THE COMMUNITY WANTS THE HAWTHORNE BLVD ALIGNMENT!
We need YOU to help amplify the voice of our community so … How can you help?
Step 1: Tell the Metro Board - We are FOR HAWTHORNE BLVD ELEVATED as the best option for LA transportation for the next 100-150 years, and we say NO ON ROW HYBRID for the Green/C-Line Extension to Torrance! Template provided, but please add your own stories, concerns, and wants as well!
Step 2:
Step 3:
Step 4: Mark your calendar to attend the LA Metro Board of Directors meeting 5/23/2024 where they will be voting on alignment. RSVP for your spot on the bus to get you to the meeting location. Google Calendar - ICS
Step 5: Continue reading for more info about why we support choosing the Hawthorne Blvd alignment and additional ways to help!
THE TWO POSSIBLE ALTERNATIVES: MAPS
Get acquainted with the two primary alternatives now in contention.
Left: Hawthorne Blvd with elevated metro rail (blue) Right: ROW with metro rail (blue), hazmat freight line (orange), and 5+ oil/jet fuel pipelines (red)
Alternative 1-
Right Of Way (ROW Hybrid)
Crosses Over Manhattan Bch Blvd then at grade down the Harbor ROW through our residential communities trenching under 170th & 182nd Street until it ascends to 190th Bridge South Of 182nd St.
The ROW would have to accommodate 2 metro tracks (blue), 1 hazmat freight track (orange), 5+ high pressure oil/jet fuel pipelines (red), and an access road all within as little as an 85 ft width.
Alternative 2e - Hawthorne Bl Elevated
Elevated from the Redondo Beach Marine Av Station along the wide center median of Hawthorne Blvd then at-grade South of 190th St. Provides economic growth for commerce, safety to residents, and saves substantially more older trees.
ALTERNATIVE 2e - Has the best Metro stop location for residents and visitors: the Galleria Mall. Stops should be where commuters, residents, visitors, and business patrons will use them...on Hawthorne Boulevard!
A BRIEF SUMMARY OF OUR POSITION
The reasons why we support Hawthorne Blvd alignment with elevated tracks.
REVITALIZE LAWNDALE
Light rail elevated on Hawthorne Blvd, will help to support and revitalize the businesses on that shopping corridor without sacrificing parking, which would also be beneficial to Redondo Beach and Torrance commerce.BOOST ECONOMY
Hawthorne Elevated contains a stop at the South Bay Galleria, future South Bay Social district that will not only help support the many shops soon to be built there, but will also serve any offices, hotels, or apartment units on Hawthorne Blvd that are part of the Galleria's upcoming redesign.INCREASED RIDERSHIP
Hawthorne Elevated will increase Metro ridership as a stop at the Galleria will better serve commuters in Lawndale, Redondo Beach, and Torrance, making it a destination for shopping, restaurants, entertainment and other businesses. Even the Ridership Report from metro estimates the Hawthorne Alignment will have greater ridership.DESIGNED FOR RAIL
Hawthorne Elevated will be raise with pillars that run down a wide center median which was designed for and previously contained a commuter railway track, the Pacific Electric Red Cars.PRO-RESIDENT
Hawthorne Elevated will NOT DISRUPT RESIDENTS- no vibration damaging foundations, no noise pollution disrupting lives, no plummeting home values, no visual impacts and it will preserve our green space.SAFETY
Hawthorne elevated is safer as 200-300 trains per day would NOT be running past schools and parks where children play. It would NOT share a corridor with hazardous material freight transport where over spillage on the tankers could be ignited by the metro overhead power cables. It would NOT that run along a path where there are multiple high pressure gas lines including jet fuel. It would NOT share a line where freight trains have had major accidents and derailments. It would NOT have the possibility of vehicles being launched at metro trains at freight crossings where metro trains would go underneath providing a trench for cars to land in.ENVIRONMENT
Hawthorne Elevated would allow for more biking paths, jogging paths, dog-walking, etc. along the Harbor ROW including in Lawndale in an area considered park poor by the LA PArks and Wildlife. The other plan adds 2 additional train tracks to the existing freight track; 3 train tracks would severely limit the use of the ROW as a community green belt!SAVE TREES
Hawthorne elevated would NOT kill over 220 older trees. Metro claims they are very conscientious about replacing trees or bushes; 2-1. If they destroy a tree, they will plant 2 more in the city. Lawndale has very few green spaces. Planting 440 trees is not feasible. Plus the City of Lawndale currently pays for maintenance along the ROW. Lawndale residents would likely have to pay for the maintenance to water and ensure 440 trees would thrive past a sapling. It is a ridiculous notion to try to replant so many trees when metro would be taking over the largest green space in Lawndale.
CONNECTIVITY
Since buses already stop at Artesia and Hawthorne, contrary to talking points used, connectivity is seamless by directly boarding desired bus at the Artesia/Hawthorne bus stop which will be accommodated by the new station’s configuration.
Hawthorne elevated is a FORWARD THINKING SOLUTION that would help Hawthorne Boulevard grow and thrive as a commercial zone. In addition, this route would serve more densely populated areas and therefore increase ridership- Metro's main objective.
For all of these reasons we are telling the Metro Board to choose ALTERNATIVE 2e (HAWTHORNE BLVD) as the only pro-resident, pro-safety, and pro-business choice!
L.A. METRO BOARD’S NEW OBJECTIVES FOR COMMUNITIES
In multiple Metro meetings, Metro representatives have claimed they are working hard to repair eroded trust from communities, that they no longer want to blast through and destroy neighborhoods. They say they are listening and this helps us. They say they also are very conscientious about replacing trees or bushes; 2-1. They say they will also assist businesses who might be impacted by construction. etc.
The ownership argument of the ROW no longer carries weight since we now know they do buy up “excessive property acquisitions” and sell them after it’s determined they won’t be using it. For all these reasons, the ROW is looking less attractive, and Hawthorne (elevated) is looking even better. But that doesn’t mean we can relax, we still have work to do because this is far from over!
PROJECT TIMELINE
Metro has began their recommendation process with the Board of Directors. Metro is currently recommending the ROW HYBRID. After delays, now the board will make a final decision! It is expected to occur on May 23rd, 2024.
The Metro Board still needs to hear from us! Our feedback is essential for the Board to make an informed decision with all of the communities concerns taken into account. It is imperative that we follow through with emails and phone calls at this time to express our preference and tell them why the alignment, ROW Hybrid, would be the wrong decision.
ADDITIONAL ACTION: We want YOUR STORY and CONCERNS to be heard too. Public comments are still being considered and can be sent through May 22nd, 2024 at 5 p.m. Write an email and send another if other concerns come up. Send emails to: boardclerk@metro.net and greenlineextension@metro.net. Make sure you include the following items in your email:
Subject: METRO GREEN/CLINE EXTENSION TO TORRANCE FOR HAWTHORNE ALIGNMENT
Body: FOR HAWTHORNE BLVD ALIGNMENT
ADDITONAL ACTIONS YOU CAN TAKE
Share this information with your neighbors
Get Involved
The only way Metro will make the right decision is if we let our voices be heard. Call and email your City Council members. Attend neighborhood meetings. Contact the L.A. Metro Board of Directors and Metro. Tell all of your neighbors about what is at stake. Spread the word on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Together we can protect our community.