There is still time to submit your comments on the Draft Environmental Impact Report for the Eastside Transit Corridor Phase 2. The public comment period closes on Monday, August 29.
The project proposes an extension of the existing L Line light rail line by about nine miles from East Los Angeles to Whittier, serving the cities of Commerce, Montebello, Pico Rivera, Santa Fe Springs and Whittier, and the unincorporated communities of East Los Angeles and West Whittier-Los Nietos. The Draft EIR evaluates all the project’s proposed alternatives, as well as potential impacts and mitigation measures. The report is available here.
Public hearings were hosted in East Los Angeles (July 21), Montebello (July 30), virtually on Zoom (August 11) and in Whittier (August 17). The city of Pico Rivera held an in-person livestreaming of the virtual hearing. If you did not get a chance to attend a hearing, check out the video recording.
Attendees had the chance to provide verbal comments at each hearing, while in-person attendees also had the chance to submit handwritten comments or leave their comment with the court reporter. All comments received will receive a response in the Final EIR, which is anticipated to be released in 2023.
Through Aug. 29, comments are being accepted via the following methods:
Website: metro.net/eastsidephase2
Online comment form: metro.net/eastsidecomments
Mail: Ms. Jenny Cristales-Cevallos, Project Manager, Metro One Gateway Plaza, MS 99-22-7, Los Angeles, CA 90012
Helpline: 213.922.3012 (leave a voicemail)
This recirculated Draft EIR includes updated environmental analysis and the latest advanced engineering design. Following the 60-day review and comment period, the Metro Board will select an alternative — known as the “locally preferred alternative” as required by state environmental law.
To learn more about the project and the Draft EIR, view the online interactive tool, which features key findings, maps, and more information on the proposed alternatives. Visit metro.net/eastside2022. For complete project details, visit metro.net/eastsidephase2 or call the project helpline at 213.922.3012.
Categories: Transportation News
I get it, you guys only simply want cross-county line and don’t care about the expense and the lack of ridership. The politicians will simply say “look, we did our job, don’t worry about the details,“ pat themselves in the back and feel proud about the damage they’ve caused. I’m sorry but this ain’t it chief. I would definitely expect lawsuits coming out for anything more than expanded Metrolink service that will cause minimal disruptions to nearby residents. The agency came out to say that there was simply no money or resources to add a station at Rose Hills and the Citadel to replace the Montebello Metrolink station which would’ve been $250 million at worst but somehow it can find the $5 billion to build a 3 mile tunnel to only the Citadel? Go ahead Metro, tell me there’s no foul play going on here, I’ll wait.
I guess if another lawsuit is what it will take for Metro to get the hint, then so be it. Remind me why no one in this country wants privatization again?
Just like you can rearrange the North Valley BRT to a crappy “enhanced” local line service, you can do the same here with Metrolink since you are responsible for the LA county portion of Metrolink.
Please make sure there is 24 hour police patrol inside!
This project will break the world record for most expensive transit project, for the smallest benefits possible given that huge investment. The first phase is a 3.2 mile subway to Citadel Mall that will cost at least $5 billion according to Metro’s current cost estimate (which is very likely to increase). For that $5 billion in spend, Metro will add 3,854 new boardings to the line. $5 billion to gain less riders than many of Metro’s rail stations today. In fact, this extension will add LESS riders to the system than what the existing Atlantic station will serve WITHOUT the extension! Metro’s own numbers show the existing Atlantic station would serve 4,300 riders without this extension. But Metro and the Board of Directors insist on spending $5 billion for an extension that will add less than 4,000.
This is purely a political project at this point, and Metro’s own data and facts from the EIR prove it. If Metro really cared about transit on the Eastside, they would improve bus service today and speed up the existing Gold Line that no one uses because it’s so slow.
Please submit comments so the Metro Board can ignore them and choose what they want to do regardless of facts and public input: build a $5 billion Citadel subway that Metro says will add less than 4,000 boardings to the system. And build it before many other projects that would serve over 100,000 more transit riders. A political gift to board members who will not ride transit but have come up with the most expensive way to serve the fewest riders. Metro is insisting on spending over $1.4 million per new boarding on this project. It will be the most egregious waste of public funds for the smallest benefit. Metro staff knows all of this, and yet still force this project forward as a priority, following orders from politicians who will never have to ride transit after the ribbon cutting.
As a former bus operator on the 104 line I can attest to the low ridership this line experienced. The Washington alternative appears to follow that line. The other two would just be “short lines.” Light Rail should not be built in low ridership areas just to fulfill political agendas instead of addressing the pressing needs to relieve overcrowding and heavy traffic corridor problems. This end of the “Gold Line “ missed its mark when it failed to serve East L.A. College as a destination.
Don’t bring it to Whittier we got enough crime here we don’t need to import more from east side
Why is Metro not extending the comment period? You bureaucrats think we can read and digest a document over 1,000 pages and provide meaningful comments and feedback within only 8 weeks? It took you half a decade to get to this point (and over a decade and a half since this project has been studied by Metro), but the public only gets 8 weeks?
According to Metro’s Draft EIR, this project will break the world record for most expensive transit project ever built. New York’s 2nd Avenue subway broke the record by spending $4.5 billion for 3 new stations plus connections to a 4th station. This will cost more, but for the smallest gain possible given the $6.5 billion investment. $6.5 billion that could otherwise go to much superior alternatives that would provide better transit service to more of the Eastside right away, not 10-15 years from now, and for a lot less. The first phase is a $5 billion subway to Citadel Mall that will add less than 4,000 riders. The whole 9 miles to Whittier adds only 11,000. Metro has bus lines of similar length that serve tens of thousands of riders today, the busiest of which like Vermont Avenue will not get any investment in rail for the next 45 years or more while this $6.5 billion plus Citadel subway is prioritized as the best use of public dollars for transit in LA County.