Expo Line Phase Two Groundbreaking Ceremony To Take Place Today in Santa Monica

[Orli Belman]

The end of the line will mark a symbolic new beginning for the Expo Line project when the official groundbreaking ceremony for Phase 2 takes place this morning at 9:30 a.m. in Santa Monica, at Colorado Blvd. and 4th Street.

 

Recent stories in the Los Angeles Times and on CurbedLA indicate that leaders, including Mayor Villaragosa, Expo Authority CEO Rick Thorpe and County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky, are eager to put the delays of Phase 1 behind them and get moving on the six-mile light rail line which goes from Culver City through Cheviot Hills and Rancho Park to Santa Monica. This time around, they say new contractors, better budgeting and contingency planning will make delays less likely.

 

The mayor tells CurbedLA that the project - the city's first to be funded by measure R - will open in 2015. As for Phase 1, that date is still unclear.

 

"I don't know if this fall, but I know we expect to open it as soon thereafter as possible," he said.

 

According to some conversations going on the boards over at the Transit Coalition, today's ceremony is an invitation only event. Anyone here going?