SCAG is holding the second of two open houses Wednesday night for an early study on possible routes to extend the Green Line from its current terminus in Norwalk to the Norwalk/Santa Fe Springs Station that serves Metrolink’s Orange County Line. There is currently a 2.8-mile gap between the two with many residential neighborhoods in between.
The meeting is from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Sproul Reception Center, 12239 Sproul Street, Norwalk, 90650.
The project is set to receive $200 million from Measure M and $570 million from other local and state sources, according to Metro’s Measure M spending plan. That said, it should be noted that this is a project currently slated to break ground in 2046 and be completed in the 2052-54 timeframe. So it’s early in the game, so to speak.
SCAG is the regional planning agency for the Los Angeles metro area and the agency is doing the original study because of the regional nature of this project. Extending the Green Line to the Norwalk Metrolink station would make it very easy for passengers coming from Orange County to access the Green Line, which in turn offers transfers to the Blue Line, Silver Line and in the future the Crenshaw/LAX Line and the LAX people mover to the airport terminals.
SCAG also did the early studies for the West Santa Ana Branch Corridor project, which aims to connect Artesia and Union Station via a new light rail line and will also receive Measure M funding. It is a project, too, that could conceivably be extended to Santa Ana in Orange County — thus the reason SCAG did the early work. Metro is resuming the environmental work on the Artesia-to-Union Station project, which is planned to be built in two phases. More here.
Categories: Transportation News
It’s kind of obscene that this wasn’t built along with the Green Line. Should be accelerated and built, say, tomorrow. The Crenshaw Line went *really fast*, why not this simple connection?
The 91 Freeway / Perris Valley Line also serve this Metro Link Station. The cheapest way to connect these two rail stations is to re-route Line 460 to serve the Metrolink Station. This will further increase the ridership of Line 460 because it can provide additional transfer opportunities between various bus and rail lines.
Actually, this is an interesting idea. Since, once the bus leaves Norwalk Greenline station it is either only on the freeway or wandering surface streets to Disneyland. It would add some connectivity without adding much time to the schedule using equipment that is almost already there.
Steve, is there a chance that the project could be fast tracked? That connection could be a great benefit if and/or when LAX finally has a station at the airport. I think this is a great benefit to all who love the affordable flights out of LAX but not the ridiculous amount of track on Sepulveda and the terminals.
Hey Patrick;
I don’t want to say it’s impossible. But I haven’t heard anything yet about this project being accelerated. The innovation office has received some unsolicited proposals about project acceleration but not about this one (at least not yet). Hope that helps,
Steve Hymon
Editor, The Source
The project can be fast tracked as soon as Orange County decides it wants to pay for a portion of the project. Regional links need regional funding, otherwise the locals are going to spend their money on local concerns.
It would have been nice to get an earlier warning about this.
When was the first meeting?
I actually will try to attend.
The extension might even be open for my 100th birthday!
Hey — sorry for late notice. Because SCAG is doing this report, I didn’t learn about it until this week. And, to repeat what I had in the post, it’s worth keeping in mind that this is a project not scheduled to be built for many years, meaning it will likely be quite some time until the formal environmental studies get underway.
Steve Hymon
Editor, The Source
“project currently slated to break ground in 2046 and be completed in the 2052-54 timeframe.”
Projects like this that tie transit options together should get a higher priority than this. The speed that it can be done vs. the pay-off vs. the cost of the project means that they are high yield projects.
That timeframe is so ridiculous–laughable even… 30-40 years? Who’s responsible for this?
Hi Paul;
The timeline for projects to be built was included in the Measure M spending plan. That plan was approved by the Metro Board in the summer — with support from many stakeholders — and then placed on the ballot. Here it is: http://wp.me/p26tDN-pSW.
Steve Hymon
Editor, The Source
It’s a project with a lot of benefits, but mostly for Orange County residents. Los Angeles county residents will be paying for it, and thus it has been given a lower priority than other projects in LA County.
The Green line would had been built to the Metrolink station back in the 80/90s when the Green Line was built if it was not for the City of Norwalk demand that the last mile be underground. Metro did have the $$$ to build the “subway” so Norwalk lost out on the last mile..
not when you’re dealing w/ such a sorry county south of there………
……. one of those counties thats not needed