Metro narrows possible subway routes to four

We ( the taxpayers) all know that any figure they give us can can be adjusted upwards by a billion or more due to "cost overruns". Why don't they try honesty for once.

I'm glad to see the MTA is still considering BOTH the Santa Monica Blvd. and Wilshire Blvd. alignments, because we need BOTH. Perhaps Wilshire is the highest priority, but we need BOTH.

I am willing to pay any reasonable increase in fees, fares and taxes to build the world class transit system Los Angeles deserves and needs in order to remain economically and environmentally sustainable.

More wasteful and expensive studies for something that shouldn't be a realistic consideration.

Have you joined the official FACEBOOK home of Westside Extension?!
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Come share your thoughts/comments with fellow transit afficionados!
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Zev is still pushing for underground transit aka Subways. He started with it on the city council, I was there as an observer. With Methane pockets and Earthquake faults in the proposed areas, is STUPID. Not to mention the crime and homeless it invites.

How about saving the taxpayers some money and do something smart?$450 million a mile! Are you crazy?

They went way over budget due to the low ball bids with planned increases that the builder got. That was the North Hollywood line. It will cost upwards of $650 million a mile when they get done.

Something smart to do: Build it all above ground for something like $150 million a mile. Then you get the true benefit. Heck tourist would be able to travel around town and see the sights. Wouldn't that be better for all concerned? Bring in the tourist $$$ and becomes showcase for a better way to build and maintain such a system. And the builder can't hid his/her padding of the bill for "unforeseen problems".

Here's a suggestion: organize support at local schools/colleges/universities (UCLA, Sta Monica College, USC, West LA Commty College, etc. by contacting their Student Affairs leaders. For an example, see www.iwillride.org re the Metro Gold Line's proposed Eastside extension, which along with other projects is competing for funding with the Westside Extension in Metro's Draft 2008 Long Range Transportation Plan.

this should be made more public....if this idea is advertised...i believe thaT there might be overwhelming support for it...i wouldn't mind paying some extra tax for traffic relief...or maybe metro can team up with private investors...would probably work better seeing a though gov't organizations are usually not efficient...

"With Methane pockets and Earthquake faults in the proposed areas, is STUPID"

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Tokyo is in earthquake country, and the subway is safe. The safest place to be during the 1989 San Francisco earthquake earthquake was in the BART tunnel under the bay, while the Bay Bridge fell apart.

Also, parking lots are built underground all the time.

This project can be and will be built safely.

What's "stupid" is the belief that the government can continue social engineering in favor of the declining car culture.

It's about time! They should extend it up thru Malibu and back into the west end of the Valley or Thousand Oaks.

Dear Dan W.,

Yes, we can build around any problem with enough money thrown at it. But why spend what will likely be $650 mil. per mile. They estimate $450 mil. per mile now. The car culture is not declining in this state. You live in BH? You won't be the one paying for it will you? Sit down and let the folks that will be forced to pay for it, discuss this issue.

Notice that there are no public forums for the Valley scheduled. We get shuffled to the side once again! Break up LA!

There are no public forums in the Valley because these four forums are set up at locations that the proposed alignments might serve. I understand how you might feel short changed, but I think it's legitimate to hold these forums at locations that would be serviced by this particular extension.

I'm not only a CA native but a LA native. I have two cars and assure you that I would be more than happy taking the metro to work in downtown LA. LA's love for the car is simply BS, at least when it comes to commuting. You can actually see the pollution rising above the 10 freeway in the morning! Try going westbound from S.M. to downtown after 4:00 p.m.; it's a joke and a waste. As I recall, Zev was a big proponent of buses... I've looked into that and it's totally impractical. The City Counsel has delayed LA from getting into the modern world by refusing to understand that LA was built AROUND the freeways. We could have put a metro line down the 10 Freeway years ago for 1/1000th the cost that we're looking at now. Nonetheless, the "purple line" needs to be built, fast and efficiently and now! Traffic is only going to get worse unless gas goes up to $7/gallon. Hey, wait a minute, I need to rethink this thing again as that should be around the corner.

The subway should have been built 20 years ago. It should straight down Wilshire, then to Century City, then to Westwood Village, connecting with another line that does from the airport to the Valley.

It's worth $6.5B to spend on the subway. We waste $500B on the war in Iraq just to ensure that we get their oil wells but look at our oil prices now. Besides, $1B of your tax dollars is going to be spent on ONE single direction 10 mile stretch of the northbould carpool lane on I-405. That doesn't move people as efficiently as the subway; it's more efficient to move people with a few drivers (Metro operators) than everyone doing the driving themselves (every man for himself mentality/road rage).