westside subway faq, march 2012
TRANSCRIPT
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Frequently Asked Questions (Updated March 2012)
IntroductionAftermorethanfouryearsofindepthstudy,Metrohascompletedtheenvironmentalanalysisfor
theWestsideSubwayExtension. ThisworkisdocumentedintheFinalEnvironmentalImpact
Statement/EnvironmentalImpactReport(FinalEIS/EIR)thatincludesstaffrecommendationsforthe
project. TheFinalEIS/EIRwasrecentlyreleasedtothepublicanditisexpectedtobepresentedto
theMetroBoardofDirectorsfortheirconsiderationandpossibleapprovaloftheprojectonApril
26,2012.
Thisset
of
Frequently
Asked
Questions
(FAQs)
provides
information
on
the
work
that
has
occurredduringtheplanningandenvironmentalanalysisofthesubwayextensionproject. The
FAQswillcontinuetobeupdatedastheprojectproceeds.
Pleasereviewthiswebsitetoviewpublicdocumentsthathavebeenreleasedduringdevelopment
oftheFinalEIS/EIR,aswellasthosethatwerepreparedduringtheearlierDraftEIS/EIRand
AlternativesAnalysis(AA)Study.
Subjectsdiscussedhereinclude:
StudyRecommendations&Overview
Cost&Funding
Ridership&TravelTime
Alignment&StationInformation
SpecificStationInformation
SubwayConstruction,Construction
Impacts&MitigationMeasures
Geotechnical&FaultInvestigations
Safety
Construction&OperationsUnder&On
PrivateProperty
StationAreaParking
Schedule&Phasing
PublicInvolvement
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StudyRecommendations&Overview1. WhatprojectisrecommendedintheFinalEIS/EIR?
TheFinalEIS/EIRrecommendsaheavyrailsubwaythatextendsapproximately9mileswest
fromthecurrentterminusoftheMetroPurpleLineatWilshire/Western, endingatthe
Westwood/VAHospital.
Pleaseviewourlatestfactsheet,ConclusionofPlanningandEnvironmentalStudies,foranoverviewoftheFinalEIS/EIR.
2. Wherearestationsrecommendedforthesubway?AttheconclusionoftheDraftEIS/EIRinOctober2010,theMetroBoardapprovedseven
stationsforthesubway. Thisincludedselectingthebasiclocationforfourofthestations
Wilshire/LaBrea,Wilshire/Fairfax,Wilshire/LaCienegaandWilshire/Rodeo. TheBoardalso
directedcontinuedanalysisofthethreewesternmoststationsCenturyCity,Westwood/UCLA
andWestwood/VA. TheFinalEIS/EIRconductedfurtheranalysisofallthestationoptions.
Staffrecommendationsforthestationsandstationentrancesareshowninthetableonthe
nextpage. Theselectionofstationlocationsinfluencedtherecommendedtunnelalignment
shownabove.
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RecommendedStationandStationEntranceLocations
Station RecommendedStationBoxLocation RecommendedStationEntranceLocations
Wilshire/LaBrea BelowWilshireextendingeast
andwestofLaBreabetween
Detroit&Orange
NorthwestcornerofWilshire/LaBrea
Wilshire/Fairfax BelowWilshireextendingfrom
westofFairfaxtoeastof
OrangeGrove
NorthwestcornerofWilshire/Fairfax
Wilshire/LaCienega BelowWilshireextendingeast
fromLaCienegatoTowerDrive
NortheastcornerofWilshire/La
Cienega
Wilshire/Rodeo BelowWilshireextendingeast
fromElCaminotoCanon
SouthwestcornerofWilshire/Reeves
CenturyCity BelowConstellationBoulevard
extendingwestfromCentury
ParkEast
to
west
of
Avenue
of
theStars
NortheastcornerofConstellation/
AvenueofStars
Westwood/UCLA BelowWilshireextendingfrom
WestwoodBoulevardtoeastof
Veteran
OneentranceonUCLALot36near
northwestcornerofWilshire/Gayley
Onesplitentranceonnorthwestand
southwestcornersofWilshire/
WestwoodBoulevard
Westwood/VA BelownorthedgeofVA
Hospitalparkinglotonthe
southsideofWilshireextending
eastfrom
Bonsall
to
I405
Freeway
SoutheastcornerWilshire/Bonsall
3. Wherearethesitesthatwillbeusedforconstructionstaging?Constructionactivitieswillbeprincipallylocatedateachfuturestationsite. Typically,between
oneandthreeacresisrequiredforconstructionpurposesateachstationsite. Approximately
threeacresisrequiredatstationswheretunnelboringmachinesandwheredirtfromthe
tunnelsisextractedfordisposal. Wilshire/LaBrea,CenturyCityandtheVeterans
Administrationcampusarerecommendedfortheseoperationsandlargerstagingsites. Other
stationsitesrequireapproximatelyoneacre. Normallythesitethatwillbeusedforthestation
entrancewillalsobeusedforconstructionstaging. Insomeinstancesthestationentrancesite
isnot
sufficiently
large
for
station
construction
purposes
and
additional
parcels
are
required.
PleaseseeourConstructionFactSheetandPropertyAcquisitionFactSheetformoreinformation.
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Staffrecommendationsfortheconstructionstagingsitesareshowninthetablebelow.
Station RecommendedConstructionStagingAreasWilshire/LaBrea NorthandsouthsideWilshirebetweenLaBreaandDetroit
Wilshire/Fairfax NorthwestcornerofWilshire/FairfaxandsouthsideofWilshirebetween
OdgenandOrangeGrove
Wilshire/LaCienega NortheastcornerofWilshire/LaCienegaandnorthwestcornerof
Wilshire/North GaleDrive
Wilshire/Rodeo SouthwestcornerofWilshire/Reevesandnortheastcornerof
Wilshire/North CanonDrive
CenturyCity NortheastcornerofConstellation/Avenue ofStarsEastandtheeastside
CenturyParkEastatConstellation
Westwood/UCLA UCLALot36locatedonthenorthsideofWilshirebetweenGayleyand
Veteran(partialuse)
Westwood/VA VAHospitalnorthparkinglotlocatedonthesouthsideofWilshire
Boulevard(partial
use)
4. Whatwastheprocessforarrivingattheserecommendations?Therecommendationsaretheresultofthreestepanalysisprocessthatfollowsstateand
federalguidelines. Atthestatelevel,theefforthasfollowedtheguidelinesoftheCalifornia
EnvironmentalQualityAct(CEQA). Atthefederallevel,ithasadheredtotheNational
EnvironmentalProtectionAct(NEPA)aswellasguidelinesfromtheFederalTransit
AdministrationtoseekmatchingfundsthroughtheNewStartsprogram. Thethreestepsof
theenvironmentalanalysishavebeen:
TheAlternativesAnalysis(AA)Study(200708)exploredseveralalternativesfortheproject. It
evaluatedavariety
of
routes
and
travel
modes
including
bus
rapid
transit,
light
rail,
monorail
andheavyrail. Italsoevaluatedunderground,streetlevelandelevatedoptions. TheAA
determinedthatunderground,heavyrail(subway)wasthemostappropriateoptionforthis
heavilycongested,densearea.InJanuary2009,theMetroBoardofDirectorsapprovedtheAA
StudyandauthorizedproceedingwiththeDraftEnvironmentalImpact
Statement/Environmental ImpactReport(DraftEIS/EIR)toexaminetheenvironmentalimpact
andfeasibilityofselectedprojectalternatives.
TheDraftEnvironmentalImpactStatement/EnvironmentalImpactReport(DraftEIS/EIR)(2009
10)evaluatedfivesubwayalignmentsoptionsofdifferentlengths. TheyallextendedtheMetro
PurpleLinefromthecurrentWilshire/WesternstationtotheWestside. Twooftheoptionsthat
wereevaluated
included
aconnection
to
the
current
Metro
Red
Line
at
Hollywood/Highland
alongwiththeextensionfromWilshrie/Western. InOctober2010,theMetroBoardof
DirectorsapprovedtheDraftEIS/EIR,adoptedtheLocallyPreferredAlternative(LPA),and
authorizedfurtheranalysisofthisLPAthroughthepreparationoftheFinalEIS/EIR.TheLPA
selectedbytheBoardisaninemileextensionoftheMetroPurpleLinesubwayfromitscurrent
terminusatWilshire/Western totheWestwood/VAHospitalwithsevennewstations. Thiswas
selectedastheoptiontobestmeetfederalevaluationcriteriaandthatcanbebuiltwith
projectedfunds.
