by Garth Meyer
The City of Redondo Beach made its position official last week on the proposed Metro light rail extension to Torrance: run it down Hawthorne Boulevard on an elevated track.
The city council voted 4-0 to take the stance after much testimony Sept. 19.
The decision came two days before Metro presented feedback suggesting “73 percent” of area residents preferred another option – which cuts through north Redondo Beach and Lawndale on an existing rail right-of-way.
Councilman Todd Loewenstein gave his support to the Hawthorne option, saying he was also in favor of
the city paying for a charter bus to take residents to a key Metro board meeting Oct. 26.
That is the first time in which the 14-member board may take action on the extension. L.A. Mayor Karen Bass is the chair.
Redondo Beach Councilman Zein Obagi, Jr., said he supports a charter bus too, and more.
“I will advocate for filing (a lawsuit against Metro) on the draft EIR (Environmental Impact Report),” he said Sept. 19, if Metro chooses the right-of-way, Obagi citing flaws in the report.
Later, he questioned Metro’s “73 percent” figure.
“That’s not a reliable survey,” he told Easy Reader this week, alleging that a nearby city directed its residents to weigh in for the right-of-way using a QR code.
By contrast, he said that Redondo leaders encouraged residents to give Metro input specifically about the Draft Environmental Impact Report, to identify problems with the right-of-way option, as opposed to just saying which route they preferred.
“That was the focus, and that’s what we did,” Obagi said.
He made the motion at city council Sept. 19 to write a letter to advocate for the Hawthorne option – for which he argued would have more riders, so the cost-to-build per rider is less.
Councilman Loewenstein seconded the motion.
Councilman Nils Nehrenheim concurred.
“It’s highly problematic, we’re only finding more issues with this particular location,” he said of the right-of-way, which runs between backyard fences through a stretch which already contains freight tracks.
“You want ridership in commercial areas. That’s what drives people getting onto trains and buses. Jobs, entertainment, mixed-use…” Nehrenheim said.
He pulled out a Milwaukee Tools jobsite speaker and set it on the council row, then played the sound of a BNSF train passing by a Metro walking tour last year, with accompanying video on the city hall screen, Redondo Mayor Bill Brand in the foreground.
“That’s supposed to be 15-feet closer to the neighborhoods,” said Nehrenheim, referring to the plan to move the freight tracks and lay light rail tracks next to them.
“I’ll see you all in October for what will be a Hawthorne decision,” he said.
Feedback draws controversy
At a Sept. 21 Metro Executive Management Committee meeting, results were presented from 2,300 comments received on the Draft Environmental Impact Report, for the two main options for the extension – down the right-of-way or down Hawthorne Boulevard to end at the current South Bay Galleria. A third option would go down the right-of-way with part of it in trenches.
Georgia Sheridan, Metro project manager for planning, counted 73 percent of respondents who support some form of the right-of-way option.
Redondo Councilmember Paige Kaluderovic said that the Hawthorne option “brings people to spend money in our town,” and concluded with a comment on the charter bus plan.
“I wonder if we send a much stronger message if we did, as a group, take public transportation, and show Metro we’re using public transportation, we support this, we just want the right option.”
Metro, for its decision, will ultimately choose between building the line on the right-of-way (land which it owns) for an estimated $1.96 billion, or $2.84 billion for the partially-trenched version. The raised-tracks Hawthorne project (like a Chicago L-Train) is estimated at $2.96 billion.
A no-build option is also on the table.
Metro released its Draft Environmental Impact Report for all three choices in January.
“It’s going to take every single person in District Four who’s paying attention to this issue to show their faces to the Metro board and ask for it to be put down Hawthorne Boulevard,” said Obagi.
The council voted 4-0 to charter a bus for the Oct. 26 meeting.
Councilman Scott Behrendt recused himself from this subject because his law firm has done past work for Metro. ER
