CHEVIOT HILLS (CNS) – As construction starts on the next Expo Line
phase, a major federal approval was received this week to link trains across
downtown Los Angeles, and open houses were scheduled on the planned extension
of rail service from Culver City to Santa Monica.

The planned hearings come as the federal government approved the concept
of a major light rail tunnel under downtown Los Angeles to allow Expo and
Blue line trains to connect to Gold Line tracks near Union Station.
Metro officials said this week that the Federal Transit Administration
gave a green light to the $1.37 billion “Regional Connector” project, a
nearly-two mile set of tunnels from the 7th at Figueroa Streets station north
and then east under Bunker Hill and the Civic Center area to Little Tokyo.
The federal action means the downtown tunnels have completed the
environmental review process and can now go to the design and build phases.
Federal aid is expected to fund much of the project.

The Regional Connector will allow one-seat light rail service from
Montclair and Pasadena to Long Beach, and from East Los Angeles to Santa
Monica, possibly within seven years.
Actual construction of the second phase of the Expo Line began this
month, with the demolition of an old freight viaduct over Motor Avenue in
Cheviot Hills, and the construction of parking lots along Colorado Boulevard in
Santa Monica. The new passenger rail line will bisect Santa Monica on the
southern side of Colorado Boulevard, and the new lots will replace lost on-
street parking.

Metro and the Exposition Construction Authority officials said two
meetings this month will include a short presentation, followed by an “open
house” format listening session.

The open houses will be at 6:30 p.m. next Tuesday at the Vista Del Mar
Child And Family Service Gymnasium, 3200 Motor Ave., in Cheviot Hills, and
eight days later, at 6:30 p.m. July 18 at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium.
The Expo Line’s second phase will extend two sets of tracks west from
Robertson at Venice boulevards along MTA property that formerly hosted Southern
Pacific steam and electric engines, and then diesel freight service until the
late 1980s.

Service has already begun on the first Expo phase, from downtown south
to Exposition Park and then west to Culver City.

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