Trees make a comeback in time for subway
LONDON PLANE trees were planted on Orange Drive near Wilshire Boulevard in Miracle Mile.
•Critics lament ‘missed opportunity’
A decade ago, when Metro officials removed several palm trees from the Miracle Mile to make room for subway construction, they promised to bring trees back—twofold. And, they have.
When complete, the Wilshire Boulevard and surrounding area will be an assorted mix of 200 palms and shade trees that will line the medians and sidewalks of Miracle Mile in time for Metro’s D Line Extension project.
This portion of the D Line subway, from Wilshire/Western to Wilshire/La Cienega, is slated to open later this year.
“It’s going to look really beautiful when all of the street improvements and landscaping are finished,” said Metro spokesman Dave Sotero.
A decade ago, when 83 palm trees were removed from the Mile, the median strips and sidewalks were torn up as part of subway construction.
Now crews are at work sprucing up the area to its former glory under the guidance of Metro contractor Skanska Traylor-Shea.
The additional trees are thanks to a 2022 sustainable tree replacement policy, Sotero said.
The chosen trees include London planes, silk flosses and fir pines, as well as the tall palms.
The return of the trees is a welcome sight after decades of planning and construction. While the newly planted trees are the fulfillment of a promise, they are not without controversy.
The tall, stately palms have become iconic to the city, but they are not from here. They were originally brought by missionaries for religious reasons and more were planted by the thousands in the early 1900s (“Prepare to say a frond farewell to Los Angeles’ palm trees,” L.A. Times, Pat Morrison, Aug. 10, 2025).
LONDON PLANE trees were planted on as well as on Sycamore Avenue as well near Wilshire Boulevard in Miracle Mile.
Critics argue the palms do not address climate change or bring much-needed shade to a warmer environment.
The London planes are also problematic, and none of the trees are native, according to Ann Rubin, of Carthay Circle, who calls the new landscape plan “a missed opportunity.”
In a letter to the Metro board, she wrote:
“For years, our local group, comprised of engaged neighbors with professional expertise in plants and horticulture, landscape design and climate change, along with members of the city’s Community Forestry Advisory Committee, have been advocating for a coordinated street tree plan along Wilshire Blvd. and tributaries…
“Better tree choices would be California natives and species that improve our ecology, are in sync with our wet and dry seasons and tell a distinct story connected to this location. Inspiration could have come from the many trees in the La Brea Tar Pits location. Even Metro’s own policies include the preference for native trees and working together with the community!
“Instead, we got London planes…We already have several near the Peterson Museum and Academy Museum—and these trees look sickly and scrawny. They are deciduous, so we miss the shade for many months, but even when leafed out, they look unhealthy.”
Still hopeful
After years of construction, she adds, “We’ve been holding out with hope, not expecting the status quo and what feels like disregard, frankly, for what happens to also be our neighborhood streets where we live…
“We still have the whole of the First/Last Mile pathway network [where pedestrians travel to and from stations] in need of the right shade trees that will define this area—a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and possibly for the next 100 years. We ask to meet and work together with Metro, the Urban Forestry Division and our council office to go in a new direction, even at this eleventh hour.”
Metro claims 60% of the new plantings are shade trees and address issues of heat islands and other concerns, Sotero said.
They were chosen as part of a landscape plan during the Environmental Impact Review period, during which time public comment was heard. The plan was approved by the city in 2017 and is within the city’s regional acceptable tree palette, Sotero said.
Metro has agreed to care for the trees for three years, after which time the city will take over responsibility for those on city property.
Art Deco signs
Up next, Art Deco decorative signs will be placed at each end of the Miracle Mile district. These replace earlier signs which were removed years ago. Those had been in the median strips and were hit by cars.
The new signs will be placed on the sidewalk in between the three subway entrances at La Brea and Fairfax avenues and La Cienega Boulevard.
The subway extension project will extend the D Line from Wilshire/Western to the Westwood VA hospital station. It will include seven new stations.
The second segment, extending to Century City, which includes the Beverly Drive subway station, is scheduled to open in 2026. Section three, including the Westwood/UCLA Station and Westwood/VA Hospital Station, is scheduled to open in 2027, ahead of the Los Angeles Olympic Games in 2028.
When complete, the D Line will provide a connection between downtown L.A. and the Westside.
The cost to build all three sections is in the neighborhood of $9.5 billion, paid for by county sales tax (approved by Measures R and M) and matching federal funds, Sotero said.
Category: Real Estate
