Mixed Decisions on Expo Lightrail Crossings

California Public Utilities Commissioner Rachelle Chong ruled last week on a pair of controversial street crossings for the Expo light rail, under construction between Downtown and Culver City. Her decision allows for an at-grade crossing to be built at Harvard Boulevard, but rejects the Expo Metro Line Construction Authority's request for the at-grade crossing at Farmdale Avenue. The majority of the line's 38 crossings have been approved, but these last two were met with strong opposition from community members who feared for the safety of the students at local high schools.

'Fix the Expo Rail Line' is the community organization created to protest the seemingly dangerous light rail-street crossings near Dorsey High School (Farmdale Avenue) and the Foshay Learning Center (Harvard Boulevard), in South LA. This decision marks a half-victory for that team, as only one of the two crossings was denied. Grade separation is the act by which the right-of-way for the light rail is either dug below street level into a trench or raised above the street on an elevated rail. Both methods of grade separation are prohibitively expensive, and the Metro construction authority has pleaded that they simply cannot afford the changes, and that they will delay the project indefinitely.

Already included in Metro's plan were two above-grade stations (La Brea and La Cienega) and one short underground passage (corner of Jefferson Blvd. and Flower St.), both implemented because of heavy automobile traffic in those areas. They were built into the initial construction budget and planned for. While it is encouraging to learn that the voice of the community is not mute in this project, the delay of the already too-late rail line to the Westside will be unpleasant to builders, financiers, riders, and neighbors. The slow-moving light rail trains will arguably pose little additional threat to the existing dangers of high-speed local boulevards Exposition and Jefferson. And while protesters have made it clear they want to "fix" the line, rather than oppose its implementation, the transit linkage of Downtown with West LA will be a net gain for residents of those nearby areas. All you have to do is look at the traffic on the 10 anytime between 6 am and 9 pm to understand the desperate urgency of this project.