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TheFinalEnvironmentalImpactStatement/EnvironmentalImpactReport(FinalEIS/EIR)(2010
current)furtheranalyzedandrefinedtheselectedLocallyPreferredAlternative(LPA). This
latestdocumentincludesrecommendationsforconsiderationbytheMetroBoardofDirectors
includingstationlocationsandentrances,tunnelalignmentbetweenstations,sitesfor
constructionstaging,andmitigations. Italsoincludesresponsestocommentsreceivedonthe
DraftEIS/EIR,
results
of
additional
analysis,
and
preliminary
station
designs.
In
January
2011,
theFederalTransitAdministration (FTA)approvedtheLPAforentryintoPreliminary
Engineering(PE)whichhasbeenconductedconcurrentlywiththeFinalEIS/EIR.
Throughoutthistime,Metrohasconductedanextensivecommunityoutreacheffort. Bythe
timetheFinalEIS/EIRispresentedtotheMetroBoardofDirectorsfortheirconsideration,
Metrowillhavehosted71meetingsthroughoutthestudyarea.
5. WhatisdifferentbetweentheDraftEIS/EIRandtheFinalEIS/EIR?TheFinalEIS/EIRprovidesresponsestocommentsandquestionssubmittedduringtheDraft
EIS/EIRpubliccommentperiodandrecommendsmitigationsforimpactsduringconstructionor
operationthat
have
been
identified.
Concurrent
with
the
analysis
to
develop
the
Final
EIS/EIR,
MetrohasalsoconductedPreliminaryEngineering(PE)fortheproject. PEprovidesamore
detailedlevelofengineeringthantheAdvancedConceptualEngineering(ACE)conducted
duringtheDraftEIS/EIR. TheFinalEIS/EIRalsoreflectsrefinementstotheprojectbasedon
thesecombinedactivities.
DuringtheFinalEIS/EIRphase,specificcomponentsofstationlocations,suchasstation
entrances,werefurtherrefinedbasedoncommentsreceivedattheendoftheDraftEIS/EIR
phase. MetroalsoconductedmeetingswithStationAreaAdvisoryGroups(comprisedof
residents,propertyowners,andrepresentativesfromhomeownerassociations,neighborhood
councils,businessesandkeyinstitutions)togainfurthercommunityinputintothestation
planningprocess.
Based
on
these
studies
and
public
input,
Metro
staff
has
included
recommendationsintheFinalEIS/EIRforallstationlocations,entrancesandconstruction
stagingareasaroundthestations. Inaddition,methodsfortunnelandstationconstruction,
areasforconstructionstagingandearthremovalprocedures,andhaulrouteswerefurther
refined. Furtheranalysisofprojectimpactsduringconstructionandoperationswere
conducted,andassociatedmitigationmeasuresaredetailedintheMitigationMonitoringand
ReportingProgram(MMRP)oftheFinalEIS/EIR.
6. WhatkindsofcommentsdidyouhearontheDraftEIS/EIRandwherecanIfindtheresponses?Therewasa45daypubliccommentperiodfortheDraftEIS/EIRfromSeptember3October18,
2010.Metro
held
five
public
hearings
and
received
input
from
nearly
800
commenters
at
the
hearingsandinwritingduringthisperiod. Metroreceivedthemostcommentsregardingthe
followingtopics:Stationlocations,especially:o CenturyCityo Westwood/UCLAo Westwood/VAHospitalBeverlyHillstoWestwoodtunnel
alignment
Acceleratingconstruction
Interestinextendingthesubwayasfar
westaspossible
Questionsaboutstationaccess
(includingstationparking)
Constructionimpacts
Technicalissues(suchastrafficand
noiseimpacts)
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ResponsestothemostfrequentlyreceivedquestionsareinChapter8oftheFinalEIS/EIR.
IndividualresponsestoeachofthecommentsareincludedinAppendixHintheFinalEIS/EIR.
7. WhathappensattheconclusionoftheFinalEIS/EIR?Following
the
public
availability
period,
including
public
community
open
house
meetings,
the
FinalEIS/EIRwithstaffrecommendationsisscheduledtobepresentedtotheMetroBoardof
DirectorsatitsmeetingonApril26,2012. TheMetroBoardwillbeaskedtodecideaboutthese
recommendationsandtocertifytheFinalEIS/EIRascomplete. Followingcertificationbythe
MetroBoard,theFederalTransitAdministration(FTA)willbeaskedtoissueaRecordof
Decision(ROD)denotingcompletionoffederalenvironmentalclearancefortheproject. These
combinedactionswilldefinetheprojectthatwillbesubmittedtotheFTAforconsiderationto
receivefederalNewStartsfunding,andthentakenintoFinalDesignandultimately
construction.
Cost&Funding8. Whatisthecostandstatusoffundingforthesubway?
TheadoptedLongRangeTransportation Plan(LRTP)forLosAngelesCountyallocatesfunding
forthesubwayproject,includinganassumedfederalcontribution,overthenext25years.
LocalfundingfortheprojectisprovidedbytheMeasureRInitiativethatwasapprovedbythe
votersofLosAngelesCountyinNovember2008. Federalfundingfortheprojectisbeingsought
fromtheNewStartsProgramadministeredbytheFederalTransitAdministration. Thereisan
effortunderwaytoacceleratefundingforthesubway,aswellasotherMeasureRtransit
projects,toallowthemalltobeconstructedin10years. KnownasAmericaFastForward(formerlythe30/10Initiative),thiseffortseeksavarietyofloansandothercreativefinancingfrom
the
federal
government
that
would
be
repaid
over
30
years
with
Measure
R
revenues.
BuildingthesubwayextensiontotheWestwood/VAHospitalstationundertheAmericaFast
ForwardPlanisestimatedtocost$5.6billion(in2022dollars)basedonanexpectedcompletion
dateof2022. PleaseseeQuestion10formoreinformationOnJanuary4,2011,theFederalTransitAdministration (FTA)authorizedtheprojecttoproceed
intoPreliminaryEngineering,whichmeansthattheprojectiswellpositionedtobeconsidered
forfuturefederalfundingthroughtheNewStartsprogram. TheFTAalsoapprovedthe
WestsideSubwayExtensiontoreceivea$640millionTransportation InfrastructureFinanceand
InnovationAct(TIFIA)loantobeappliedtowardsthefullconstructioncostoftheproject. The
PresidentsFiscalYear2013budgetalsoincludesarecommendationthat $50millionbe
provided
to
support
the
final
engineering
design
of
the
project.
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Schedule&Phasing9. WhatistheschedulefortheFinalEIS/EIRandhowsooncouldconstructionstart?
TheanticipatedschedulefortheWestsideSubwayExtensionFinalEIS/EIRandsubsequent
activitiesleadingtoconstructionisasfollows:
March2012:ReleaseFinalEIS/EIRwithstaffrecommendationsforpublicavailabilityApril26,2012(anticipated):MetroBoardconsiderationofFinalEIS/EIRforapprovaland
certification
Spring2012:SecurefederalRecordofDecision(ROD)andrequestfederalNewStarts
funding
2012/2013:Securefederalfunding,completeengineering,preparebiddocuments,award
constructioncontracts,beginpreconstructionactivities(surveys,utilityrelocation,etc.),
and completeFinalDesign.
2013:Beginconstruction.
10.WhattypesofactivitieshappenbetweentheMetroBoardapprovaloftheFinalEIS/EIRandgroundbreakingonconstructionofthesubwayextension?FollowingreceiptofaRecordofDecision(ROD)fromtheFederalTransitAdministration(FTA),
Metrowillbeginpreconstructionactivitiesthatwillincludesecuringfederalfunding,
developingFinalDesignplans,preparingbiddocuments,awardingconstructioncontract(s),
propertyacquisitionnegotiations,additionalfieldtesting,utilityrelocationwork,andpotential
paleontologicalwork. Ongoingcommunityoutreachwillalsocontinue,includingdiscussions
withpropertyowners,businesses,andthecommunityonstationdesign,stationart,and
constructionmitigationactivities.
11.WhenwillIbeabletoridetheSubwayandhowdoestheAmericaFastForwardInitiativeaffect
the
project?
HowfasttheSubwayisbuiltandopenforserviceislargelyaquestionofwhencommitted
fundingcanbecomeavailablefortheproject. Basedonfundingcurrentlydedicatedtothe
projectintheadoptedLongRangeTransportationPlanforLosAngelesCounty,theFinalEIS/EIR
recommendsthatthesubwaybebuiltandopeninthreephases:
2020:3newstationsatWilshire/LaBrea,Wilshire/Fairfax &Wilshire/LaCienega
2026:2newstationsatWilshire/Rodeo&CenturyCity
2036:2newstationsatWestwood/UCLA&WestwoodVAHospital
InearlyJanuary2011,theFederalTransitAdministration (FTA)grantedpermissionforthe
SubwaytobeginPreliminaryEngineering(PE)tobuildtheprojectinonephaseto
Westwood/VAHospital,
and
to
complete
the
project
by
2022.
