Now that the draft environmental impact statement/report has been released for the Westside Subway Extension, Metro staff are holding public hearings to discuss and explain the giant document. Just as important, the hearings are also a chance for the public to comment on the project.

The first hearing is Monday night at 6 p.m. at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. It will be live-streamed at metro.net/westside. Details and time, date and locations for all the meetings are after the jump.

The hearings are a big hoo-ha. The Board of Directors of Metro — the agency’s deciders — are scheduled to vote at their Oct. 28 meeting on an alignment for the subway project and to get going on a final environmental study. The agency believes advancing the project sooner rather than later will increase its chances of securing some money for the project in next year’s federal budget.

Here’s our post from Sept. 3 looking at the draft study and some of the key issues about the project. If you have strong — or even moderately-strong feelings about any of them, the hearings are a chance to be heard. And if there is anything involving the project you would like to see covered here at The Source, please leave a comment or email us at sourcemetro@gmail.com.

Subway meetings:

Monday, September 20, 6-8 p.m., Los Angeles County Museum of Art West – Terrace Room, 5th Floor, 5905 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90036. Served by Metro Lines 20, 720, 920, 217 & 780. Validated vehicle parking is available in the Museum’s 6th Street underground garage. Enter from 6th and Ogden. Spanish and Korean translation will be provided. A live webcast of this meeting will be provided at metro.net/westside.

Tuesday, September 21, 6-8 p.m., Westwood United Methodist Church – Fellowship Hall, 3rd Floor, 10497 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90024. Served by Metro Line 20. Free parking is available below Belmont Village, the building east of the Sanctuary. From Wilshire Blvd., use the Belmont Village driveway and proceed under the overhang to the underground parking lot. Park on levels P2, P3 or P4 and take the church elevator in the southwest corner of the parking lot. There will be signs to direct you to the meeting room. Spanish translation will be provided.

Wednesday, September 22, 6-8 p.m., Plummer Park – Community Center, 7377 Santa Monica Boulevard, West Hollywood, CA 90046. Served by Metro Line 4. Free vehicle and bike parking is available. Russian translation will be provided.

Monday, September 27, 6-8 p.m., Roxbury Park – Auditorium, 471 S. Roxbury Drive, Beverly Hills, CA 90212. Served by Metro Line 28 and Santa Monica Big Blue Bus Line 5. Metered parking is available along Roxbury Drive. Spanish translation will be provided. A live webcast of this meeting will be provided at metro.net/westside.

Wednesday, September 29, 6-8 p.m., Santa Monica Main Library, 601 Santa Monica Boulevard, Santa Monica, CA 90401. Served by Metro Lines 4, 20, 333 & 720 and Santa Monica Big Blue Bus Lines 1, 2, 3, 7, 8, 9, and 10. Validated vehicle and free bike parking is available. Spanish translation will be provided.