Overview
Background
Over the past 30 years, tremendous population and employment growth, worsening congestion, changing land uses and traffic patterns, as well as Metro’s challenge to meet transit demand, have led to the need to improve mobility in what is now known as the Westside Corridor.
Against this background, the Metro Board of Directors has authorized an Alternatives Analysis for the Westside Transit Corridor Extension, which will review previous planning studies, and update materials in relation to the new and changed conditions along the Corridor. This includes evaluating changes or shifts in population, development, employment, and travel patterns. Upon completion of the Alternatives Analysis Study, the results and recommendations will be presented to the Metro Board of Directors. The initiation of an environmental process may then be authorized.
The Westside Extension Transit Corridor Study will also look at various modes, including Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) with dedicated bus lanes, as well as at-grade, below-grade, and above-grade rail options, and at least two alignments respectively along Wilshire and Santa Monica Boulevards. Additionally, funding constraints could dictate a series of phased extension segments that would need to be identified and evaluated with the goal of developing between two and four near-term operable segments.
Study Area
The study corridor will extend from the existing Metro Rail Hollywood/Highland and Wilshire/Western Stations to the Pacific Ocean. The northern boundary to the study area follows the base of the Santa Monica Mountains along Hollywood, Sunset and San Vicente Boulevards. The southern boundary follows Pico Boulevard. Overall study area is approximately 38 square miles. Study area map.