Metro
is
currently
developing
newfundingplansthatwouldallowustomeetthisnewtimeframe.
OneefforttoacceleratefundingisknownastheAmericaFastForwardInitiative(formerlythe
30/10Initiative). ThisisanefforttobuildthesubwayandalltheMeasureRprojectsin10
years. Metroisworkingcloselywiththefederalgovernmenttofindwaystoadvancethe
fundingfortheseprojects. Anyfederalmoneynotalreadypresumedtobepartofthefunding
foraprojectwouldbepaidbackbythelocalMeasureRrevenuesover30years.
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12.EarlierplanshadthefirstphaseofthesubwayendingatFairfax. WhyareyounowbringingitLaCienega?AsaresultofPreliminaryEngineeringworkconductedduringpreparationoftheFinalEIS/EIR,it
wasdeterminedthattheinitialconstructionsegmentshouldextend for3.9milesfrom
Wilshire/WesterntoWilshire/LaCienegaratherthan3.1milesfromWilshire/Western to
Wilshire/Fairfax.The
principal
reason
for
this
change
is
the
gassy
ground
conditions
that
are
moreconcentratedintheareafromjusteastofLaBreatojustwestofFairfax. Tunnelinginthis
areawillrequiretheuseofspecialtunnelboringequipmentthatisnotrequiredinother
segmentsoftheproject. ExtendingthefirstsegmenttoLaCienegaallowsallofthisspecial
tunnelingworktobefocusedinasingleconstructionsegment. Groundconditionsaremuch
morefavorablewestoftheLaCienegaStationwheremoreconventionaltunnelboring
equipmentcanbeused. ThischangewillalsoallowtheWilshire/LaCienegaStationtobe
completedandopenforserviceupto6yearsearlierasapartofConstructionSegment1thanif
itwerebuiltasapartofConstructionSegment2.InFebruary2012,staffinformedtheMetro
BoardofDirectorsabouttheplanstorecommendtheWilshire/LaCienegaStationasapartof
thePhase1constructionsegment. ThatreporttotheMetroBoardisavailableat
metro.net/westside.
PleaseseeourConstructionFactSheetformoreinformationonstationconstruction.Ridership&TravelTime13.HowmanypeoplewillridetheWestsideSubwayExtension?
BasedontheanalysisconductedduringtheFinalEIS/EIR,theWestsideSubwayExtensiontothe
Westwood/VAHospitalstationwillgenerateabout49,300dailyweekdayboardingsatthe
sevennewstations. Usingadifferentmeasure,therewouldbeabout78,000newdailytripson
the
full
Metro
Rail
System
as
a
result
of
the
opening
of
this
line.
14.HowlongwillittaketotraveltotheWestsideonthesubwayfromvariousdestinationsaroundLACounty?
OncethesubwayiscompletedtotheWestwood/VAHospital,itisprojectedtotake25minutes
totravelbetweentheWestwood/UCLAstationandthePershingSquarestationindowntown
LosAngeles,asavingsof30minutescomparedtotraveltimesontransitwithouttheproject.
ThegraphicbelowillustratestheprojectedtraveltimetoWestwood/UCLAfromotherareasof
theCountywiththeprojectcomparedtoaveragetransittraveltimeswithouttheproject(No
Build).
Inall
cases,
the
travel
times
to
Westwood/UCLA
will
improve
by
about
30
60%
over
travel
timesontransitwithoutthesubway. Itshouldalsobenotedthattraveltimesonthesubway
willremainconstantovertime,whereasbusandautotraveltimesonsurfacestreetsvary
dependingontrafficconditionsandareexpectedtodeterioratefurtherovertimeascongestion
increases.
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http://www.metro.net/board/Items/2012/02_February/20120215P&PItem52.pdfhttp://www.metro.net/board/Items/2012/02_February/20120215P&PItem52.pdfhttp://www.metro.net/board/Items/2012/02_February/20120215P&PItem52.pdfhttp://www.metro.net/board/Items/2012/02_February/20120215P&PItem52.pdfhttp://www.metro.net/board/Items/2012/02_February/20120215P&PItem52.pdfhttp://www.metro.net/board/Items/2012/02_February/20120215P&PItem52.pdfhttp://www.metro.net/board/Items/2012/02_February/20120215P&PItem52.pdfhttp://www.metro.net/board/Items/2012/02_February/20120215P&PItem52.pdfhttp://www.metro.net/board/Items/2012/02_February/20120215P&PItem52.pdfhttp://www.metro.net/board/Items/2012/02_February/20120215P&PItem52.pdfhttp://www.metro.net/board/Items/2012/02_February/20120215P&PItem52.pdfhttp://www.metro.net/board/Items/2012/02_February/20120215P&PItem52.pdfhttp://www.metro.net/board/Items/2012/02_February/20120215P&PItem52.pdfhttp://www.metro.net/projects/westside/westside-construction-fact-sheethttp://www.metro.net/projects/westside/westside-construction-fact-sheethttp://www.metro.net/projects/westside/westside-construction-fact-sheethttp://www.metro.net/projects/westside/westside-construction-fact-sheethttp://www.metro.net/projects/westside/westside-construction-fact-sheethttp://www.metro.net/projects/westside/westside-construction-fact-sheethttp://www.metro.net/board/Items/2012/02_February/20120215P&PItem52.pdfhttp://www.metro.net/board/Items/2012/02_February/20120215P&PItem52.pdf -
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TravelTimestowiththeSubway
Alignments&Stations15.Whatwerethekeyfactorsthatledtothestaffrecommendationsforstation&tunnel
locations?
Safetyisthemostimportantconsiderationforallaspectsofsubwayplanningsafetyforthe
contractorsthatbuildthesubway,forouremployeesthatoperateandmaintainit,forour
passengers,andforourneighbors. FortheFinalEIS/EIR,theMetroBoardofDirectorsdirected
stafftocarefullyevaluatestationandtunneloptionstoensurethatthesubwaywouldbesafe
tobuildandoperategivenfactorsincludingsoilconditions,locationsofearthquakefaultsand
activeorabandonedoilfields. Decisionsaboutstationlocationsalsotypicallydependona
varietyofotherfactorsincludingenvironmentalimpacts,engineeringandtechnicalissues,
costs,constructability,abilitytolocateconvenientareasforconstructionstaging,interestfrom
adjacentpropertyowners,ridership,accesstodestinations,publicinput,etc. DuringtheFinal
EIS/EIR/PEphase,Metroconductedfurtherindepthevaluationofthestationlocationsusingall
thesecriteria.
16.Howwillthestationslookinmyneighborhood? Willthepublichaveinputintotheirdesign?Metrohasworkedcloselywithstaffofthestudyareacities,thepublicandotherstakeholders
onallaspectsofstationplanninganddesignthroughouttheenvironmentalprocess. Duringthe
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buildingwithinanolder,historicbuilding. TheMayCompanylocationisnotrecommended
duetothehighercostsandrisksassociatedwiththisoption.
Besidescost,stationaccessibilityfromalldirections,includingbus/railtransfers,isanotherkey
factorinevaluatingstationentrancelocations. TheJohniessiteisclosertothe
Wilshire/Fairfaxintersection
making
this
an
easier,
more
convenient
transfer
than
the
Orange
Grovesiteforthoseaccessingthisstation.Thecostsofbuildingthestationentranceateither
theJohniessiteortheOrangeGrovesitearesimilartoeachotherasbothlocationsare
recommendedtobeusedforconstructionstaginghere.
AllofthisanalysiswillbepresentedtotheMetroBoardofDirectorswhowillbeaskedtodecide
onthestationentrance.
19.WhyistheFinalEIS/EIRrecommendingthattheentrancetotheWilshire/RodeostationbeatthesouthwestcornerofWilshireBoulevardandReevesDriveinsteadofatorclosertoRodeo
Drive?
WhileeverystationareaoftheWestsideSubwayExtensionpresentschallenges,someofthe
issuesinthisareaofBeverlyHillsincludetheexistingbuildings,narrownorth/southstreets,and
differenceinorientationofstreetsonthenorthandsouthsideofWilshireBoulevard. Someof
theoptionsevaluatedforwheretolocatethisstationentranceinclude:
ThenorthwestcornerofWilshireBoulevardandBeverlyDrive
ThesouthwestcornerofWilshireBoulevardandElCaminoDrive
ThesouthwestcornerofWilshireBoulevardandReevesDrive
ThelocationsatBeverlyDriveandatElCaminoDrivewouldhaveeachrequiredsqueezingthe
stationentrancecomponentselevators,escalators,stairsandstationentrancecovering
onto
already
narrow
sidewalks.
