|
Post by thanks4goingmetro on Apr 4, 2011 14:17:52 GMT -8
I'm excited to learn about the Crenshaw Line but I have some questions and I'm not sure if they have been answered already or if the answers will come later as it is planned.
I'm curious if the Crenshaw Line (a subway at the point of crossing the Expo Line if I'm not mistaken) will be tied into the Expo line allowing the possibility of offering a one seat ride from the east to the LAX area?
I think it would be an amazing thing if that were to happen! If it were a forced transfer to descend down below grade to another platform it wouldn't be awful, still fewer transfers than currently on Metro Rail, but I think the configuration of the already-busy Crenshaw Blvd would be less than ideal and likely even more so if above grade and a deal more dangerous for trains, pedestrians, and automobiles. Perhaps even messier with the prospect of extending the Crenshaw Line north to form the West Hollywood "Pink Line" to Hollywood/Highland Station. That's a lot of track, a lot of trains, and a usually busily trafficked intersection.
|
|
|
Post by metrocenter on Apr 4, 2011 14:35:32 GMT -8
You're right, it would be nice to have a direct connection between Downtown L.A. and LAX. This has been mentioned by many forumers over the years. However, Metro long ago decided not to connect the Crenshaw Line and Expo Line tracks. This decision was made primarily due to operational considerations: Metro did not want three lines sharing tracks on Flower Street north of Washington, because it would lower the frequency of trains on each of the lines. Also, Metro prefers the idea of eventually continuing the route north of Exposition, to Wilshire Blvd and possibly beyond. IOW, the Crenshaw Line would be a true crosstown train, rather than another line radiating from Downtown L.A. At this time, two options are currently on the table for Crenshaw Phase 1. - Option 1: Build an at-grade terminal/transfer station on the SE corner of Expo/Crenshaw (south of the Expo track, on the site of the chili restaurant). This station would be used until Crenshaw Phase II were built: presumably, that second phase would pay for the final underground station.
- Option 2: Build the underground transfer station as part of the current project. The main issue is cost: the station (and the extended tunnel leading to it) would add over $200 million to the total project cost.
The Metro Board will choose one of these options this summer, after the FEIR is released.
|
|
|
Post by bzcat on Apr 4, 2011 15:29:46 GMT -8
There won't be crossover tracks or tie ins at this location so no one-seat ride option. But a timed-transfer is entirely feasible. And I hope that at the very least, Metro will see to it that this station (which will most likely be underground) will have multiple portals, including direct stair/elevator access from the Expo platforms.
|
|
|
Post by metrocenter on Apr 4, 2011 15:55:21 GMT -8
There won't be crossover tracks or tie ins at this location so no one-seat ride option. But a timed-transfer is entirely feasible. And I hope that at the very least, Metro will see to it that this station (which will most likely be underground) will have multiple portals, including direct stair/elevator access from the Expo platforms. At one of the neighborhood/design meetings, I brought this up several times as being very important: minimum one portal on each side of Crenshaw. The current planning involves only one portal: on the east side of the street. This means half of the transfers would have to cross Crenshaw to get to their Expo platform.
|
|
|
Post by thanks4goingmetro on Apr 5, 2011 19:06:23 GMT -8
There won't be crossover tracks or tie ins at this location so no one-seat ride option. But a timed-transfer is entirely feasible. And I hope that at the very least, Metro will see to it that this station (which will most likely be underground) will have multiple portals, including direct stair/elevator access from the Expo platforms. At one of the neighborhood/design meetings, I brought this up several times as being very important: minimum one portal on each side of Crenshaw. The current planning involves only one portal: on the east side of the street. This means half of the transfers would have to cross Crenshaw to get to their Expo platform. I really hope they do the right thing and build in 2 portals from the underground minimum on both sides of Crenshaw. Perhaps they could recoup some cost by foregoing the mezzanine level in the underground Crenshaw/Expo line station since there'll be plenty of them on the street level.
|
|