The Regional Gap

1. Pasadena / San Gabriel Valley The RegionalGap West LA / Santa Monica East LA / Whittier “Make the Right Decisions to Connect the LA County’s Light Rail Network” Long Beach

2. Pasadena / San Gabriel Valley Downtown RegionalCONNECTOR West LA / Santa Monica “Filling the Gap” East LA / Whittier Long Beach

3. Filling the Gap:The Need and Purpose • This connector will bring the currently unconnected Expo, Blue and GoldLight Rail Lines together into one Regional system, by bridging the 1.5 mile gap between 7th St Metro Center (Blue / Expo Line) Station and Alameda / 1st St. (Gold Line) Station. • By bridging the gap, two extra transfers between the Red/Purple, Blue, Expo and Gold Lines are eliminated. • Eliminating these extra transfers reduces travel times. • Reducing travel times makes the rail system more user friendly for current and future users. • A user-friendly transit system promotes and encourages people to use the bus and rail system as an alternative to the automobile.

4. Filling a Regional Gap The connector is more than a rail line serving Downtown Los Angeles, it is a regional transit link that will stretch from the Inland Empire to the Pacific Ocean!

5. Filling a Downtown Gap The connector will allow residents and visitors access to cultural, commercial and civic attractions such as: • South Park / Staples Center / LA Live / Convention Center • Financial District / Central Library • Bunker Hill / Grand Avenue / Disney Hall • Los Angeles City Hall / Historic Core • Little Tokyo / Artist District. Thus changing the perception that Los Angeles is 88 towns in search of a city.

6. Filling a Downtown Gap • The South Park (between Pico/Chick Hearn Station and 7th Street Metro Center)and Little Tokyo (around future 1st/Alameda Gold Line station) areas are undergoing major transformations that are turning sleepy caterpillars of industrial zones into beautiful vibrant butterflies of urban life and 24 hour activity with projects such as LA Live, the mixed-use supermarkets, St. Vibiana Center and other residential buildings. These areas are primed to become active and thriving neighborhoods that would require regional access. The Connector would help fill that gap.

7. Filling a Downtown Gap • With new residents moving into the Pegasus and the Standard Hotel as well as the renovation of the Arco Towers and Shopping Center (now called 505 Flower), the Lower Financial District (between the existing 7th Street/Metro Center and a future station near 4th and Flower) anchored with noted landmarks such as the LA Central Library and the Bonaventure Hotel is primed to be another attraction that will transform the region. • Imagine a visitor or resident being able to fly into LAX and with a single transfer from the Green Line being able to reach to their hotel or apartment Downtown. This can happen and The Connector would help fill that gap.

8. Filling a Downtown Gap • TheBunker Hill/Music Center area (Future Station on Grand Avenue) with the Walt Disney Concert Hall, Museum of Contemporary Art and the high-profile Grand Avenue project, aspires to bring the people back to the Civic Center and generate the excitement of world class landmarks. But can these buildings do this by themselves? • What are Times Square in New York, the Champs Elysees in Paris and Piccadilly Circus in London without the maze of subway and transit lines linking people from various areas without a car to these attractions? • Los Angeles’ world class civic attractions require access to mass transit. The Connector would help fill that gap.

9. Filling a Lifestyle Gap The connector will also allow existing regional residents and growing Downtown residents access to an urban lifestyle. There is a rapidly growing population living Downtown in areas near future station locations such asStaples Center, Bunker Hill, Historic Core, Little Tokyo and Artist District.Now is the time to sustain this momentum and prepare for future growth with the tools of rail.

10. Filling a Future Gap The connector will maximize future Transit Oriented Development (T.O.D.s) potential along the light rail corridors. • Instead of having every LRT corridor utilize a rail yard and maintenance facility which requires a minimum of 20 acres of valuable land. • These facilities can be shared through out the region. Allowing more space for dense “smart growth” development and green space, promoting better land-use and zoning. The connector will fill this gap.

11. Filling an Operations Gap The connector will simplify Rail operations • By eliminating the current turn back set-up at 7th Street Metro Center, this would allow for through-running of LRT services providing faster operations and better schedule adherence thus reducing costs. • This also provides potential opportunities in creating more direct routes, which reduces transfers and increases new transit customers. The connector would fill this gap.

12. Closing Gaps By Working Together • Constructing this connector can be relatively easy and cost-effective, when it is coupled with planned dense developments surrounding the corridor creating public–private partnerships in which both parties win! • The parties can coordinate and preserve easements and rights-of-way that can allow grade separating trains from crossing vehicle traffic while remaining pedestrian friendly and inviting. • A local example is the Memorial Park Gold Line Station, that allowed for a below-grade station to be built at a reasonable cost in conjunction with a condo development. • Street running of the connector will interfere with possible 90 second headways to be required for future service demands. Memorial Park Gold Line Station

13. East Los Angeles Our Vision: We strongly support building the Expo Line to Santa Monica, Crenshaw Corridor Light Rail, Gold Lines east to Azusa/Citrus College and Whittier and Green Line to LAX as regional priorities. To advance The Connector, we would like to: * Fast track the Major Investment Study (MIS), since per Metro’s LRTP draft analysis this was the most cost-effective project. * Lobby for local support from the L.A. City Council L.A. County Board of Supervisors and Metro Board to begin funding the required Environmental Impact Reports (EIR) for this vital project. * Look at creative financing and funding methods in order to build and operate the connector. Pasadena/ San Gabriel Valley Long Beach West LA/ Santa Monica

14. Downtown RegionalCONNECTOR “Filling the Gap” Post Office Box 567 * San Fernando, California 91341-0567 V: (818) 367-1661 * F: (818) 367-1633 * info@thetransitcoalition.us * www.transitcoaltion.org Designed and Prepared by Jerard Wright DTRC-01-2005-09-09-Downtown Regional Connector 14 page (Updated: 17 March 2007)