For
the
Beverly
Drive
location,
this
would
have
further
required
wideningthesidewalkonBeverlyDriveeliminatingcurbparkingandatleastonetrafficlane.
Belowgroundcomponentsforeachofthesestationentrancesincludingpassengerwalkways
wouldhaveresultedinapermanentlossofasignificantportionoftheundergroundparking
foreachofthebuildingsatthoselocations.
WilshireBoulevardandReevesDriveisrecommendedasaconstructionstagingsiteforthis
stationmakingitaneasierandlessexpensivelocationforthestationentrance. Theseoptions
werediscussedindetailwiththeStationAreaAdvisoryGroupforWilshire/Rodeostation. Allof
thisanalysiswillbepresentedtotheMetroBoardofDirectorswhowillbeaskedtodecideon
thestationentrance.
20.WasntaCenturyCityStationalwaysplannedonSantaMonicaBoulevard? WheredidtheideaforlocatingthestationbelowConstellationcomefrom? Whatotheroptionshaveyou
studiedforastationlocationinthatarea?
Anyenvironmentalanalysismustconsiderallreasonablealternatives,aswellasevaluateall
commentsandsuggestionsreceived. DuringtheAlternativesAnalysis(AA)conductedin2007
08,MetroreviewedalignmentsandstationlocationsintheCenturyCityareathathad
previouslybeenconsideredintheearly1990sasastartingpointforinputandevaluation. This
informationwaspresentedtothepublicforcommentatthefirstroundofscopingmeetingsin
October2007duringtheAAandsubsequentlyagainduringtheDraftEIS/EIRphase.Public
11
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commentsduringboththeAAandDraftEIS/EIRnotedthataSantaMonicaBoulevardlocation
placedastationonthenorthernedgeofCenturyCityimmediatelyadjacenttotheLosAngeles
CountryClubgolfcourseandnearalowdensityresidentialareatothenorth. Metrowasasked
toalsoevaluateotheralternativesincludinglocatingastationsouthofSantaMonicaBoulevard
thatwouldbesurroundedonallsidesbyhighriseofficesanddensecommercialbuildings.
Metrolooked
at
several
alternatives
in
the
heart
of
Century
City
including
one
at
Constellation
BoulevardandanotheronAvenueoftheStars.
DuringtheFinalEIS/EIR,MetrocontinuedtoevaluatetheCenturyCitystationlocationsunder
SantaMonicaBoulevardandunderConstellationBoulevard. Theinitialstationlocationstudied
underSantaMonicaBoulevardwasattheintersectionofAvenueoftheStars. Metro
subsequentlyconsideredamodificationtothisoptionunderSantaMonicaBoulevardat
CenturyParkEasttoaddresssafetyconcernsbylocatingthestationfartherawayfromthe
SantaMonicaFaultzone. (SeeQuestions22,28and29formoreinformationabouttheSanta
MonicaFaultandeffortstolearnmoreaboutit.) ThelocationstudiedunderConstellation
BoulevardplacedthestationatAvenueoftheStars.
Duringearlierstudyphases,Metroalsoevaluated,andultimatelyruledout,anorthsouth
orientedstation
located
under
Avenue
of
the
Stars
between
Santa
Monica
and
Constellation
Boulevards. Thislocationwouldhaverequiredasignificantlylongertunnelinordertoachieve
thenorthsouthorientationforthisstationandresultedinhighercosts,longertraveltimesand
tunnelingundermoreprivateproperties.
21.DoesthelocationoftheCenturyCitystationmakeadifferenceintheboardingnumbersforthatstation? HowhavethesenumberschangedsincetheDraftEIS/EIR?TheFinalEIS/EIRisprojectingapproximately8,600weekdayboardingsattheCenturyCity
stationifitislocatedatConstellationBoulevardandAvenueoftheStars,and5,500weekday
boardingsifthestationislocatedatSantaMonicaBoulevard&CenturyParkEast. These
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projectionsarebasedoncomputermodelanalysiscoupledwithanindepthevaluationofland
usesaroundbothstationlocations,walkingdistancesandexperiencefromotherrailsystems.
Thatanalysisfoundthatthereareapproximately20,000jobslocatedwithinmiletheCentury
City/Constellation StationOptionandapproximately10,000jobslocatedwithinmileofthe
CenturyCity/SantaMonicaBoulevardStationOption. Thisdifferenceinaccesstothesubway
stationis
asignificant
factor
in
the
higher
ridership
forecasts
for
the
recommended
ConstellationStationlocation.
TheearlierDraftEIS/EIRprojected6,500boardingsinCenturyCitybasedonamoregeneralized
methodofridershipforecastingthatdidnothaveadetailedanalysisoflandusedistributionnor
differentiatebetweenthestationlocationsonSantaMonicaBoulevardandonConstellation
Boulevard. Fortheaboveridershipforecasts,Metroisrequiredtousetheadoptedsixcounty
regionaltransportation computermodelthatismaintained bytheSouthernCalifornia
AssociationofGovernments(SCAG).TheseforecastshavebeenfurtherreviewedbytheU.S.
DepartmentofTransportationtoassurethemethodologiesusedareconsistentandcomparable
withridershipforecastsconductedthroughoutthecountryonothertransitprojectsinother
citiesthatarealsocompetingforfederalfundinggrants. Suchprocedureshavebeenputinto
placebythefederalgovernmenttoinsurethatridershipforecastsareproperlypreparedand
withoutbias.
BackgroundinformationontheCenturyCityridershipanalysisintheFinalEIS/EIRcanbefound
intheCenturyCityTransitOrientedDevelopment(TOD)andWalkAccessStudyandthe
TechnicalReportSummarizingtheResultsoftheForecastedAlternatives.
22.WhydidquestionsabouttheSantaMonicaFaultanditsimplicationsforthelocationofthetunnelsandstationintheCenturyCityareaonlyariserelativelylateintheenvironmental
process?
Didnt
Metro
know
about
it
earlier?
What
implications
does
this
have
for
other
buildinganddevelopmentinthevicinity?
WhentheAlternativesAnalysis(AA)fortheWestsideSubwayExtensionbeganin2007,thebest
informationavailableabouttheSantaMonicaFaultinthevicinityofCenturyCitycamefroma
2005studyusingavisualinspectionmethodknownassurfacetopographytoestimatethe
locationofthefault. Thisinformationwassufficienttoraiseconcernsaboutthesafetyof
buildingtunnelsandstationsunderSantaMonicaBoulevard,however,informationgathered
thiswayisnotsufficienttoidentifythefaulttracelocationsandtheircharacteristicsastheyare
configuredundergroundinrelationtotheproposedsubway.
In200910,asapartofstudiesfortheDraftEIS/EIR,Metrocontractorsconductedgeotechnical
tests
in
the
area
including
soil
borings
and
geophysical
tests
to
measure
how
vibrations
travel
throughtheground. Thesetestsprovidedmoreinformationaboutthelocationand
characteristicsoftheSantaMonicaFaultintheCenturyCityareathantheearliersurface
topographywork,howeveritwasstillinsufficienttomakedefinitiverecommendationswith
regardtothesafetyofspecificstationandtunnellocations.
DuringtheFinalFEIS/EIR,Metroconductedfurtherextensivegeotechnicalstudiestoprovide
evenmoreinformationabouttheSantaMonicaFaultandotherseismicfeaturesinthearea,
includingtheWestBeverlyHillsLineament. Theresultsofthesestudiesarecontainedintwo
technicalreports,theTunnelingSafetyReportandFaultInvestigationReport. Thesereports13
http://www.metro.net/projects_studies/westside/images/century_city_area_tunneling_safety_report.pdfhttp://www.metro.net/projects_studies/westside/images/century_city_area_tunneling_safety_report.pdfhttp://www.metro.net/projects_studies/westside/images/century_city_area_tunneling_safety_report.pdfhttp://www.metro.net/projects_studies/westside/images/century_city_area_tunneling_safety_report.pdfhttp://www.metro.net/projects_studies/westside/images/century_city_area_tunneling_safety_report.pdfhttp://www.metro.net/projects_studies/westside/images/fault_report.pdfhttp://www.metro.net/projects_studies/westside/images/fault_report.pdfhttp://www.metro.net/projects_studies/westside/images/fault_report.pdfhttp://www.metro.net/projects_studies/westside/images/fault_report.pdfhttp://www.metro.net/projects_studies/westside/images/fault_report.pdfhttp://www.metro.net/projects_studies/westside/images/fault_report.pdfhttp://www.metro.net/projects_studies/westside/images/century_city_area_tunneling_safety_report.pdf -
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andtestshaveprovidedsufficientevidencethatacknowledgedexpertsinseismicdesignhave
usedtorecommendthatsubwaystationsandalignmentsshouldnotbeconstructedalong
SantaMonicaBoulevardinCenturyCity. Theserecommendationsdonotextendtoother
propertiesintheareawhohavebeenadvisedtousethegeologicinformationprovidedbythese
studiestomaketheirowndeterminationsaboutthesafetyofothertypesofbuiltstructuresin
thevicinity.
