WeHo Offering Free Shuttle for Residents Attending Women’s March LA

With the inauguration of Donald Trump set for Friday, West Hollywood is taking subtle steps to respond to fears that the Trump administration will eviscerate steps taken to protect LGBT and women’s rights.

In one of those steps, the city, whose population is composed largely of progressive Democrats, is offering residents a free shuttle service on Saturday to the Metro Red Line stop so that they can head to downtown Los Angeles for the Women’s March.

Women’s March Los Angeles bills the event as an expression of solidarity in support of human rights. The event is open to men as well as women. Speakers will include West Hollywood Mayor Lauren Meister and councilmember Lindsey Horvath;  Abbe Land, former West Hollywood city council member, former head of the Trevor Project and a member of the Planned Parenthood board; L.A. City Council members Paul Koretz and Mike Bonin; Hillary Selvin of the National Council of Jewish Women L.A chapter and Hilda Solis, L.A. County supervisor.

The free transportation will be on CityLineX, the city’s free mini-bus service for commuters. CityLineX will offer six departure shuttles from the West Hollywood Library, located at 625 N. San Vicente Blvd., at 15- to 30-minute intervals. The first shuttle will leave at 7:15 a.m. and the last shuttle will leave at 9:10 a.m. CityLineX will pick up passengers at all of its regular stops along Santa Monica Boulevard, which include Robertson, San Vicente, Westbourne, La Cienega, Sweetzer, Crescent Heights, Fairfax, Sierra Bonita and La Brea, en route to the Metro Red Line Station at Hollywood & Highland. Women’s March Los Angeles attendees are advised to use Metro Red Line service toward Downtown Los Angeles and exit at Pershing Square/5th Street.

CityLineX returning shuttles will bring people back from Hollywood & Highland beginning at noon Saturday. Passengers may board from the CityLineX stop located on the west side of Highland Avenue, south of Hollywood Boulevard. CityLineX will drop off passengers at all of its regular stops along Santa Monica Boulevard, which include La Brea, Sierra Bonita, Fairfax, Crescent Heights, Sweetzer, La Cienega, Westbourne, San Vicente and Robertson, en route to its final stop at West Hollywood Library. The last shuttle will depart at 4:45 p.m.

The Women’s March will begin with speakers at Pershing Square at 9 a.m. The exact route of the march will not be revealed until Saturday for security reasons.

A much larger march, with an estimated attendance of 200,000 women and their supporters, will take place Saturday in Washington, D.C., and others are scheduled in cities across the country.

In December the city council adopted a resolution proposed by council members John Duran and John Heilman to reaffirm West Hollywood’s values and instruct city staff to prepare for responses to possible Trump initiatives.

With the resolution, the council agreed to:

— Reaffirm West Hollywood’s core values of respect and inclusion for all people, especially those who have faced hatred, discrimination and marginalization, and continue to collaborate with the Sheriff’s Department to provide law enforcement services in line with these values.

— Direct the city manager to convene a staff working group to respond to proposed actions by the new presidential administration, which contravene the city’s core values.

— Authorize the mayor and/or city manager to send letters opposing proposed appointees who have a history of supporting programs and policies which are contrary to the city’s core values.

— Increase programming about the threats to civil rights and civil liberties faced by members of the West Hollywood community.