West Hollywood’s throwing a rally Thursday morning to push Metro to pick the San Vicente-Fairfax route for the Metro K Line Northern Extension.
The City hosts the event February 12 at 8 a.m. at West Hollywood Park on San Vicente Boulevard. Mayor John Heilman, LA County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath, and the All on Board Coalition want to show Metro that West Hollywood backs the route that puts three stations in the City instead of just one.
Metro’s Board is weeks away from making the final call on which route gets built.
“This is a once-in-generation opportunity to connect West Hollywood with the rest of the region,” Heilman said in a statement announcing the rally. “The K Line North will allow you to catch a flight at LAX, watch a game at a regional stadium, shop at the Grove, or celebrate in the Rainbow District in West Hollywood. The route will provide an easy commute for those who work in the Miracle Mile or at Cedars-Sinai Hospital.”
Three Stations or One
The City’s preferred San Vicente-Fairfax route puts stations at Santa Monica/San Vicente near the Pacific Design Center, Santa Monica/Fairfax, La Cienega/Beverly, and Santa Monica/La Brea. That’s three in West Hollywood with a fourth just outside City limits.
The other two routes Metro’s considering? West Hollywood gets one station at the eastern edge of the City.
Heilman pointed out the San Vicente-Fairfax route puts more than 110,000 jobs within a half-mile of new Metro stations. “With more riders, more jobs, and more destinations, the choice is simple: San Vicente-Fairfax is the best route,” he said. “Let’s finish the line!”
The route connects to four other rail lines and six of the 10 busiest Metro bus routes.
Years of Advocacy Coming to a Head
West Hollywood’s been pushing for Metro rail since at least 2014. The City dropped at least $2 million on lobbyists and consultants between 2015 and 2018 trying to get this project prioritized.
When Metro opened public comments in 2021, 201 people wanted San Vicente-Fairfax. Fairfax-only got 11 supporters. La Brea grabbed 29.
Horvath sits on the Metro Board and used to be West Hollywood’s mayor. She’s been championing the K Line extension for years, calling it “the busiest light rail line in the nation, with nearly 100,000 daily riders” once it’s built.
Thursday’s rally brings together elected officials, the West Hollywood Advocates for Metro Rail (WHAM), and neighbors to make the case one more time before Metro staff makes their recommendation to the Board.
The Rally
The event starts at 8 a.m. at the park. The City’s providing coffee and pastries, and participants can pick up signs, pins, and t-shirts. Limited validated parking at the park’s five-story structure. Lime users can get $10 off with promo code “METROWEHO.”
For more information about the K Line Northern Extension, visit www.weho.org/metro or contact David Fenn at (323) 848-6336 or dfenn@weho.org.
A personal perspective. Before any subway began construction, my siblings an I were so excited I grade school we could take the subway to Fairfax High School when we are of age.
I will be dead before a single plan is even considered and likely to pass.
Building new subways takes FOREVER and don’t use tunnel boring equipment to save costs.
There is scary chaos in the US … Let’s not get bogged do in fanciful dreams in some very distant decades.
For a city barely two square miles in size, three subway stations are ridiculous. Even worse, routing the line along San Vicente would be an ENVIRONMENTAL DISASTER. The high aquifer beneath it would require massive, permanent dewatering — destabilizing the ground and threatening surrounding structures. We already see land subsidence in West Hollywood from excessive dewatering tied to basements and underground parking, despite a decade of resident warnings about cracked foundations and damaged homes. The last thing this city needs is another mega-scale dewatering project that risks irreversible harm to our infrastructure and neighborhoods. This isn’t really about transit. It’s… Read more »
Three stops seems a bit much for a city that’s a little over a mile long
EXACTLY!!!!!! The City doesn’t care about the subway. All they care about is that having assigned stops in Weho, which won’t be operative for at least 15 years, allows developers RIGHT NOW to destroy homes and rent control buildings and replace them with 7+ story buildings of unaffordable apartments with no parking spaces. A gift to developers who funded the campaign s of council members. NO TO THE SUBWAY STOPS. VOTE COUNCIL MEMBERS OUT!
While I would love to see a Boy’s Town subway station, the most rational location would be near San Vicente and Beverly; Cedar Sinai employs thousands of people and a convenient station could eliminate thousands of auto trips a day. Also it would allow for some renovation of the Beverly Center.
Hello Steve City officials confirmed that Metro wouldn’t be ready for at least fifteen years. Meanwhile, WeHo is using this proposed stop as an excuse to allow 7-story buildings with no parking in our residential areas starting this year. It’s all a ploy to give the keys of the city to developers, with no increase of affordable housing and destroying rent-control buildings in the process. This is what the City cares about, they don’t give a damn about the subway, which, if it comes a reality, it won’t happen until 15 years from now.
I’m surprised anyone thinks anything is getting built here on out. The Democrats are looting every tax cent they can get their corrupt little paws on – Metro extension is pure fantasy – it’s not happening
Regardless of the METRO K LINE not happening, once the subways stops have been assigned to WeHo, developers can start building 7+ story buildings in West Hollywood. That’s why the City and developers are dying for the stops to be assigned to WeHo. They don’t give a f about the actual subway. How’s this for corruption?
Horvath’s statistics are full of s…What’s critical here is from day 1 of the decision, most if not all of West Hollywood will be eligible to be torn down and rebuilt vertically. Is that what you want? Please write an article showing this side of the story before this very misleading rally.
I’m amazed at all the comments that want to strand West Hollywood in the past. For those who think this is a power grab to build tall buildings – Maybe… but we’ll all be dead by the time the subway is finished. We’re talking about the future of Los Angeles after our time is gone. I don’t think we can have a quaint village in the future. I think West Hollywood should be connected to the future Los Angeles vast metropolis if WeHo is to be a continued vital part of L.A. And I’d like more of L.A. to be… Read more »
“Greater density IS coming to all over Los Angeles. Let’s not be luddites with our heads in the sand.”
