A tremendous amount of work is being done to correct the problems and negative externalities caused by decades of unchecked growth. Extending the "subway to the sea" is one such effort, which is clearly vital to the public health, economic strength and cultural vitality of the Westside and the region. Despite the overwhelming evidence demonstrating the need for extending the subway west under Wilshire Boulevard, which I support strongly, building a transportation network based on a hub and spoke model ignores the very nature of urban growth and travel patterns in Los Angeles. Not all roads lead to downtown, nor should they. Building a de-centered, poly-nucleated transportation network that relies on linkages and connections would mirror the urban system that it is purported to serve.
Sending a spur of the subway through West Hollywood to connect to the existing Red Line station at Hollywood and Highland is exactly the sort of linkage that I'm talking about. Providing transportation connections that don't require a ride through downtown increase options for riders and facilitate easy access to other parts of the region like West Hollywood, while making the rail system more robust and effective overall.
The public comment period for the Westside Subway extension ends October 18, 2010. Be sure to email your comments in support of a West Hollywood alignment by clicking on the link under "Contact Us."
In my opinion, yes there should be transit through west hollywood, but not as a spur of the Purple Line. West Hollywood should be pushing for a light rail extension of the Crenshaw Line, seen on this map:
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On that map the brown-colord line goes up La Brea, but if you were to move it to La Cienega/San Vicente, it could take the same routing currently planned for the Westside subway study, but provide for better regional connectivity.
And, in the funding constraints and long range timelines of metro, it's very possible that pushing for this alternative would not add too much, or even any, extra waiting time.
Think about it.
I'm familiar with your suggestion and have seen the map before. It's a good suggestion and still addresses the fundamental issue that I'm discussing - that the de-centered nature of Los Angeles requires a similarly de-centered mass transit system. This could be accomplished by sending the Red Line through West Hollywood or by a northern extension of the Crenshaw Line. The preferred alternative will ultimately be a matter of public debate...one that seems sorely lacking at the moment.
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