October 2023 Transportation Update

By Susan Hirsch, on October 3rd, 2023

SBRA is monitoring projects impacting traffic in South Brentwood including:

  • Sepulveda Transit Corridor – Six alternatives for heavy rail (subway) or monorail through the Sepulveda pass from Van Nuys to the Expo (E) Line are under consideration. Target completion is 2033 – 2035 with a future Phase 2 to LAX by 2054-55. Most alternatives are east of the 405 so would not directly impact our area. https://www.metro.net/projects/sepulvedacorridor/#status
  • Wilshire Purple Line (Line D) – The Westwood and VA stations are slated to open in 2027. SBRA is concerned about how people will access these given that no parking lots are planned and our area is already gridlocked during evening peak hours. We will try to work with Metro, the VA, and CD11 on solutions. https://www.metro.net/projects/westside/
  • Congestion Pricing/”Traffic Reduction” Study – A task force at Metro is studying whether to recommend congestion pricing of all lanes of the I-10 freeway west of the I-405. SBRA is concerned that this would force additional traffic onto our streets during peak hours. We are watching this closely and coordinating with other Brentwood groups. https://www.metro.net/projects/trafficreduction/#status
  • STAP (Sidewalk and Transit Amenities Program) – Bureau of Street Services is replacing bus shelters on Wilshire Blvd. with new shelters with digital rotating ads. SBRA requested that STAP keep brightness at low levels and that ads not shine into residences along Wilshire. https://streetsla.lacity.org/stap-program-fact-sheet
  • FilmLA/Film Permitting – SBRA is in discussions with CD11 (Council Office), FilmLA, and other Brentwood HOAs to see whether a default rule can be established to park large production vehicles such as Star Waggons along the golf course on the south side of San Vicente. Also, we feel no permits should be given near the Farmers Market for Sundays, which happened in August.
  • Additional parking for Farmers Market – SBRA explored whether parking guidelines could be relaxed on the north side of San Vicente during the Farmers Market to allow for legal parking, but learned that safety issues prevent this from happening. Farmers Market attendees who drive should continue parking along the golf course (San Vicente and Montana) and in the surrounding neighborhoods where available. Parking illegally in conflict with the posted street signs is subject to ticketing.
Comments are closed   Traffic and Transportation

Wilshire Purple Line Construction (Line D)

By Susan Hirsch, on August 28th, 2023

For the latest information on Purple Line Construction and to sign up for updates, please visit this page. https://www.metro.net/projects/westside/

Wilshire/La Brea, Wilshire/Fairfax, and Wilshire/La Cienega are slated to open in 2024.
Wilshire/Rodeo and Century City/Constellation are slated to open in 2025.
Wilshire/Westwood and Wilshire/VA Hospital are slated to open in 2027.

SBRA is monitoring progress. We are concerned about how people will access the Westwood and VA stations given that no parking is planned for either station and Wilshire Blvd and all of the other East-West streets in our area are already gridlocked during evening peak hours.

Comments are closed   Area Projects, Traffic and Transportation

Sepulveda Transit Corridor

By Susan Hirsch, on August 28th, 2023

Los Angeles Metro is currently reviewing six alternatives for transit through the Sepulveda pass. The route would initially go from the Orange Line in Van Nuys to the Expo Line (now called the E line) and the target completion is 2033 – 2035. Eventually Phase 2 of the line would reach LAX by 2054-55.

Some of the alternatives utilize underground heavy rail like the Wilshire Blvd. subway that is currently under construction in Westwood and some are monorails. Many of the heavy rail alternatives would include a stop directly on the UCLA campus. 5 of the 6 alternatives under review terminate at Sepulveda/Expo and one ends at Bundy/Expo, traveling underground below Santa Monica Blvd. All underground heavy rail alternatives remain east of the 405 for the entire route.

No alternative has been approved by LA Metro yet.  The project is currently undergoing technical studies in advance of preparing a Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR).

SBRA is continuing to monitor progress and will give input when parts of the project impact our area.

Metro is asking for community input. More information about the project can be found at https://www.metro.net/projects/sepulvedacorridor/#status

Comments are closed   Area Projects, Traffic and Transportation

STAP (Sidewalk and Transit Amenities Program)

By Susan Hirsch, on August 28th, 2023

The Bureau of Street Services plans to replace the existing bus shelters on Wilshire Blvd. with new ones that will include digital rotating ads to replace the static ads currently on the shelters. These are scheduled to be installed over a 4 to 6 year period beginning in 2024.

SBRA reviewed the locations in Brentwood (north side of Wilshire at San Vicente, Barrington, Brockton, Bundy, and Carmelina) and discussed with the STAP team that we’d like them to delay installations that are near housing (Barrington) or small commercial spaces (Carmelina). In addition, STAP should ensure that the lighting never shines into these locations. According to STAP, lighting on the shelters is designed to be no brighter than ambient lighting, which is no more than 4 lumens above existing light conditions and similar to the lighting in place today. Unlike the current shelters lighting on the new shelters will be able to be dimmed remotely from a central station and is LED not fluorescent.

While earlier plans for the new bus shelters considered cell phone charging stations and water, these are not currently scheduled to be part of the project. The bus benches will be modular so that people cannot stretch out and sleep on them comfortable, as is the case today.

The vendors installing the bus shelters are responsible for maintaining them and emptying the trash receptacles. If you see a maintenance issue, please email streetsla.stap@lacity.org or call 1- 866-633-0068 (stops with shelters) or 1-855-441-1300 (stops with bus benches only.)

More information on the STAP program can be found here. https://streetsla.lacity.org/stap-program-fact-sheet

Comments are closed   Area Projects, Traffic and Transportation