Fact
Sheets
related
to
these
issues
are
also
online.
SeeQuestion31formoreinformationaboutsubwaysinearthquakeareas.
23.WhyistheWestwood/UCLAStationnotclosertotheUCLAcampus?TheAlternativesAnalysisStudy(AA)conductedin200708consideredstationlocationsalong
WilshireBoulevardintheWestwoodareaaswellasthoseclosertotheUCLAcampus.Locations
inthemiddleofWestwoodVillage,attheentrancetoUCLAalongLeConte,andontheUCLA
campuswerenotcarriedforwardintotheDraftEIS/EIRfortwoprimaryreasons. First,they
wouldhaverequiredtunnelalignmentstotravelundertheVeteransNationalCemeteryinorder
toallowthesubwaytocontinuewest. Inaddition,the
narrowstreetsinWestwoodVillageandtheadditional
distancefromWilshireBoulevardmadetheselocationsill
suitedforstationconstructionandassociatedimpacts,
includinglocatingsufficientlandforconstructionstaging
andearthremoval,andidentifyingtruckhaulroutes.
ThestationlocationsconsideredduringtheFinalEIS/EIR
closertoorunderWilshireBoulevardwillserveWestwood
Villageaswellasthehighriseofficebuildingsalong
WilshireBoulevardandthemultifamilyresidential
buildings
close
by.
In
addition,
adequate
undeveloped
landincloseproximitytotheI405Freewaywasavailable
formucheasieraccessfortruckaccessandhaulroutes.
Further,thereisalreadysignificantbusserviceinthe
WestwoodVillageareaprovidedbyMetro,SantaMonica
BigBlueBus,CulverCityMunicipalBusLines,UCLATransit
andothersthatprovidemanyconnectionsbetween
WilshireBoulevardandtheUCLAcampus.
SubwayConstruction,ConstructionImpactsandMitigationMeasures24.
How
will
the
subway
tunnels
and
stations
be
built?
Subwaytunnelswillbebuiltthroughtheuseofclosedface,pressurizedtunnelboring
machines(TBMs). Mostofthetunnelingtakesplacecompletelybelowgroundwithlittle,ifany,
noticeableimpactonthesurfaceoncetheTBMshavebeeninserted.
Subwaystationsarebuiltbyexcavatingthesiteforthestationboxandthenbuildingthe
stationbelowground. Ifthestationisbuiltunderastreet,itiscoveredoverwithconcrete
deckingduringconstructiontoallowtraffictocontinuetoflowoverhead. Trafficwouldbe
disruptedatthebeginningofstationconstructiontoallowforinitialexcavationandinstallation
oftheconcretedecking,andagainattheendtoremovethedeckingandreconstructthestreet.
14
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Pleaseseequestion26formoreinformationaboutsubwayconstructionandquestion37for
moreinformationonimpacts. YoumayalsowishtoviewtheConstructionFactSheet,thepresentationsfromourmeetingsinAugust2009andJanuary2011andthevideoASubway
Story:MetrosWestsideSubwayExtensionforfurtherinformation.
25.Howwillyouavoidconstructionproblemssuchasthosethatoccurredinthe1990sduringconstructionoftheMetroRedLine?
Inrecentyears,Metrohasemployedimprovedtunnelingtechniquestominimizeimpactson
adjacentproperties. Theprimarymethodforavoidingsubsidenceistheuseofclosedface,
pressurizedTBMs. Withthistechnology,pressureismaintainedinthesurroundingearthwhile
thetunnelisbeingexcavated,therebysignificantlyreducingtheriskofsubsidence.
Usingthistechnology,Metrorecentlycompleteda1.8miletunnelfortheMetroGoldLine
EastsideExtensionprojectwithnomeasurablesurfacesubsidenceandnosubstantiated
damageclaimsfromsettlement. Manyothertunnelprojectshavebeenbuiltusingthesenewer
tunnelingtechnologiesinrecentyearswithsimilarsuccessfuloutcomes.
26.Whataretheconstructionimpactsofasubway? Howmightconstructionimpactbusinesses,residents&propertyowners?
ImpactsofconstructionandpotentialmitigationmeasureshavebeenevaluatedduringtheFinal
EIS/EIR. Thevastmajorityofconstructionimpactsarelocatedatthefuturestationsiteswhere
thegroundisopenedfromthesurfaceforstationconstructionandtheextractionofsoilfrom
tunnelboringmachines. Veryfewimpactsoccurintheboredtunnelsegmentsbetween
stationswheretunnelsareverydeepandveryfewsurfaceimpactsarecreated.Typicalimpacts
thatmightoccurduringconstructionincludetemporarylaneorroadwayclosuresinstation
construction
areas
(to
install
decking
over
station
areas
or
for
temporary
placement
of
constructionequipmentormaterials),removingandhaulingearthfromtunnelingandstation
excavation,constructiontrafficandparking,potentialdetourstoreachbusinessesor
residences,andnoiseandairqualityimpacts. Mostoftheseimpactshaveassociatedmitigation
measuresthatseektominimizetheinconvenienceoftheseactivities. (Seequestion24and37
formoreinformationonsubwayconstructionandtheConstructionFactSheet.)Aswithotherpastandcurrentconstructionprojects,Metrowillworktominimizeimpactson
businesses,residentsandpropertyowners. Mitigationmeasuresmightencompassensuring
thatdeckingisflushwiththestreet,locatingearthremovallocationsnearmajorstreetsand
freeways,specifyinghaulroutes,etc. Improvedcommunications,includingsignageand
advertising,
are
typically
employed
to
help
maintain
access
and
encourage
ongoing
patronage
tobusinesses. Inaddition,Metrohasestablishedprocedurestodocumentexistingconditions
atpropertiesalongthesubwayconstructionalignmentinadvanceofconstructiontoaccurately
assessandaddressanydamageclaimsthatmayarise.
TheFinalEIS/EIRincludesaproposedconstructionmitigationplantheMitigationMonitoring
andReportingProgram(MMRP)thatwillbeconsideredforadoptionbytheMetroBoardof
DirectorswhentheyconsidertheFinalEIS/EIR.
15
http://www.metro.net/projects/westside/westside-construction-fact-sheethttp://www.metro.net/projects/westside/westside-construction-fact-sheethttp://www.metro.net/projects/westside/westside-construction-fact-sheethttp://www.metro.net/projects/westside/westside-construction-fact-sheethttp://www.metro.net/projects/westside/westside-construction-fact-sheethttp://www.metro.net/projects_studies/westside/images/community-update-presentation-0809.pdfhttp://www.metro.net/projects_studies/westside/images/community-update-presentation-0809.pdfhttp://www.metro.net/projects_studies/westside/images/community-update-presentation-0809.pdfhttp://www.metro.net/projects_studies/westside/images/Community_Update_JFL_2011_0119.pdfhttp://www.metro.net/projects_studies/westside/images/Community_Update_JFL_2011_0119.pdfhttp://www.metro.net/projects_studies/westside/images/Community_Update_JFL_2011_0119.pdfhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nz95Gr6VVLMhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nz95Gr6VVLMhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nz95Gr6VVLMhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nz95Gr6VVLMhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nz95Gr6VVLMhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nz95Gr6VVLMhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nz95Gr6VVLMhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nz95Gr6VVLMhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nz95Gr6VVLMhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nz95Gr6VVLMhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nz95Gr6VVLMhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nz95Gr6VVLMhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nz95Gr6VVLMhttp://www.metro.net/projects/westside/westside-construction-fact-sheethttp://www.metro.net/projects/westside/westside-construction-fact-sheethttp://www.metro.net/projects/westside/westside-construction-fact-sheethttp://www.metro.net/projects/westside/westside-construction-fact-sheethttp://www.metro.net/projects/westside/westside-construction-fact-sheethttp://www.metro.net/projects/westside/westside-construction-fact-sheethttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nz95Gr6VVLMhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nz95Gr6VVLMhttp://www.metro.net/projects_studies/westside/images/Community_Update_JFL_2011_0119.pdfhttp://www.metro.net/projects_studies/westside/images/community-update-presentation-0809.pdfhttp://www.metro.net/projects/westside/westside-construction-fact-sheet -
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27.ArethereotherstepsMetrotakestoworkwithpropertyownersbeforeorduringconstructiontopreventoraddressanydamagethatmayoccur?
