The City of West Hollywood applauds the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) Board of Directors for unanimously voting today, Thursday, August 27, 2020 to award a contract for environmental analysis and advanced conceptual engineering for the proposed Crenshaw/LAX Northern Extension rail line, which will bring Metro rail service to West Hollywood. Today’s vote is a critical step in getting the project shovel-ready and eligible for funding.

“Today’s unanimous Metro Board vote means that the City of West Hollywood is one step closer to realizing our vision to #FinishTheLine and bring Metro rail service to our city and to connect the region,” said City of West Hollywood Mayor Lindsey P. Horvath. “This important milestone builds on years of progress, advocacy, and community support for more transit opportunities. The Crenshaw Northern Extension will provide critical north-south connections and enhance the existing Metro regional rail network, which is a win not only for West Hollywood — it’s also a win for the entire metropolitan region.”

For approximately five years, the City of West Hollywood has been working with West Hollywood Advocates for Metro Rail (WHAM), the All on Board Coalition, and the City of Los Angeles to build support for the Metro rail line Northern Extension to connect the Crenshaw/LAX rail line with Mid-City, West Hollywood, the Metro Red Line station at Hollywood & Highland in Hollywood, and possibly even the Hollywood Bowl.

The City of West Hollywood and its coalition partners have built momentum on a proposal to accelerate the completion of the Crenshaw/LAX rail line Northern Extension to as early as 2028, instead of 2047, in time for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics and Paralympics. The West Hollywood City Council, in 2015, approved its plan in support of a Metro rail line Northern Extension to connect to the Crenshaw/LAX rail line.

The regional impact of the Northern Extension cannot be underestimated. It will have a strong impact on many communities that are currently underserved by access to a rail line and will more conveniently connect the Los Angeles International Airport to the San Fernando Valley. It will also mean more mobility options to and from the City of West Hollywood and more convenient access to key healthcare and employment centers such as Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and the Pacific Design Center, as well as cultural and entertainment destinations such as The Grove and the Hollywood Bowl. The Northern Extension will create more equitable and convenient regional access and improve the overall efficiency of the transit system, which will benefit transit-dependent residents throughout the metropolitan area.

Metro provides a short informational video about the proposed project, Crenshaw Northern Extension – Overview, on the Metro Los Angeles YouTube Channel at https://youtu.be/w21PlAUafZU. 

A one-minute video, #FinishTheLine, is posted on the City of West Hollywood’s WeHoTV YouTube channel. It maps-out the benefits of the proposed project at https://youtu.be/nPenhILOd0M. WeHo on the Gohighlights the benefits of accelerating the proposed project at https://youtu.be/TOg-R21mQjs. More detailed information about the City’s efforts to accelerate the project is available at www.weho.org/rail.

For additional information about West Hollywood Advocates for Metro Rail (WHAM), please visit www.whamrail.com. For additional information about the All on Board Coalition, please visit www.allonboardcoalition.com. 

For more information, please contact David Fenn, City of West Hollywood Associate Planner, at (323) 848-6336 or at dfenn@weho.org. 

For reporters and members of the media seeking additional information, please contact the City of West Hollywood’s Public Information Officer, Sheri A. Lunn, at (323) 848-6391 or slunn@weho.org. For people who are Deaf or hard of hearing, please call TTY (323) 848-6496. For up-to-date news and events, follow the City of West Hollywood on social media @WeHoCity and sign up for news updates at www.weho.org/email.