Go to www.FixExpo.org

Because there's been a substantial amount of misinformation spread about our purpose and goals, we submitted a memo to the MTA board specifying who we are and what we desire.

MEMO

TO: Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority Board of Directors
FR: Damien Goodmon, Fix Expo Coordinator
DATE: February 28, 2008
RE: The Fix Expo Campaign Goals and Position

Below grade (trench, cut-and-cover or bored tunnel) from Figueroa to La Brea
Fix Expo requests the existing funding for the Expo Line project be used to modify the design from Figueroa to La Brea (a distance of 4 miles) to below grade in either a trench, cut-and-cover, bored tunnel, or some combination thereof, with cost efficient open-cut stations at Menlo (to serve both Vermont and Exposition Park venues), Western, Crenshaw and La Brea. To this end we offer our organizational support to all political efforts towards this modification.

Begin Operations ASAP
The Expo EIR/EIS identifies and clears minimum operable segments at Vermont and Crenshaw. The project can begin operation to one of these temporary termini (or possibly further through EIR modification) while environmental clearance and additional funding is obtained.

The EIR/EIS also clears an extended undercrossing to Watt Way (0.1 miles from Vermont). Extension of the undercrossing to Vermont should be easily obtained. Further utilities under the right-of-way are being moved not just around the trench (at Figueroa), but all the way to Vermont.

By not requesting the Flower Street portion be grade separated, the Fix Expo Campaign position allows the Expo Line construction to continue and operations to begin at least to Vermont with little modification to the EIR/EIS.

Based on the Expo Authority's own estimates of trench and the MTA's recently completed Eastside Extension tunnels construction cost the additional construction cost to Expo would be is $245-305 million.

Cost savings can be obtained by constructing shallow cost-efficient open cut (trench) stations, as opposed to deep multi-level subway stations, and combining the Vermont and Exposition Park station (at Menlo) with portals leading to Vermont and Watt Way.

Almost the entire Exposition Blvd portion of Phase 1 of the Expo Line is directly adjacent to homes, churches and schools. From Arlington to Crenshaw the residences directly abut the right-of-way. The noise, blight, and privacy/shade impacts of elevated alignment along Exposition Blvd would irreparably harm the community, and could not meet federal noise and vibration clearance.

The characteristics of the corridor from Vermont to La Brea make below grade the only alternative to the unacceptable at-grade design.

Proposition 1B
4-6 billion in Prop 1B is specifically for mass transit capital projects, a separate $250 million is specifically for grade separations

Proposition 1C/Tax Increment Financing/CRA Bonds
Several of the station locations are in LA CRA project areas (Vermont, Crenshaw, La Brea). Prop 1C provides $850 million for infrastructure improvements to facilitate urban “infill” development & $300 million for dense development around public transit.

Bond Against Future Investment
Additional investments along the corridor will drastically improve future planned rail projects in the LRTP constrained plan. Building the Crenshaw/Exposition intersection below grade with a WYE would eliminate the need rebuild the station in the future. Building Arlington to Crenshaw grade separated allows the Crenshaw line to operate, otherwise with 45-54 trains a day per intersection (Expo and Crenshaw combined) crossing gates in this section would be down 50-68% of the time (40-45 seconds each), having traffic impacts that would not allow the project to be environmentally cleared.

Any additional funding strategies that can be conceived, including air quality, traffic mitigation, and public safety resources, and public-private partnerships.