LACMTA certifies LRT FEIS
Written by William C. Vantuono, Editor-in-ChiefThe Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority Board of Directors Thursday certified the Final Environmental Impact Statement/ Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIS/FEIR) for the Crenshaw/LAX Transit Corridor Project.
The 85-mile light rail line would connect the Expo Line (Phase 1 of which is nearing completion) to the Metro Green Line with six stations, and link downtown Los Angeles and the Westside with the South Bay and the LAX area.
Construction on Crenshaw/LAX could begin as early as next year, with completion targeted for 2018.
“Today’s approval of the final EIR for the Crenshaw/LAX Transit Corridor Project brings us one step closer to delivering another Measure R light rail project that will bring thousands of badly needed jobs to LA County,” said Los Angeles Mayor and MTA Board Chairman Antonio Villaraigosa, an ardent LRT advocate. “Once completed, the new light rail line will connect residents of South LA to Downtown and provide all Angelenos a new transit option to LAX.”
“This is a historic moment,” said Los Angeles County Supervisor and Metro Board member Mark Ridley-Thomas. The vote, he said, “means we’re ready to start right away—not 15 years from now as originally was slated to happen.”
Supporters of the project anticipate tapping $20 million from the federal TIGER II program, which in turn would allow LACMTA to apply for a low-interest loan from the federal Government as an interim financing mechanism for the project. The federal loan would then be repaid over a 30-year period using funds from Measure R, which was approved by Los Angeles County voters in 2008.
