April 9, 12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m., Los Angeles Central Public Library, 630 W 5th St., Los Angeles.  This meeting is tentatively scheduled to be broadcast live from www.metro.net/regionalconnector.
•    Tuesday, April 13, 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., Lake Avenue Church, 393 N Lake Ave, Pasadena.
•    Wednesday, April 14, 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. AND from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., Japanese American National Museum (JANM), 369 E 1st St., Los Angeles.
•    Saturday, April 17, 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Los Angeles Theater Center, 514 S. Spring St., Los Angeles.

The Regional Connector project proposes building a nearly two-mile transit line that would connect the existing Metro Gold Line Eastside Extension in the vicinity of the Little Tokyo/Arts District Station with the 7th Street/Metro Center Station, terminus for the Metro Blue Line and future Expo Line.

For additional information or questions, please visit the Regional Connector Transit Corridor Study website at www.metro.net/regionalconnector or contact the project information line at 213.922.7277.
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