Update: you can watch/listen to a public hearing for the project that took place on April 12.

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A Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) has been released for a project that will lessen the time  it takes to turn around Red and Purple Line subway trains at Union Station and allow Metro to run more trains on the Red and Purple Line subway.

This is important as construction is underway to expand Purple Line service to the Miracle Mile, Beverly Hills, Century City and Westwood.

The project’s formal name is the Division 20 Portal Widening/Turnback Facility Project. The public review and comment period for the DEIR will run from March 16, 2018 to April 30, 2018.

The project proposes to widen the tunnel entrance to the subway between the Division 20 subway yards and Union Station, as well as add switches, track and other needed infrastructure. 

A public hearing to provide comments on the Draft EIR will be held:

Thursday, April 12, 2018
Time: 6:00 p.m.
Metro Board Room
One Gateway Plaza, 3rd Floor
Los Angeles, CA 90012

A live webcast of the public hearing will be available in English at www.tinyurl.com/division20 beginning at 6:30 p.m. Please note that viewers will not be able to submit questions or comments via webcast.

COMMENTS: Comments on the Draft EIR may be submitted in writing or orally during the public hearing. Written comments must be sent to Cris B. Liban, D. Env., P.E., Executive Officer, Environmental Compliance and Sustainability, Metro, One Gateway Plaza, Mail Stop 99-16-9, via e-mail at LibanE@metro.net, or submitted via an online comment form found on the project website at metro.net/projects/division-20.

Specifically, the Proposed Project components include:

• Widening the tunnel portal that currently connects the Metro Red and Purple Lines to the Rail Yard, including construction of a new ventilation shaft building;
• Constructing new storage tracks;
• Reconfiguring existing tracks and access roads to accommodate a turnback facility;
• Installing a new traction power substation and emergency backup power generator;
• Expanding the Rail Yard west, into areas currently occupied by the Citizens Warehouse/Lysle Storage Company building (formerly known as the James K. Hill and Sons Pickle Works building), the LAPD Viertel’s Central Division Police Garage, and the National Cold Storage facility;
• Repurposing an existing building at 100-120 North Santa Fe Avenue for Maintenance of Way activities;
• Modifying the 1^st Street Bridge piers and superstructure; and
• Vacating portions of three City streets (i.e., Jackson, Banning, and Ducommun Streets east of Center Street).