broadway streetcar funding passes cra board vote
This blog has moved to Twitter! Check out my twitter feed for the latest restaurant, retail, and cultural news in the neighborhood.
This morning the Community Redevelopment Agency Board voted in favor of the funding proposal to allocate $5 million of available tax increment dollars toward engineering and construction of the Broadway streetcar.
Though only a small portion of the estimated $90 million required to see the project, today’s decision is a major achievement for local leaders and transportation advocates who see the Broadway streetcar as a catalyst for furthering Downtown’s economic development and as an anchor for the Bringing Back Broadway initiative.
An additional $5 million could be also be secured from the same pot, but the lion’s share of funding will be sought through joint public/private ventures, including a non-profit organization being formed to run and manage the streetcar system.
Next steps involve determining preferred route alignments for the Broadway portion of the entire 3.4-mile transit line and to identify a project benefit assessment district.
12 comments
GREAT NEWS! I hope the routes will hit as many parts of downtown as possible including the Historic Core, Arts District, Bunker Hill, Chinatown, etc……
This is NEVER going to happen people. NEVER.
If you want to live in a city with real, viable, and efficient public transportation options, it is NOT in Los Angeles. Los Angeles has many many wonderful virtues, but excellent mass transit now, or excellent mass transit in most of our lifetimes is just fantasy. You are better off cheerleading for flying cars. Seriously.
Jim, your just a Debbie Downer.
This is good news. Hopefully we get more than one route. A couple routes for Downtown alone will make the city center very self sufficient.
Jim, can you be specific about why you think this will never happen? Or why you think Los Angeles has no decent transit? Maybe outside of downtown it sucks, but around here I think it actually pretty good.
I agree Bert. Downtown transit is excellent. It’s reliable and surprisingly punctual (at least my routes are).
Since the E Dash altered it’s route, I started taking the local bus from Witmer to Flower in the mornings down Wilshire. Every since morning for the last 3-4 weeks, it’s come right on time, as I’m stepping out my front door.
Between all the Dash routes, the subway and my own two feet, transit in DT is very efficient. That’s not to say there’s no room for expanded hours and other improvements, but I’m happy living in my bubble here.
What is the proposed route for the streetcar?
Peter, besides going down the main strip of Broadway, I don’t think it’s been determined yet (If I’m wrong, someone correct me). My guess is LA Live -> Olympic -> Broadway -> 2nd Street -> Grand Ave
Stephen, I’ve attended three of the street car seminars and so far the route you suggest is on target with what has been proposed. Essentially, the initial plan is to connect the Grand Avenue Project to LA Live via a street car that will travel down Broadway. It may either travel North/South along Broadway or the return trip may use a neighboring street—Hill or Spring perhaps. That part is unclear at this stage. Previous studies show that a “loop” route (Broadway South/Hill or Spring North) increases the economic benefit to surrounding businesses, because those using the street car can hop on/off and shop both streets.
spring with its trees with more and more businesses opening would be the perfect street. in addition, it spring will is also close to main and the art walk scene.
What’s a “Debbie Downer”? (and it’s “you’re”, not “your”). Careful with the insults, people
Debbie Downer is the person who makes those “Little Debbie” snack cakes. Oh wait, I forgot, they have so much sugar in them they are made by Debbie Upper. My bad. Don’t know who Debbie Downer is.
debbie downer aka party pooper. anyways i think that this is a great idea and hope it comes full circle.speaking of growing the san pedro trolly is something they should look into,its been open for about 4 years and thier trying to expand,if they can do it im sure we can.