What route will the western expansion of the expo take. will it follow the traks through rancho park? if so they would have to have the stops in the middle of residential neighborhoods. through much of WLA and SM the tracks stop, so they may have to build parts underground.

Scoping meetings begin in mid-January. The ROW vs. Venice-Sepulveda route and potential grade separations are too be determined.

I always seem to learn something new about Transit In LA. So what is Row vs Sepul/Venice????

*Inquiring minds would like to know*

I always seem to learn something new about Transit In LA. So what is Row vs Sepul/Venice????

*Inquiring minds would like to know*

I think it will take the original route through Ranco Park, but without a stop at Westwood Blvd. Ergo, people will laugh and complain this this line will not take them to the Westisde Pavillion, all because a bunch of selfish Westside NIMBYs.

I thought Expo was only being developed to Culver City. Then way later the rest will be planned out, Am I mistaken?

I'm pretty sure it will take the Venice Sepulveda route, not only because of NIMBY's in Rancho park but because, it will serve more people that way.

ROW=Right of way. You know how freight trains don't have to stop for cars and everybody yields to them, well they are on their ROW or right of way. Their are still a few ROW's left in the city and ideally if you are going to have a light rail at grade you'd want it to be on its own ROW so that it won't have to stop for anyone. Case in point, the BL just had an accident yesterday along Washington Blvd. Washington Blvd is not its "natural" right of way but a street running section where it has to stop for lights and stupid shit like that.

BTW=by the way, I was on the train immediately following the one that crashed and it only could go as far as the Washington station heading northbound. The fucked up thing was that their weren't any shuttle busses or even any tangible information to somehow get this massive amount of riders to 7th/Metro or anywhere. At least 300-400 people spilled onto the streets with no direction, a shame of a sight. I had one of my "I hate the MTA moments".

Lets say that the Venice/Sepulveda route is chosen, what will become of the ROW? I know MTA owns the property, but if its not used for rail, its pretty much worthless since most of the land has no street access for residential development. I guess they could create a green belt with a running/cycle path or something along those lines. Any thoughts?

I'm all for ROW's if the Venice/Sepulveda run is going to at-grade. We really need to completely get away from at-grade non ROW rapid transit.

I'm all for ROW's if the Venice/Sepulveda run is going to at-grade. We really need to completely get away from at-grade non ROW rapid transit.

Venice/Sepulveda will run in the middle of the street. One big issue for that route is that the Sepulveda route goes uphill considerably, which is sort of unusual for street light rail. It will also add a considerable amount of minutes to the trip.

Will there be any stops at Westside Pavillion and Santa Monica College? Since the old tracks end neer Santa Monica will part of the Expo be underground?

Will there be any stops at Westside Pavillion and Santa Monica College? Since the old tracks end neer Santa Monica will part of the Expo be underground?

The selfish Westside NIMBYS who live close to Westside Pavillion do not want people from "other" (read: inferior) areas coming to their neighborhood, trampling on their lawns, breaking into their homes, defacating on their driveways and molesting their children. And worst above all these, their property values would go down. At least that's their image of people (Usually of a darker shade of skin, right? We know what they're thinking...) who ride mass transit. So, the chances of a Westside Pavillion stop, though very practical and a no-brainer, are very thin. Again, if you ride this line in the future and complain that you can't shop at the Westside Pavillion, these people are directly to blame.

SMC is across the freeway from the tracks and the next closest station will be on Cloverfield, which is a long walk. I do expect the college to run shuttle buses serving the campus since it is relatively close.

The selfish Westside NIMBYS who live close to Westside Pavillion do not want people from "other" (read: inferior) areas coming to their neighborhood, trampling on their lawns, breaking into their homes, defacating on their driveways and molesting their children. And worst above all these, their property values would go down. At least that's their image of people (Usually of a darker shade of skin, right? We know what they're thinking...) who ride mass transit. So, the chances of a Westside Pavillion stop, though very practical and a no-brainer, are very thin. Again, if you ride this line in the future and complain that you can't shop at the Westside Pavillion, these people are directly to blame.

SMC is across the freeway from the tracks and the next closest station will be on Cloverfield, which is a long walk. I do expect the college to run shuttle buses serving the campus since it is relatively close.

You have got to stop running down the Westside, a rather diverse area. The folks in Rancho Park, Cheviot HIlls, and the other neighborhoods along the right of way are no different than the folks in South Pasadena and Highland Park that have forced the gold line to slow down to a snail's pace on the east side. For whatever it is worth, Beverly HIlls is now strongly in favor of extending the purple line down Wilshire.

For the record as the loudest westsider on this thread, I disagree with the NIMBY's on both the east and west sides. But demonizing one group or another is not a way to solve problems.

Personally I would run the Expo line along Venice all the way to the beach. Most of it has a nice median and the street crossings could be built to run under or over the rail lines. Then I would complete the purple line roughly down WIlshire with a couple of jags to serve Century City, Westwood and Brentwood, then back to Wilshire to Santa Monica where it could turn south to meet the Expo line. This route would take it to within 1 1/2 blocks of my house, so don't call me a NIMBY.:bash:

You have got to stop running down the Westside, a rather diverse area. The folks in Rancho Park, Cheviot HIlls, and the other neighborhoods along the right of way are no different than the folks in South Pasadena and Highland Park that have forced the gold line to slow down to a snail's pace on the east side. For whatever it is worth, Beverly HIlls is now strongly in favor of extending the purple line down Wilshire.



No I'm not bashing all westsiders, just the Westside NIMBYs who live along the Expo route who are against the light rail line. Yes I realize BH is pro-Purple Line and more power to them. If I was *truly* anti-Westside, I would have opposed the entire line because I would have believed they weren't worthy of being served by transit. My position isn't a blanket statement, I have encountered people both in person and on-line who live in that particular area and oppose the line, they are quite vitriolic and hate-filled.