Priortobeginninganyworkonaprojectofthisnature,Metroortheconstructioncontractor
willconducta"preconstructionsurvey." Thisisatypicalsurveythatcanbevaluableto
propertyowners,tenantsandMetroasitprotectsallinterestsbyprovidingarecordofbuilding
conditionsprior
to
the
start
of
construction.
This
documentation
normally
includes
written
informationaswellasstillphotosorvideo,andallowsMetrotoquicklyandefficientlyassistin
theunlikelyeventthatconstructionaffectsproperties. Ifanydamageoccurstoabuildingthat
isrelatedtoconstructionofthesubway,thepropertyowner/tenant(s)andMetrocanreferto
thisrecordtoarriveatafairresolution. Aclaimsprocesswillbeestablishedandthe
constructionprojectwillcarryinsurancetoaddressanyoftheseissuesshouldtheyarise.
PleaseseeourConstructionFactSheetandPropertyAcquisitionFactSheetformoreinformation.
Geotechnical&FaultInvestigations28.Metroconductedsoilsandseismicteststhroughoutthestudyarea. Whatwasthisforand
whatwasdiscovered?
DuringdevelopmentoftheFinalEIS/EIR,Metroconductedoneofthemostextensive
geotechnicalandseismicinvestigationsofanytransitprojectatthisphaseofdevelopment
consistingofcloseto600fieldtestsalongtheentireprojectalignmentinthemidWilshire,
Fairfax,BeverlyHills,CenturyCityandWestwoodareas. Theseincludedmorethan200testsin
theCenturyCityarea.Thetestsusedavarietyofequipmenttotestsoilconditions,locateand
analyzefaultzones,determinehownoiseandvibrationwouldtravelinthesoil,assesswater
tables,andmorepreciselylocateabandonedoilwells.
Metroanalyzedallthisdataandprepareddetailedreportsofthefindingsfromallthe
geotechnicalandseismicinvestigations.TheresultsofthesestudiesarecontainedinChapter4
oftheFinalEIS/EIRandinvarioustechnicalsupportdocumentsthatarereferencedinthat
chapter. InformationspecificallydealingwiththeCenturyCityareaiscontainedintwo
technicalreports,theTunnelingSafetyReportandFaultInvestigationReport. ThereisalsoafactsheetspecificallyrelatedtothefindingsintheCenturyCityarea.
29.WhatdidthestudiesfindconcerningtheCenturyCityStationandtunnelsinthearea?ThestudiesconcludedthatastationbelowConstellationBoulevardisviablebecausethe
locationissouthandwestoffaultzoneswherethereisnoevidenceoffaulting. Astationbelow
Santa
Monica
Boulevard
was
found
to
be
not
viable
as
it
is
an
area
of
complex
faulting
where
thefaultzonesextendbeneathandacrossSantaMonicaBoulevard.Further,asubwaycanbe
builtandoperatedsafelytoreachastationatConstellationBoulevardwithlittletonoimpacts
topeopleorproperty.
Therewerethreelevelsofanalysisforthestudiesthatledtothisconclusion:Metrosconsultant
geotechnicalexperts,itsTunnelAdvisoryPanel(TAP)thathasbeenworkingwithMetrosince
1995onalltunnelingprojects,andanindependentpanelofworldrenownedexpertsthat
MetrosCEOrequestedasanadditionallevelofindependentreview.
16
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Fault Zones in the Century City area
Safety30.Iveheardthatthereissubsurfacegasandtarinthestudyarea.HowcanIbesurethatthe
systemcanbeconstructedandoperatesafely?
SubsurfacegasispresentthroughoutmuchofthegreaterLosAngelesareaandisprevalent
throughouttheentireWestsideSubwayExtensionalignmentarea. Thehighestconcentrations
ofundergroundgassesarefoundintheareaimmediatelysurroundingtheFairfaxDistrictinthe
areaneartotheLaBreaTarPits. Lowerlevelsofgasconcentrationsarefoundinotherpartsof
thecorridor. Whiletunnelingfortransportationprojectscallsforspecialconsiderations,other
projectshavebeensuccessfullyandsafelyconstructedinsubsurfacegaszoneswithinthe
projectareaincludingbuildingswithdeepparkinggaragesandbasements,stormdrains,sewer
projectsand
other
utility
projects.
Similar
protocols
for
safety
and
testing
apply
to
these
projectsastheydoforanytransportationproject.
Safety,bothduringconstructionandeventualoperations,isoneofMetroshighestpriorities.It
wasalsooneofthekeyevaluationcriteriaduringtheDraftEIS/EIR,andhasbeenfurther
evaluatedasapartoftheFinalEIS/EIR. InformationonthistopicintheFinalEIS/EIRcanbe
foundinChapter4.
WehavesafelyoperatedthecurrentMetroRed/PurpleLinesubwayforover15yearsandhave
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successfullyconstructedsubwaytunnelswheresubsurfacegashasbeenpresent. In2005,an
AmericanPublicTransitAssociationPeerReviewPaneldeterminedthatItispossibletotunnel
andoperateasubwayalongtheWilshireCorridorsafely.
Duringconstruction,thepressurefaceTBMsisolategasfromworkersandthepublic,while
gassysoil
and
tar
sands
are
separated
and
treated
appropriately.
Enhanced
ventilation
systems
willbeusedwherenecessarytoensuretunnelandstationsafetyand,ifnecessary,double
gasketsforthetunnelliningorothermeasuresmayalsobeinstalled.
Whereneeded,tunnelsandstationswillbedesignedandbuilttoprovidearedundant
protectionsystemagainstgasintrusion.Thismightinclude:
Physicalbarrierstokeepgasoutofthetunnels
Highvolumeventilationsystems
Gasdetectionsystemswithalarms
Emergencyventilationtriggeredbythegasdetectionsystems.
Duringoperations,safetycodesrequirerigorousandcontinuousgasmonitoring,alarms,
automaticequipmentshutoffandadditionalpersonneltraining.
PleaseseeourConstructionFactSheetformoreinformation. YoumayalsowishtoviewthepresentationfromourmeetingsinAugust2009andJanuary2011formoreinformationabout
subwayconstruction,aswellasthevideoASubwayStory:MetrosWestsideSubway
Extension.
31.Howcansubwaysbebuiltandoperatesafelyinanareawithearthquakefaults?Manyundergroundfacilitiessubwaytunnels,sewers,stormdrainsandbuildingshavebeen
builtin
Los
Angeles
and
throughout
California
near
active
fault
lines.
California
has
some
of
the
strictestbuildingstandardswhenitcomestodesigninginfrastructuretowithstandearthquakes.
Oneoftheinitialstepsinplanningatransportation projectlikeasubwayistoidentifywhere
faultsarelocatedandunderstandtheircharacteristics. Thegoalinplanningthesubwayisto
avoidfaultsifpossible. Ifthatisnotpossible,theneveryeffortismadetominimizeexposureto
thefault(s). Thiscanbeaccomplishedbycrossingafaultinaperpendicularorientation.
Variousspecialengineeringtechniqueshavebeenemployedinfaultzonestoreducetheriskof
damage,limitanydamagethatmayoccur,andallowforaswiftreturntoregularoperations
shouldaseismiceventtakeplace. Thiscanincludeconstructinglargerdiametertunnelswith
secondaryliningsortheuseofenhancedtunnelliningsandothermeasurestoaccommodate
groundmovement
in
fault
zones.
No
transit
agency
in
North
America
has
knowingly
built
asubwaystationwithinaknownactivefaultzone. Infact,theCrenshaw/LAXlightrailproject
anotherMetroprojectcurrentlybeingdevelopedmovedthelocationofitsplannedLaBrea
stationtoavoidhavingitsitatoptheNewportInglewoodFault.
Subwaysthroughouttheworldhaveexcellentrecordsofwithstandingmajorearthquakesover
thelast25years. Theyhaveperformedwellduringearthquakeswithnodamageorservice
interruptions,includingaftertheNorthridgeearthquakein1994. TheMetroRedLinetunnels
crosstheHollywoodfaultnorthoftheHollywood&HighlandStation.
