SUPERVISOR RIDLEY-THOMAS, MAYOR VILLARAIGOSA MARK IMPORTANT MILESTONE ON $1.7 BILLION CRENSHAW TO LAX TRANSIT RAIL LINE PROJECT THAT WILL GENERATE 7,800 JOBS
Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas joined Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and community stakeholders to celebrate an important milestone in the $1.7 billion Crenshaw to Los Angeles International Airport Light Rail Project, the largest public works project ever in South Los Angeles.
Supervisor Ridley-Thomas said the beginning of exploratory soil drilling as part of the planning and environmental analysis is tangible evidence the 8.5-mile project is being built.
“This project has long been overdue,” Supervisor Ridley-Thomas said at a news conference in the Leimert Park area to inform residents and business owners about the drilling. “Since the Metro board approved light rail transit last December, real work is being done to move this project forward.”
The light rail will traverse the cities of Los Angeles, Inglewood, Hawthorne, El Segundo, as well as unincorporated areas of the County and LAX. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority is conducting the soil sampling to assess below-ground surface conditions as part of the planning process.
The Supervisor said the light rail will provide much needed congestion relief on the 405 Freeway and other north-south arteries in the western portion of the County, improve air quality and serve as an economic catalyst.
“Jobs, jobs and more jobs,” Supervisor Ridley-Thomas said of the project, which MTA officials estimate will generate 7,800 jobs.
He said he is working on developing a construction career policy at the MTA to ensure that local residents will benefit from these jobs.
Mayor Villaraigosa praised the Supervisor for spearheading the effort to build the project, which is scheduled to break ground in 2012 and be completed between 2016 and 2018.
“Five years ago if I had told you the Crenshaw line was funded and no longer a question of 'if' but 'when,' people would have said I was dreaming,” the Mayor said. “But thanks to Measure R which was passed with strong support from then Senator Mark Ridley Thomas, the Crenshaw line is coming."
Also attending the news conference were Bishop Gregory L. Dixon of the First Church of God in Inglewood, Crenshaw High School Principal Carrie Allen and representatives of the YMCA and Empowerment Congress, the constituent-based partnership of neighborhood groups found by the Supervisor nearly two decades ago.
Bishop Dixon thanked the Supervisor for “his effort, his forward thinking and all he did to bring this to pass.”
“Our neighborhood, our community is in need of employment,” Bishop Dixon said. “And by what has been authorized to be done, we can see an increase in employment.”
The Supervisor said that during the next two weeks, the Metro Project Team will host five community workshops to discuss station area planning and maintenance facility planning. Each workshop will focus on a different segment of the corridor and will present specific information on the stations located in that segment.
Supervisor Ridley-Thomas asked for the public’s cooperation during the soil drilling, which may cause some temporary inconveniences. He pointed out what residents should expect during the drilling period:
- A crew of up to 6 people;
- A drill rig, truck and pick-up truck. Any additional passenger vehicles will be parked in legal parking spaces;
- 1 lane plus left turn pocket of traffic will be blocked where required while work is under way;
- Noise and minimal vibration from drilling;
- Lanes will be cleared at the end of the work period and re-opened for regular use;
- Soil samples will be removed and sent to a lab for analysis.
For more information about the Crenshaw/LAX Transit Corridor, please call 213-922-2736 or online at www.metro.net/crenshaw.