The SoPas gripers are NOT the same thing. NONE of them opposed the light rail line or people coming into their heighborhood. NONE of them opposed having a train station in their neighborhood. They simply were hypersensitive to the noise the trains made. If they had things their way, the line would be running in a trench for most of the route. Of course, that adds to the cost, so they had to make do with the horns, which are a federally-mandated requirement.

SVS had it right, their are just as many NIMBYs on the other side of town as there are on the Westside. The only difference is that there are not any ROWs running through the Hills or Los Feliz for people to make a fuss over. Also, none of us know the percentage of Cheviot Hills/Rancho Park homeowners who are actually NIMBYs. Any kind of estimation of this would be pure speculation. Anyways, there are plenty of transit friendly neighborhoods on the Westside that are just as deserving of mass transit as anywhere else in the city based solely on the number of jobs and housing density. I am pretty familiar with most of the LA proper and West LA/Santa Monica/Brentwood (mostly around Wilshire) are just as dense as anywhere else in the city, save Pico/Union or Boyle Heights. But that shouldn't even be a comparison since those areas don't facilitate healthy living standards. Sorry, but more than 4 people in a 2 bedroom apartment is pretty far from ideal.

Regardless, Elsongs, you make it fairly clear that you DO NOT like the Westside regardless of what you mentioned in your last post. Unfortunately its hard to change rich people who have lived in their neighborhoods for decades and expect the status quo, but that is the same for any neighborhood of that nature.

Back to the Expo line though, I'm glad their finally going through with this and heavily considering Phase II, but I guess I'm still dissapointed that we didn't get the subway first. When Phase I is complete, it will serve downtown and a handful of residential communities. Not that this is a bad thing, but Wilshire serves just as many residential area and also many employment and cultural centers. However, any extension all the way to the beach will never be 100% successful without some sort of north-south line on the Westside that will hopefully reach atleast Ventura Blvd. This should become very clear once either the expo or wilshire line reach the 405.

Regardless, Elsongs, you make it fairly clear that you DO NOT like the Westside regardless of what you mentioned in your last post. Unfortunately its hard to change rich people who have lived in their neighborhoods for decades and expect the status quo, but that is the same for any neighborhood of that nature.



When Westsiders stop looking down on people like me and stop this "No life east of the _(insert dividing line here)_" nonsense, I will change my opinions on them. Yes, it's not fair to generalize people, but as long as they keep generalizing "the other side," then I will generalize them. What's fair is fair. The same goes for NYC transplants, who are the king of generalizers. Until then I stand by my words.

Jesus man, I live on the Westside and I've never said anything like that. Nor have I ever heard any of my friends who live around hear say anything like that. I guess I don't understand who "they" are that you are referring to. I don't I really generalize at all when it comes to what part of town you are from, the only thing that I'm beginning to generalize is that maybe eastsiders are all like you and hate the Westside. I actually enjoy heading towards hollywood and downtown, sometimes los feliz or the miracle mile and spending time there. I just don't that often because I prefer not to drive and deal with traffic. Plus WLA, Venice, and Santa Monica have almost anything that anywhere else in the city has to offer.

Honestly, I don't really care what you're feelings are about where I live, I just think that its unfortunate that you spread your mostly untrue opinion to people without that much experience with the Westside. Especially some of the younger forumers who may draw their own opinions from your words.

When Westsiders stop looking down on people like me and stop this "No life east of the _(insert dividing line here)_" nonsense, I will change my opinions on them. Yes, it's not fair to generalize people, but as long as they keep generalizing "the other side," then I will generalize them. What's fair is fair. The same goes for NYC transplants, who are the king of generalizers. Until then I stand by my words.

No one on the west side wastes their time talking down eastsiders. Most of us have family that live on the east side. My daughter for instance lives in Pasadena and I love her as much as I did when she lived in Santa Monica. A lot of folks born on the west side are in fact moving to the east side for reasons of affordability and perceived hipness. Give up the paranoia, stupid generalizations about anyone are a waste of time. When you are wrong, you are wrong. And by the way speaking about being wrong, here is a lovely picture of Bethlehem under snow. My other daughter who is in Israel says it snowed there this week.

http://www.jlittlewood.com/pictures/bennett/bethlehem.jpg

Geez..... I wonder what they think of us South Westerner's Angelinos??? There's no life above Venice Blvd.

No. Their is no life below Slauson.

J I don't I really generalize at all when it comes to what part of town you are from, the only thing that I'm beginning to generalize is that maybe eastsiders are all like you and hate the Westside.

And Westsiders think everyone who llives east of ___(dividing line)__ is an "Eastsider." I never considered myself an "Eastsider." I don't consider my part of town the "Eastside." That's disrespectful to the real Eastside, which is the other side of the river. That's just so Westside-centric.

I rest my case.

And by the way speaking about being wrong, here is a lovely picture of Bethlehem under snow. My other daughter who is in Israel says it snowed there this week.

http://www.jlittlewood.com/pictures/bennett/bethlehem.jpg

Um, I meant the first Christmas. You don't see any nativity scenes with people wearing snowcoats.

Um, I meant the first Christmas. You don't see any nativity scenes with people wearing snowcoats.

You did say "never". But given that Jesus was probably born in Spring anyway, the odds are good that there wasn't snow at the original nativity. Then again, I haven't seen the photos.

Geez..... I wonder what they think of us South Westerner's Angelinos??? There's no life above Venice Blvd.

You're west of Sepulveda, Ferney; I think you are safe.

Please just don't let any of it be street running. Please let it follow its natural ROW.