LA Metro Blue Line sets next weekends closure for construction work

Los Angeles Metro Blue Line passengers will experience travel delays of up to 40 minutes for two consecutive weekends beginning March 5 due to construction of the Expo light rail line, which will connect with the Metro Blue Line in downtown Los Angeles. The bus bridge begins March 5 at 9 p.m. Work will begin at 9 p.m. on March 5 and will continue until the early morning hours of Monday, March 8, on the first weekend. The same plan is for the second weekend beginning Friday night, March 12, and continuing until the early hours of Monday, March 15.

The Metro stations
affected will be San Pedro, Grand Avenue, Pico/Chick Hearn and 7^th/Metro
Center. Rail service from Washington Station to Long Beach Transit Mall will
not be affected. Metro will make every attempt to have service restored before
peak hours Monday mornings. Should any unforeseen delay occur, the bus bridge
will continue in operation with many additional buses running between
Washington and 7^th/Metro Center stations.

The Expo Line is a new 8.5-mile
light rail line under construction from downtown Los Angeles to Culver City. It
will share tracks and two stations with the Metro Blue Line along the Flower
Street portion of the alignment. For Expo Line Construction information contact
(213) 922-5609.

Also, the Los Angeles
County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, in collaboration with the City of
Los Angeles Planning Department, invited the public to a community meeting on
March 17 to discuss the optional Wilshire/Crenshaw station under evaluation for
the Westside Subway Extension Project. The Draft Environmental Impact
Statement/Report currently under way for the Westside Subway Extension
identifies Wilshire/Crenshaw as an optional station.

"There is not community
consensus in this area as to whether there should be a Wilshire/Crenshaw
Station," said Project Director David Mieger. "We promised the community that
we would give them an opportunity to discuss this question. Their input will be
one factor in helping us develop our recommendation." He noted that the study
must continue to evaluate a station at Wilshire/Crenshaw.

The staff recommendation
about the Wilshire/Crenshaw station will be part of the overall recommendations
at the conclusion of the Draft EIS/EIR process. Following a public review
period, a "Locally Preferred Alternative" will be presented to the Los Angeles
County Metropolitan Transportation Authority Board of Directors that will make
the final decision.