Route choice at hand for LA streetcar
Written by Douglas John BowenA final route choice, initially reduced from a smorgasbord of 65 route options to just seven until now, is expected to be selected March 22 for the Los Angeles Streetcar project, after review by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA).
The streetcar route preferred would initially stretch four miles from Bunker Hill to South Park, at a cost of $106 million. Unlike other options, however, it will not link with the city’s Union Station.
LA’s City Council already has approved the route. “This is a major step toward realizing the streetcar,” said 14th District City Councilman José Huizar, who launched the circulator proposal as part of the larger Bringing Back Broadway initiative. “I’m excited. This is a very important step.”
Concerning Union Station, Huizar said, “I initially was advocating for a leg to Union Station, but when you look at the facts, the capital costs are significantly higher.” An LACMTA transportation planner said the route could be extended to reach Union Station in the future as a second phase.
LACMTA’s Board of Directors technically will not vote on the project Thursday, but its review will formally allow the environmental review process to commence. The review is expected to take about a year.
Project supporters will continue to seek $60 million in federal assistance for the project, despite being rebuffed twice so far for Small Starts funding from the Federal Transit Administration. Other funding comes from district assessments and from city and state sources.
