Residents weigh choices on closing five blocks of Wilshire
SEVEN FULL weeks or 22 weekend closures are being considered.
Residents are being polled on whether to close five blocks of Wilshire Blvd. for seven weeks or for 22 weekends while Metro’s contractor places decking on the boulevard for subway construction to begin in March 2016.
Following the Purple Line Extension community meeting to be held on Thurs., Nov. 12 at 5:30 p.m. at John Burroughs Middle School, 600 S. McCadden Pl., Metro will convey its recommendation to the city of Los Angeles, including to Fourth District Councilman David Ryu. Metro says it will share community input including comments heard Nov. 12.
Choice #1: Seven full weeks of closure of Wilshire Blvd., from Highland Ave. to La Brea Ave., plus three weekend closures from La Brea Ave. to Detroit St. and three weekend closures of the La Brea intersection. Work above the deck will be from 7 a.m. – 11 p.m.
Choice #2: Approximately 22 weekend closures of Wilshire Blvd., from Highland Ave. to La Brea Ave. Work will be continuous, from 9 p.m. Friday – 6 a.m. Monday.
During these periods, traffic will be detoured from Wilshire Blvd. to Olympic Blvd., on Highland and La Brea. Early in the process, there also will be detours from Wilshire to Olympic on Crenshaw Blvd.
STRAW POLL
Twenty-two weekends is the tentative choice of Jim O’Sullivan, president of the Miracle Mile Residential Association.
“The reason is that we have not been provided with the information to make an informed decision. We know that the traffic on the weekends is less, but we don’t know what the traffic will be during the week and where all those cars will go. Also on weekends, school will not be in session which should make it safer for the kids.”
A straw poll by the Sycamore Square Association board members favored the seven-week closure. Sycamore Square boundaries are Highland to La Brea between Wilshire and Olympic. That neighborhood will be impacted mightily by whichever plan is selected.
For more information see the Powerpoint slide show at: http://thesource.metro.net/2015/09/18/september-17-purple-line-extension-community-meeting-presentation-now-online/
Category: News
