West Hollywood to spend more money on possible Metro expansion

The West Hollywood City Council has agreed to spend more than half a million dollars to further examine the potential of extending the Metro to the notoriously traffic-heavy city.

During a meeting Monday night, the council said it will pay another $611,390 to two consulting firms that will analyze the total cost of a potential extension, WeHoville reported.

That puts the city’s lobbying efforts at nearly $2 million, considering the city already has spent $1.3 million.

Thanks to Measure M, a voter-approved measure passed in 2016 that increased taxes to fund Metro expansions, the L.A. Metropolitan Transportation Authority is considering five options for extending the Crenshaw/LAX line. Four out of the five options include West Hollywood.

West Hollywood city officials have been pushing to accelerate the extension, which Metro has scheduled for the late 2040s. But accelerating the project would put much of the financial burden on West Hollywood, meaning the project could cost the city anywhere from $70 million to $550 million.

Some council members, such as Lauren Meister, have criticized the city for spending more money on the project. Others, however, welcomed the investment as it puts the potential of the city getting a light rail extension closer to becoming a reality. [WV] – Natalie Hoberman