18
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Metrohasrecentlypreparedandpublishedadetailedreportofitsinvestigationofthefaultsin
theareaaroundCenturyCitywhereseismicfeaturesintheareahaveinfluenceddecisions
regardingstationlocationsandtunnelalignments.ThisseismicanalysisshowsthattheSanta
MonicaFaultZoneappearstoextendundertheLosAngelesCountryClubandbeneathSanta
MonicaBoulevardfromthevicinitybetweenCenturyParkEastandAvenueoftheStarsand
extendingwest
until
it
begins
to
turn
away
from
Santa
Monica
Boulevard
somewhere
near
intersectionofWestwoodBoulevard. InadditiontotheSantaMonicaFault,Metrohassought
tobetterunderstandtheWestBeverlyHillsLineament. Thisseismicfeaturerunsnorthsouth
throughthewesternpartoftheCityofBeverlyHillsneartheBeverlyHillsHighSchool.
Metrohasanalyzedallthisdataandhaspreparedadetailedreportofthefindingsfromallthe
geotechnicalandseismicinvestigations.TheresultsofthesestudiesarecontainedinChapter4
oftheFinalEIS/EIR. Therearealsotwotechnicalreports,theTunnelingSafetyReportandFaultInvestigationReport,thatrelatespecificallytothefindingsintheCenturyCityarea. ThereisalsoafactsheetsummarizingthefindingsintheCenturyCityarea.
32.Howcantunnelingbecompletedsafelythroughanareawherethereareoilfieldsandwells,manyofwhichhavebeenabandonedandsomeofwhicharestillactive?
GreaterLosAngelesisanoilproducingareaandthereissignificantlocalexperiencebuilding
projectsofallkindshere. DuringtheDraftEIS/EIR,knownoilfieldsandactiveorabandonedoil
wellswereidentifiedfromoilwellmaps.Thisinitialanalysisindicatedthattheoilfieldsare
muchdeeperthanthepotentialsubwaytunnels. Shaftsforactiveandabandonedoilwellsare
alsolocatedinthevicinityoftheprojectalignmentalongwithotherutilitiessuchassewer,
water,gasandelectriclines. ThesewerefurthermappedduringFinalEIS/EIR/PEphaseandwill
berelocated,ifnecessary,duringtheconstructionphaseoftheproject. Thereareestablished
procedures,regulatedbygovernmentagencies,fordealingsafelywithanyunmappedor
unknownwellsthatareencounteredduringconstruction.Astandardpracticeistouse
horizontal,belowgroundprobestoinvestigatethepathsoftunnelssothatanyabandonedor
unmappedoilwellscanbelocatedandremovedinadvanceoftunnelingoperations. Metro
recentlytunneledsuccessfullythroughtheformerBoyleHeightsoilfieldwhileconstructingthe
MetroGoldLineEastsideExtension.
ConstructionandOperationsUnderandOnPrivateProperty33.Willthetrainsoperateunderresidentialorotherprivatepropertyorsensitivelanduses,such
asschools? Whatcouldtheimpactsbe?
MostofMetrossubwaytunnelstravelundercitystreetshowever,itisverycommonfor
subways
along
segments
of
the
Metro
System
and
throughout
the
world
to
operate
under
residentialandprivateproperties. InLosAngeles,Metroraillinespassbeneathproperties
generallyinlocationswherethesubwayhastomaketurns,forexample,inDowntownLos
Angeles,MidWilshire,HollywoodandUniversalCity. Thenormalcurveradiusforsubway
tunnelsis1,000feet,muchwiderthanaturnatatypicalsurfacestreetintersection. Please
refertoourtunnelingpresentationfromMay/June2010forareaswhereMetrotunnelstravel
beneathprivateproperty.
TheWestsideSubwayExtension,ascurrentlyrecommended,hasbeenplannedtooperate
mostlyunderWilshireBoulevardhowevertherearesegmentswherethiswillnotbepossible.
19
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WestsideSubwayExtensionFAQs(UpdatedMarch2012)
InordertoreachtherecommendedCenturyCitystationlocation,thesubwaytunnelwillneed
topassbelowhomesandbusinessesinsouthwestBeverlyHillsandbelowBeverlyHillsHigh
School. Thetunnelwillalsohavetotravelbeneathresidentialandcommercialproperty
betweenCenturyCityandWestwood.
Sincethe
first
segment
of
the
subway
opened
in
1993,
Metro
has
received
no
complaints
about
noiseorvibrationduetosubwayoperationsfromthoselivingorworkingabovethetunnelsor
stations. Additionally,intheNorthHollywoodarea,therearesoundrecordingstudiosadjacent
tocurrentsubwaytunnels. Thesestudiosutilizesensitiveequipmentcapableofdetectingnoise
andvibrationthatwouldotherwisebeimperceptible. Specialtrackworkintheseareasensures
thatthestudiosareabletocontinueoperationwithoutbeingimpactedbythesubway
operations.
34.Howdeepwillthetunnelsrunbelowprivateproperty?ThetopsofsubwaytunnelsontheMetroRedandPurpleLinesaretypicallybetween40and70
feetbelowthesurface,andaredesignedtominimizenoiseandvibration. Insomeinstances,
thetunnelsaremorethan600feetdeep,suchasintheareabetweenHollywoodandUniversal
CitywherethesubwaytunnelspassundertheSantaMonicaMountains. Inthe
Westwood/ComstockHillsarea,wheretheWestsideSubwayExtensionwouldtravelbetween
CenturyCityandWestwood,thetopographyofthelandrisesandthetunnelswillbeboredat
depthsthatvarybetween70and120feetbelowgrounddependingonthesurfacetopography
above. WherethealignmenttravelsunderBeverlyHillsHighSchool,thetopofthetunnels
wouldbeapproximately55to70feetbelowground. AsnotedinQuestion27,additional
detailedgeotechnicalstudieshavebeenconductedduringtheFinalEIS/EIRtoassesssoil
conditionsanddeterminethepotentialfornoiseorvibrationimpactsonthesurfacealongthe
refinedalignments. ThishasincludedmeasurementsattheBeverlyHillsHighSchoolsite,as
well
as
in
the
residential
area
between
the
Century
City
and
Westwood/
UCLA
stations.
35.Isitpossibletoconstructnewbuildingsorremodelexistingonesabovesubwaytunnelsandstations? Whatsortofrestrictionswouldapplytotheconstructionofbuildingsabovethe
subway?
Yes,itispossibletobuildorremodelbuildingsabovesubwaytunnelsandstations. Thereare
manyexamplesofnewandremodeledbuildingsabovetheexistingRedandPurpleLinetunnels
andstations.
TheeasementthatMetrobuysfrompropertyownersextends10feetabovethetopofthe
tunnel,notallthewaytothesurface. Whetherthetunnelsandstationsarebuiltbefore
construction
on
the
surface
occurs,
at
the
same
time,
or
after,
Metro
typically
works
with
the
propertyownerordevelopertoensurethatbothcanbeaccommodated. AsapartoftheFinal
EIS/EIRandongoingprojectdesign,Metrosolicitsthecooperationofpropertyownersalongthe
proposedsubwayroutessothatsuchissuescanbefullyaddressed.
PleaseseeourPropertyAcquisitionFactSheetformoreinformation.36.Arethereanyexistingsubwayscurrentlylocatedbelowschools?
TherearerailtunnelsalreadyinexistencebelowschoolsinCaliforniaaswellasothers
elsewhereintheUnitedStates. InCaliforniasomeoftheseincludetheWestPortalElementary
20
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WestsideSubwayExtensionFAQs(UpdatedMarch2012)
SchoolinSanFrancisco,theBentleySchoolinBerkeley,andYoungOakKimAcademyMiddle
SchoolinLosAngeles. SomeschoolsoutsideofCaliforniaincludeEastSylvanMiddleSchoolin
Portland,Ore.,JeffersonMiddleSchoolandWoodrowWilsonHighSchoolbothinWashington,
DC,andtheGlobalVillageSchoolinDecatur,Georgia.
37.WhatdidtheFinalEIS/EIRfindaboutnoiseandvibrationfromthesubway?AsdiscussedinQuestion26,thegreatestconstructionimpactsduringconstructionwilloccurat
thefuturestationsites. Noiseintheseareaswouldbesimilartowhatisfoundatmajorbuilding
constructionsites. Noisecontrolandmonitoringplanswillbedeveloped. Theywillincludean
inventoryofconstructionequipmentusedduringdaytimeandnighttimehours,anestimateof
projectedconstructionnoiselevels,andlocationsandtypesofnoiseabatementmeasuresthat
mayberequiredtomeetacceptablenoiselimits. Wherenighttimeconstructionactivitiesare
expectedtooccur,Metrowillerectnoisebarrierwallsateachconstructionsitepriortothe
startofconstructionactivities.
