R-10013
Council Meeting: January 11, 2005
Santa Monica, CA
RESOLUTION NUMBER 10013 (CCS)
(City Council Series)
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF
THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA IN SUPPORT OF
THE WESTSIDE CITIES COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS ("COG")
PROPOSED MOBILITY IMPROVEMENTS FOR
EXPOSITION LIGHT RAIL AND FOR RED LINE EXTENSION
WHEREAS the Westside Cities Council of Governments (COG)
acknowledges Metropolitan Transportation Authority ("MTA") for striving to find solutions
to the Los Angeles region's traffic and transportation needs; and
WHEREAS, the Westside is an economic engine for LA County and
experiences the burden. of traffic resulting from commuters to our employment and
commercial/recreational areas; and
WHEREAS, the Westside subregion of Los Angeles County has not
received its fair share of transportation improvements; and
WHEREAS, the Westside cities support the building and development of
the Exposition Light Rail Transit ("Expo LRr) project in Santa Monica; and
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WHEREAS the Westside cities support planning efforts to ensure
"project readiness" to fund a MTA Red Line extension to West Hollywood, Beverly Hills
and West Los Angeles after Expo LRT funding to Santa Monica is secured; and
WHEREAS, MTA's adopted Grade Crossing Policy for Light Rail Transit
states that "a Venice grade separation would need to include the Washington and
National crossings, since there is not enough distance available between Venice and
Washington for a complete transition to an at-grade alignment"; and
WHEREAS, current MTA plans call for at-grade crossings as the Expo
LRT project crosses National and Washington Boulevards; and
WHEREAS, building the interim end of the line station at-grade between
Venice and Washington Boulevards is not the best way to spend limited resources
considering that when Phase 2 to Santa Monica is built, grade separations will be
required in this area; and
WHEREAS, money saved in total construction costs by building the
project in the most efficient manner possible could support planning efforts to ensure
completion of the Expo LRT line,
NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA DOES
HEREBY RESOLVE AS FOLLOWS:
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SECTION 1. The City Council urges the MT A Board of Directors
incorporate construction of grade separated crossings at Washington and National
Boulevards as part of Phase 1 of the Expo LRT because doing so would be the most
cost effective solution toward building the Exposition line all the way to Santa Monica,
including avoiding the need to build the Venice/Washington station and adjacent street
crossings twice, thereby saving precious taxpayer dollars.
SECTION 2. That the money saved by not building the
Venice/Washington station and adjacent street crossings twice should be allocated
towards the planning and engineering aspects of Phase 2 of the Expo LRT project.
SECTION 3. That the MTA Board include the Red Line extension
to. West Hollywood, Beverly Hills and West Los Angeles in the next update to the Long
Range Transportation Plan.
SECTION 4. The City Clerk shall certify to the adoption of this
Resolution, and thenceforth and thereafter the same shall be in full force and effect.
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
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Adopted and approved this 11th day of January, 2005.
I, Maria Stewart, City Clerk of the City of Santa Monica, do hereby certify
that the foregoing Resolution No. 10013 (CCS) was duly adopted at a meeting of
the Santa Monica City Council held on the 11 th day of January, 2005, by the
following vote:
Ayes:
Council members: Mayor O'Connor, Mayor Pro Tem Katz, Bloom,
Holbrook, McKeown, Shriver
Noes:
Council members: None
Abstain:
Council members: None
Absent:
Council members: Genser
ATTEST:
~.~
Maria M. Stewart City Clerk
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