Red Line Extension Clears Hurdle

Last Wednesday I shared that Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and U.S. Representative Henry Waxman had appointed a "blue ribbon panel" of engineering experts to determine whether tunneling along Wilshire Boulevard is "safe." Mr. Villaraigosa has vociferously supported the extension of the Red Line subway west from its current terminus at Wilshire and Western Avenue to Santa Monica as a bulwark against worsening traffic congestion on the city's Westside. This extension, long a dream of transit planners, has been stymied by Rep. Waxman, who placed a ban on Federal funding for the project ostensibly because he was afraid of the methane gas along the route and its potential to cause explosions. Many suspect that Rep. Waxman's primary concern was with the large portion of his constituency that opposed the subway on race and class fears. For the whole story, read "Dreaming of a Subway to the Sea."

On Thursday, the panel announced it had concluded that the Red Line extension could proceed safely. Rep. Waxman previously indicated that such a decision would persuade him to remove the ban on Federal funding for the project. The costly subway extension cannot move forward without the possibility of Federal assistance.

If the methane gas issue is put to rest and the Federal funding ban is lifted, the Red Line still isn't a sure thing. When Congress can appropriate money to the project, there's no assurance that they will, especially in the current political climate. Furthermore, Los Angeles County voters approved an initative in 1998 that prevents local sales tax money from being used for underground transit construction. A skeptical public would need to be convinced that a new subway endeavor would have regional benefits. These financial and political obstacles ensure that any Red Line extension is at least 15 years away.

As an unabashed Los Angeles transit booster, I find the panel's findings encouraging. The Wilshire subway is a worthwhile endeavor, but "getting it done" requires advocacy and political acumen. I applaud our Mayor for demonstrating the leadership necessary in our rapidly evolving metropolis.

More from the Los Angeles Times:

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Building Subway Beneath Wilshire Deemed Safe

Conclusion by a panel of experts supports Mayor Villaraigosa's effort to extend the Red Line

By Richard Fausset
Times Staff Writer
October 28, 2005

A westward extension of Los Angeles' Red Line subway can be safely built below Wilshire Boulevard despite the presence of dangerous underground gases, a panel of tunneling and transportation experts concluded Thursday.

"By following proper procedures and using appropriate technologies, the risk would be no greater than any other subway systems in the U.S.," the group concluded in a report to local transit officials.

The preliminary decision by the five-member panel, which was convened by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, could bolster Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's vision of building a subway to the beach.

Currently, the subway runs between Union Station and North Hollywood. Federal law bans using federal money to extend the Red Line. The law was introduced by U.S. Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Los Angeles) after a 1985 methane explosion at a Fairfax-area clothing store. Concerns have also been raised about the presence of lethal hydrogen sulfide gas.

Earlier this month, Waxman said he would ask Congress to rescind the law if the panel concluded that tunneling was safe. On Thursday, Waxman said the conclusion was "encouraging," but said he would not seek to repeal the law until he had a chance to talk to panel members in the next few days.

"I certainly am not going to make any decision before I have a thorough understanding of their report," Waxman said from Washington, D.C. "I just want to understand what their findings were, and the basis for it."

The panel of experts from around the country spent the week studying the geology of the Wilshire corridor and reviewing tunneling methods. The experts presented their preliminary opinion to MTA officials at a closed-door meeting Thursday morning, but their arguments were outlined in a report released to The Times.

According to the report, much has changed since the 1985 explosion.

The technology for tunneling and detecting gas has improved, as has the "attitude regarding safety."

Construction engineers have much more experience with the challenges posed by tunneling. And a number of basements for parking garages have been built along Wilshire without major incident.

"They were pretty confident that any difficulties that would be encountered could be taken care of," said MTA Chief Executive Roger Snoble, who attended the meeting.

Los Angeles City Councilman Tom LaBonge — who led the push to create the panel when he was on the MTA board — was excited by the findings.

The panel will prepare its findings in a written report that will be presented to the MTA's construction committee on Nov. 17, authority spokesman Rick Jager said.

Dreaming of a Subway to the Sea