Respectfully, that’s hogwash. The opposite is occurring in real time – people (with money to pay for such things) are leaving at a net negative rate, and the majority of those arriving don’t and will never have a pot to piss in
In a city — or cities if you count how we are still part of Los Angeles — that is already over populated, more density is not something we need or want
Don’t know a single person that complains about not having a subway. There’s a lot of other complaints, but not that.
Not only that, the subway stops will allow developers to build 15 story buildings WITH NO PARKING SPACES, under the ruse that whoever pays $5,000+ for rent won’t need cars because they live less than a mile from a subway stop. WHO’S THE CITY TRYING TO FOOL? They are just allowing no parking spaces to make the buildings cheaper for developers. VOTE COUNCIL MEMBERS OUT!
I don’t understand why anyone would be against a subway line. It’s completely irrational not to think that this will have to happen.
Read the comments and you’ll understand why. The subway stops give developers a loophole to build non affordable 7+ story buildings with no parking spaces all over West Hollywood. This is what council members, bribed by developers are after. The subway, which would take over a decade to build, gives them the alibi.As a result, there won’t be a single affordable or rent control building left in the City, just huge buildings for the uber rich, like the one on Beverly Bkvd. That’s what’s behind the. Subway project. Are you clear now ?
Yep, the subway will destroy the character Of West Hollywood. I was a big supporter of the subway until the state pushed through that seven story allowance anywhere near a metro stop. Three stations in West Hollywood would destroy all of West Hollywood allowing seven stories or more throughout the entire city.
Exactly. Two years ago, residents were asked to vote about the proposed subway stops WITHOUT DISCLOSING THAT HAVING THESE SUBWAY STOPS WOULD ALLOW DEVELOPERS TO BUILD 7+ STORY BUILDINGS AROUND THE STOPS. How’s t hat for cheating WeHo residents? DISGUSTING
OPPOSE WEHO’S K-LINE RALLY ORGANIZED BY MAYOR JOHN HEILMAN AND LA COUNTY SUPERVISOR LINDSEY HORVATH. This rally is ASKING METRO TO INCLUDE 3 SUBWAY STOPS IN WEHO.
The City’s excuse is that the three subway stops will provide access to West Hollywood. The real goal is that having three subway stops provides developers with a loophole to build 7-15-story buildings ANYWHERE IN WEST HOLLYWOOD, tearing down homes, rent controlled apartment buildings etc to build more luxury housing that no one will afford.
THIS IS A PLOY TO ALLOW DEVELOPERS TO DESTROY WEST HOLLYWOOD. OPPOSE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
More foot traffic in West Hollywood,the nimby’s are going to really like that..!
It’s not about foot traffic.
Exactly. At a recent neighborhood meeting, WeHo Council Members stated that they had no skin in the game of how many subway stops would be in West Hollywood. Three weeks later, the City is organizing a rally supporting having 3 stops, which would allow developers to build 15 story buildings anywhere in the City. THE CORRUPTION OF WEHO COUNCIL IS OUT OF CONTROL. VOTE THEM OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You said it yourself: The more building in West Hollywood leads to more foot traffic,which will destroy the character Of West Hollywood..! Duh !
This is, once again, WeHO Council showing its corruption in broad daylight. The City’s official excuse is that the subway stops will provide access to West Hollywood. The real goal is that having these subway stops allows developers to build 7-story buildings in a mile radius from the stops, i.e., all over WeHo, which is less than 2 mile long. These buildings won’t provide parking spaces because “being so close to public transport means residents won’t use cars”. Yeah, right. The City is using the subway stops as excuse to give the keys to the city to developers who are… Read more »
Larry and Brian-
This commenter brings up an interesting point that I hadn’t considered. I think they might be correct re the potential impact on development scale.
I would love to see this topic explored in a column, ideally with WeHo City Council members’ thoughts, ideally prior to the Thursday rally. Lynn Hoopingarner might have valuable insight as well.
“..allows developers to build 7-story buildings in a mile radius from the stops, i.e., all over WeHo, which is less than 2 mile long.. ….The City is using the subway stops as excuse to give the keys to the city to developers who are chomping at the bit to destroy West Hollywood and turn it into Manhattan. DON’T FALL FOR THE CITY’S LIES. THIS IS ALL ABOUT CORRUPTION AND GREED.” Yes, 1000% correct in your assessment. City Council has never met a construction project it didn’t approve. How long has the French Market sat empty now? How long did it… Read more »
Exactly. City Council is tied to the hip of developers, who funded their campaigns. They don’t care about residents. VOTE THEM OUT!
I’m not a fan of the current City Council, but I agree with them on advocating for multiple stops which will benefit the area.
The State law regarding transit lines and housing is beyond their control. The proposed stops are all located on existing transit lines ie bus lines – it’s not limited to rail.
For starters, Beverly Hills pushed back and they are excluded from the increased density laws. Why didn’t West Hollywood fight back? Because they are beholden to developers. Now the City is saying “it’s out of our control” NOT TRUE How exactly will 3 subway stops benefit the City?? FYI, WeHo claims that Beverly and San Vicente is a busy public transit corner. Not true. Go see it for yourself. Not a single bus stop in that intersection. There is one a block and a half down where a bus comes every half hour or so. This is not a busy… Read more »
My only concern is how long it will take to come to fruition.
Keep tilting at those windmills.
City officials confirmed that Metro wouldn’t be ready for at least fifteen years. Meanwhile, they are using this proposed stop as an excuse to allow 7 + -story buildings with no parking in our residential areas starting right now.