(Apr 11, 2023)
David Mach is senior business manager for transit planning for the City of Torrance. LA Metro is planning an extension of the Metro C (Green) Line from the Redondo Beach (Marine Ave) Station to the Torrance Transit Center Station, and has prepared a Draft Environmental Impact Report. The Green Line will soon link to the LAX Connector system. Compared to many other urban areas, the South Bay area has been deficient in public transportation options, because it was built for an era of freeways with assumed universal auto ownership.
The Torrance City Council unanimously supports the option of keeping the light rail line on Metro’s existing Elevated/At Grade Right-of-Way, not on Hawthorne Blvd where construction would be disruptive. This Right-of-Way heads south between Hawthorne & Inglewood boulevards in North Torrance, then goes diagonally southeast, crossing overhead at Hawthorne & 190th St, and continuing southeast to the Torrance Park & Ride Transit Center at 465 Crenshaw Blvd.
This option is shown as the blue line on the accompanying map (see https://www.metro.net/projects/green-line-extension/ for details). It could be completed by fall 2033 at a cost of $1.96 billion. (This could be prioritized for the 2028 LA Olympics, for an additional ~$1 billion.)
2 other options under consideration, shown as green and orange lines on the map, would result in higher cost and later completion dates. The Trench option would follow the existing Metro Right-of-Way with major construction to create below-grade trenches, for $2.84 billion and completion in early 2036. The Hawthorne Blvd option would be an elevated train along the center of Hawthorne Blvd, for $2.96 billion and completion in fall 2035. Construction of either of these other 2 options would result in additional impacts to local businesses and residences.
