Trip the Light Rail: The Green Line
by Tony Chavira
It doesn’t take a planning genius to see what the Green Line adds to the community around it. Technically the most expensive land bridge ever built in Los Angeles, the Century Freeway (105) was completed in 1993 and filled the desperate need for a transit corridor from Norwalk through South L.A. and past Los Angeles International Airport. Authorities built it by essentially bulldozing a path through southern Los Angeles County, but until it existed, we could only get to the airport from the 405. Imagine that same situation today.
It was a grand idea to add the Green Line extension onto the Century Freeway. When it opened in 1995, the Green Line linked to the Blue Line (which had opened in 1990) and gave direct access to Long Beach and Downtown L.A., and across to El Segundo and Redondo Beach. It crosses the 110 freeway and the north-south bus corridors to San Pedro.
The much-anticipated Metro Long Range Transportation Plan includes a scheme to connect the proposed Expo Line with what they’ll call the Yellow Line, which should parallel the 405 freeway. Vernon, Huntington Park, Lynwood, South Gate, Watts, Inglewood, Westchester, Culver City, Historic Adams and South Central L.A. will be completely surrounded and accessible. If everything goes according to plan, you’ll actually have options if you want to head to Harold and Belle’s for dinner in Historic Adams from your cozy apartment in Lawndale.
State Senator
Jenny Oropeza
But right now the Green Line is only achieving part of its potential. Some changes and additions are more important than others, and some will make more of an impact (and become more imperative) as our population increases. To residents and gas-addicts throughout Southern California, none is more significant than the proposal to extend a people mover from the Aviation/LAX Green Line stop to the LAX terminals. Last year the State Assembly’s Appropriations Committee tabled the proposal indefinitely, effectively shutting down our chances of seeing it voted on until this year. In that time the Green Line Coalition, a league of Southern California politicians with a vested interested in seeing the extension put together, has coalesced around this matter. On February 22, 2008, Senator Jenny Oropeza introduced SB 1722, which will officially create the Metro Green Line Construction Authority. The lack of this Authority was one of the more significant reasons that the proposal was tabled indefinitely last year; but as of May 23, 2008, the bill is still under review by the Appropriations Committee. SB 1722 doesn’t require appropriations or levy a tax. All it does is approve the creation of the Metro Green Line Construction Authority. Money for actual construction will come later.
I’m not implying that Appropriations Committee is trying to shut down the project. The state is stretching its transportation (and overall) budget way too thin. The extension is only about a mile long, but its cost could go anywhere in California for any type of project that would alleviate traffic or improve public transit. Meanwhile, the Green Line sits along the Century Freeway as its subordinate: unable to help alleviate the burden of airport congestion that the freeway bears.
This is an issue that is ultimately much larger and more important than just the Green Line extension to LAX. The more I ride on transit lines throughout the county, the more I’m starting to notice that Los Angeles is the land of 75% completion. The Gold Line and its East L.A. extension are great steps for that side of town, but the buses in the area aren’t quite coordinated with the needs of any upcoming TODs. The Blue Line hasn’t been able to stimulate the essential economic growth necessary for TODs at many of its stops. The Red Line is trapped in stasis, unsure of its future as either a “subway to the sea” or an above-ground extension deeper into the Valley. What was the point in building the Green Line if you weren’t meant to take it to the airport? Why call the project “complete” without an extension to LAX? The stop is less than 1 mile away from the terminals; was it a decision influenced solely by budgetary concerns?
Yes, a large financial commitment for a new rail line is extremely important, but just because the line is there doesn’t mean that it’s useful. Smaller, strategic steps need to be made with the same commitment to accessibility that we envision for our grand light rail lines. Sure, they’re not as impressive to the public or to local politicians as “a brand-new rail line,” but these little changes can slowly increase both the accessibility and coordination of current public transportation, maximizing usefulness to your average Los Angeles resident. They finally give us options.
Smaller, strategic steps need to be made to help people who are just one mile away from the train, so that they can get there and back easily. It shouldn’t matter if it’s the mile from the Green Line to LAX or the one mile I’ll need in order to reach the East L.A. Gold Line when it’s completed. It's not surprising that almost every stop along the Green Line has a parking lot. This is the nature of transit “independence” in Los Angeles: even Metro admits that you’ll probably need your car to access the light rail system from home.
Hundreds of small courtesies are always appreciated more than a single grand gesture. Make it accessible, and we will ride.
www.racaia.com | tony@fourstory.org
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