South from West Hollywood

[gibiscus]

I've seen the proposal for the line through West Hollywood on Santa Monica Blvd and think that there is also a possibility for a line south from West Hollywood. It would start at the Sunset Strip, then go south to the Beverly Center/Cedars Sinai. From there, I can think of several possibilities of where it could go: 1) straight down La Cienega to the airport, 2) down La Cienega to Venice, then west to Venice Beach, or 3) east to the Farmers Market/Grove then south to Wilshire, where it could either rejoin the Red Line east or continue to San Vicente and follow it to Mid-City.

[Dan Wentzel]

gibiscus said:

I've seen the proposal for the line through West Hollywood on Santa Monica Blvd and think that there is also a possibility for a line south from West Hollywood. It would start at the Sunset Strip, then go south to the Beverly Center/Cedars Sinai. From there, I can think of several possibilities of where it could go: 1) straight down La Cienega to the airport, 2) down La Cienega to Venice, then west to Venice Beach, or 3) east to the Farmers Market/Grove then south to Wilshire, where it could either rejoin the Red Line east or continue to San Vicente and follow it to Mid-City.

The Sunset Strip is going to end up on the short end of the stick, probably, and understandably so. Sunset Blvd. isn't supporting an all-day limited/express bus service, let alone a rail line. Supporters of a "Sunset Strip West" stop will have better luck arguing for something on the east end of the Strip at Fairfax, than at the west end, particularly the portion of Sunset Blvd. in West Hollywood, where the City of WeHo, according to a letter submitted to Metro and copied to the Westside Council of Governments is likely going to lobby for it to be on Santa Monica Blvd. instead.

Much of what you described are variations of what is being nicknamed "The Pink Line", referring to an alignment going from the Hollywood/Highland station, southwest on Santa Monica Blvd.

The recent MTA map at the Westside Transit Corridor Extension Corridor maps showed a possible alignment going to Century City with one likely stop on Sunset on the east end of the strip.

Variations I have heard transit advocates discuss for a Santa Monica Blvd. alignment run basically into 3 categories:

1) H/H directly to Century City;
2) H/H to La Cienga south to Wilshire and the Expo Line than south again or southwest again to the Airport or Venice Blvd.
3) H/H to Santa Monica/San Vicente then south on San Vicente to Crenshaw LRT.

Note: The H/H station isn't set up for a heavy rail transfer or track alignment directly going southwest. H/H will probably become a northeastern terminal of any light or heavy rail alignment, unless people want to see the whole station closed for a year or so.

People who currently dream of taking a subway to the Whiskey or the Roxy or other locations on the west end of the Strip really need to be advocating for better bus service at this point, before expecting a rail stop there.