BEVERLY HILLS/WESTWOOD—The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) has begun preliminary engineering for a subway extension to Westwood that will allow passengers to reach their destinations “without having to transfer to a bus or another train,” according to a press release.

 

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) approved the preliminary engineering on Monday, January 4, and field seismic testing took place on January 4 to 7, and January 7 to 11.

 

The press release states that the Westside Subway Extension will extend the Purple Line “from its terminus at Wilshire Boulevard and Western Avenue to the VA Hospital in Westwood.” The extension will be built in three phases, and if done under Metro’s timeline, the first extension to Fairfax will be done by 2019, the next extension to Century City will be done by 2026 and finally, the extension to Westwood will be completed by 2036.

 

According to Metro Board Chairman Don Knabe, the FTA has expressed support in the project and believes the project can be completed by 2024, with help in funding. Metro is now working on having the extension to Westwood completed by 2022, and estimates that it will cost $5.34 billion if done so.

 

The final design of the project should be completed within 14 to 18 months. While the current environmental study phase, which includes seismic testing, is slated to end in late 2011.

 

Three community meetings with updates on the project will take place during January. The first meeting will be on Monday, January 24, at LACMA West, located on 5909 Wilshire Blvd. in the 5th floor Terrace Room. The second meeting will take place on Wednesday, January 26, at Westside United Methodist Church, located on 10497 Wilshire Blvd., in the 3rd floor Fellowship Hall. This meeting will be streamed live on Metro’s website, metro.net/westside. The final meeting will be on Monday, January 31, at the Roxbury Park Auditorium located at 471 S. Roxbury Drive in Beverly Hills. Spanish translation will be provided at all meetings.

 

For more information about the extension, visit metro.net/westside. You can also follow the project at Facebook.com/WestsideSubwayExtension, or Twitter.com/westsidesubway.