L.A. Metro releases draft environmental report for C Line extension

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority last week released the draft environmental impact report (EIR) for the proposed C Line (Green) extension to Torrance.

The project would extend the C Line by 4.5 miles from the existing Marine Station in Redondo Beach to the new Torrance Transit Center, L.A. Metro officials said in a blog post. The extension would travel through Lawndale, Redondo Beach and Torrance, and include two new stations to connect the South Bay to the L.A. Metro network, including the K, J (Silver) and A (Blue) lines.

The draft EIR evaluates three potential routes for the extension:

• The L.A. Metro right-of-way (ROW) elevated/at-grade alignment option would follow the L.A. Metro ROW from Marine Station to Torrance Transit Center with an elevated segment followed by an at-grade segment;
• The Trench option would follow the L.A. Metro ROW with below-grade trench segments between Inglewood Avenue and 182nd Street; or
• The Hawthorne option would run along the L.A. Metro ROW, then divert to run along Interstate 405, then turn onto Hawthorne Boulevard near 162nd Street to travel in the median of the street before rejoining the ROW south of 190th Street. The entire alignment would be elevated.

L.A. Metro's board will vote on the preferred route for the project once the public review period ends March 27. The transit agency is accepting public comments on the document.

The $891 million project is funded by Measure M and R sales tax measures approved in 2008 and 2016.