Residents in the Miracle Mile, along the stretch of Wilshire between La Brea and Fairfax, have started a petition campaign to limit Metro’s construction of the Purple Line Extension during night and holiday hours as Metro gears up for nine years of construction in the area.
Los Angeles Municipal Code prohibits construction activities between the hours of 9 pm and 7 am during the week, allows work only between 8 am – 6 pm on Saturdays and no work on Sundays and holidays. Metro has applied to the Los Angeles Police Commission for a waiver to the code, requesting round-the-clock work hours when necessary, for construction of the three Metro Purple Line Subway stations along Wilshire’s Miracle Mile at La Brea, Fairfax and La Cienega.
The Miracle Mile Residents Association (MMRA) has started to circulate a petition, fearing that Metro will apply for the six month variance to the code again and again during the nine year period of construction. This could put Miracle Mile residents into a stupor of little sleep given the noise and disturbance of construction with dirt being excavated, pilings being placed, and trucks moving through the streets. Anyone interested in learning more about the MMRA stance and signing the petition should visit the MMRA website.
The Park LaBrea News Beverly Press spoke with Metro spokesman David Sotero about the potential of round-the-clock work for the Purple Line Extension. “We are doing 24/7 construction for some weekends. That’s for a specific period of time,” Sotero told editor Edwin Folven. “We are in pre-construction. We haven’t awarded a design and construction contract. Once you bring on board a contractor, you can get more specific and outline which weekends.” He also said residents would be notified on exact dates when it gets to that point, that after the initial work is completed at the stations, most of the construction will occur underground. The underground work will go on for about five years.
Metro is currently relocating utilities along Wilshire Boulevard. Once this is completed, contracts for each of the three stations will be awarded and the real work will begin with construction of the stations and tunnel boring beneath Wilshire. This phase of the Purple Line Extension is expected to be completed in 2023.
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Miracle Mile photo credit: JenCarole via photopin cc
