New Metro light rail approved by California Supreme Court

The original version of this article contained information that was unclear and has been changed. See the bottom of the article for additional information.

A new Metro light rail is expected to make its debut near Westwood on schedule, with the backing of the California Supreme Court.

The court ruled 6-1 last week to overturn a lawsuit that sought to stop the construction of the new transit system, which would connect downtown Los Angeles with the Westside.

The extension is expected to be finished by late 2015, with the completion of seven new stops, including one about three miles away from the UCLA campus, said Dave Sotero, a Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority spokesman.

Neighbors For Smart Rail, a group comprised of homeowners’ associations in West Los Angeles, filed the lawsuit against Exposition Metro Line Construction Authority, arguing that the report on the rail’s environmental impact failed to meet state requirements.

California law states all environmental reports must use existing traffic and air-quality conditions. The Expo Line Construction Authority’s final review was based on projected air and traffic conditions for 2030.

Though the report did not comply with state law, the Supreme Court ruled an analysis on existing conditions would not have been significantly different, according to the lead opinion written by Justice Kathryn Werdegar.

The Exposition Transit Corridor project, commonly known as the Expo Line, is an aboveground rail line which currently runs between downtown L.A. and Culver City.

The extension of the Expo Line will consist of a 6.6-mile stretch of the rail route, with new stations in Westwood, downtown Santa Monica and Palms, according to the Los Angeles Metro website.

The Westwood/Rancho Park station is on Westwood Boulevard near the I-10 freeway.

The City of Santa Monica’s transportation division is planning on integrating Big Blue Bus service with the expo rail route, because three of the new stations are within the limits of the city.

“We are looking at our current routes, and trying to see how we can best provide direct bus access to the stations,” said Suja Lowenthal, UCLA alumnus and transit government and community relations manager for Santa Monica’s Big Blue Bus.

Lowenthal said traffic congestion and parking shortages are forcing city officials to dedicate more resources to alternative forms of transportation.

“The beauty of public transit is that an operation as large as the Big Blue Bus can be so agile, and is able to provide for the needs of our ridership, which is something UCLA students could benefit from,” she said.

Some students have said they agreed with the court’s decision, and that the Expo could provide an alternative to driving to UCLA.

Melissa Torres, a fourth-year anthropology student, commutes from her home in Lakewood to school on a daily basis. She said her drive normally takes about an hour, but can be much longer when there is heavy traffic.

However, Torres said she would be reluctant to use the LA Metro trains because of past experiences with L.A. public transit.

“I once had to wait hours for a train that I was supposed to take, and no one wants to wait that long just to get somewhere,” she said.

The $1.5 billion rail project will be taken over by the Los Angeles County Metro for regular operation in 2016, said Gabriela Collins, government and community relations manager for Expo Line Construction Authority.

Clarification: The Westwood/Rancho Park station will be near Westwood.