Veryfewimpactswilloccurintheboredtunnelsegmentsbetweenthestationswherethe
tunnelsareverydeepandveryfewsurfaceimpactsarecreated. Insomelocations,thetunnel
boringmachines(TBMs)maybefeltforashorttimeamatterofafewhourstoafewdaysin
structuresonthesurfaceastheTBMspassdirectlybeneaththosestructures. Oncethattaskis
complete,propertiesabovethetunnelsmightpotentiallyfeeltheconstructionrailcarsthatwill
travelinthetunnelsremovingtheexcavateddirt. Theseactivitieswillbemonitored,andifthey
exceedacceptablelevels,stepswillbetakentoreducetheimpact. Stepscouldincludereducing
theconstructiontrainspeeds,installingadditionalrailvibrationdampeningtreatmentsand
morefrequentrailandwheelmaintenance. DuringrecentconstructionoftheMetroGoldLine
EastsideExtensiontunnels,nonoisecomplaintswerereceivedassociatedwiththeTBMorthe
constructiontrains.Onceconstructioniscompletedandthepassengertrainsbegintooperateforpublicuse,the
FinalEIS/EIRfoundthattherewereonlythreelocationswherenoiseandvibrationfromthe
subwaywouldexceedthresholdsestablishedbytheFederalTransitAdministration. Twoof
theseweretheaterstheWilshire/EbellTheaternearCrenshawBoulevardandtheSaban
TheaternearLaCienega. OneapartmentbuildingnearLaBreawasalsoidentified. TheFinal
EIS/EIRindicatesthattheseimpactscanbefullymitigated. Nootherpropertiesareexpectedto
havepermanentnoiseorvibrationimpactsduringoperationthatwillrequiremitigation.
PleaseseeChapter4oftheFinalEIS/EIRformoreinformationontheseimpactsandproposed
mitigations.
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38.WillMetrotakeorcondemnprivatepropertyneededforconstruction,stationentrancesorotherpurposes?
MetroonlyownspropertyattwolocationsalongthealignmentatWilshire/Crenshaw(SW
corner)andatWilshire/LaBrea(NWcorner). SincenostationisplannedforCrenshaw,that
propertywilllikelybeusedforconstructionstagingandpossiblyasasiteforatunnelventilation
structureor
power
substation.
The
Metro
property
at
Wilshire/La
Brea
is
expected
to
be
used
firstasaconstructionstagingareaandthenasthelocationoftheLaBreastationentrance.
Atotherstationlocations,Metropreferstoworkinpartnershipwithadjacentpropertyowners
tosecurepropertyneededduringconstructionorforstationentrances. Manypropertyowners
finditbeneficialtohaveeasyaccesstothesubwayandsomehavealreadycontactedMetro
aboutallowingforfuturesubwayentrancestotheirbuildings/property.
Wherethesubwayoperatesunderprivateproperty,Metrowillworkwiththepropertyowner
tosecureaneasement.
Asalastresort,ifagreementswithpropertyownerscannotbereached,Metromaythenuseits
condemnationpowerstoacquirethenecessaryeasementsfortheproject.
Formoreinformation,pleaseseeourPropertyAcquisitionFactSheet.StationAccess39.HowwillIbeabletoaccessthestations? Howeasywillitbetogetfromthestationstowhere
Iwanttogo?
ThesevennewstationsarelocatedatorwithineasywalkingdistanceofmajorWestside
destinations
including
the
Los
Angeles
County
Museum
of
Art,
the
Beverly
Hills
Golden
Triangle,CenturyCity,WestwoodVillageandtheVeteransAdministrationcomplex. Metrowill
worktodesignthestationsasmuchaspossiblewithimprovedpedestrianandbicyclefacilities,
andeasytransferstoareabusesandshuttleswhichshouldprovideashortridetoother
destinationssuchasUCLA,FarmersMarketandCedarsSinaiMedicalCenter.
40.Willtherebeparkingatthestations? Willitbefree?ThestationsontheWestsideSubwayExtensionareinbuiltupurbanareaswhereproviding
dedicatedsubwayparkingwouldbecostly,difficulttomeshwiththeurbanenvironmentand
wouldultimatelyhavelimitedimpactonridership. Existingbuildingswouldneedtobeacquired
anddemolishedtomakeroomforparkinggaragesandthecostofprovidingfreeorhighly
subsidized
parking
at
the
sites
would
be
quite
high.
Enforcement
of
free
or
highly
subsidized
parkingfortransitpatronswouldbedifficultasnontransituserswouldseektoparkinsuch
facilitiestoavoidpayinghigherparkingratesatcommerciallots. Manyofthesestationsare
alsodestinationstations,withriderscommutingtotheWestsideforemployment.
TheDraftEIS/EIRevaluatedthestationlocationswithouttheprovisionofdedicatedparkingand
estimatedwhattheparkingdemandmightbeatthestations,availablepublicandprivate
parkingthatalreadyexistsinthestationareasthatcouldpossiblybesharedforsubway
purposes,andthepotentialforspilloverparkingintoneighborhoodsnearstations. Duringthe
publiccommentperiodfortheDraftEIS/EIR,numerouscommentswerereceivedonthisissue,
22
http://www.metro.net/projects/westside/Westside-property-acquisition-fact-sheethttp://www.metro.net/projects/westside/Westside-property-acquisition-fact-sheethttp://www.metro.net/projects/westside/Westside-property-acquisition-fact-sheethttp://www.metro.net/projects/westside/Westside-property-acquisition-fact-sheethttp://www.metro.net/projects/westside/Westside-property-acquisition-fact-sheethttp://www.metro.net/projects/westside/Westside-property-acquisition-fact-sheethttp://www.metro.net/projects/westside/Westside-property-acquisition-fact-sheethttp://www.metro.net/projects/westside/draft-eis-eir-sept-2010http://www.metro.net/projects/westside/draft-eis-eir-sept-2010http://www.metro.net/projects/westside/draft-eis-eir-sept-2010http://www.metro.net/projects/westside/draft-eis-eir-sept-2010http://www.metro.net/projects/westside/Westside-property-acquisition-fact-sheet -
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whichwerefurtherevaluatedandaddressedintheFinalEIS/EIR.Wherepossible,Metrowill
workwithexistingparkingoperatorstoexploresharedparkingopportunitiesatstations.
StationareaparkingisdiscussedinmoredetailinChapter3oftheFinalEIS/EIR.
ThecurrentMetroRed/PurpleLineSubwayhasdedicatedparkingonlyatthestationsatNorth
Hollywood,Universal
City,
and
Union
Station.
Union
Station
offers
paid
parking.
North
HollywoodandUniversalCityStationsofferamixoffreeparkingandpaid/reservedparking.
PublicInvolvement41.HowcanIbeinvolvedinthedecisionmakingprocess?HowcanIstayinformedaboutthis
study?Youcanregistertoreceivefutureupdatesontheprojectandmeetingnoticesbygoingto
ContactUs. Youcanleaveaphonemessageforusattheprojectinformationlineat213922
6934. YoucanalsofindusonFacebookoryoucanfollowusonTwitter.
DuringtheFinalEIS/EIR,Metrohasconductedtworoundsofcommunityupdatemeetings.
ThreeroundsofmeetingswerealsoMetroalsoheldmeetingswithStationAreaAdvisory
Groupsappointedtoprovideinputonthelocationsofstationentrancesandotherfeaturesin
thestationareas. Thesegroupsincludedpropertyowners,communityleaders,business
ownersandrepresentativesofkeyinstitutionssurroundingeachstation.
WiththereleaseoftheFinalEIS/EIR,Metrohasscheduledanotherroundofpublicmeetingson
March26,28and29.
42.CanMetromakeapresentationtomyneighborhoodorbusinessorganization?Please
leave
a
message
on
the
project
phone
line
at
(213)
922
6934,
or
leave
the
request
by
goingtoContactUs. AMetrorepresentativewillcontactyoutoarrangeameetingforyour
grouportoinviteyoutooneplannedinyourarea.
http://www.metro.net/projects/westside/questions-comments-form-wufoohttp://www.metro.net/projects/westside/questions-comments-form-wufoohttp://www.metro.net/projects/westside/questions-comments-form-wufoohttp://www.metro.net/projects/westside/questions-comments-form-wufoohttps://www.facebook.com/westsidesubwayextensionhttps://twitter.com/westsidesubwayhttp://www.metro.net/projects/westside/questions-comments-form-wufoohttp://www.metro.net/projects/westside/questions-comments-form-wufoohttp://www.metro.net/projects/westside/questions-comments-form-wufoohttp://www.metro.net/projects/westside/questions-comments-form-wufoohttps://twitter.com/westsidesubwayhttps://www.facebook.com/westsidesubwayextensionhttp://www.metro.net/projects/westside/questions-comments-form-wufoo