In preparation for pile installation work in November, Metro will be be starting its first serious subway-construction-related lane closures on Wilshire Blvd. this Friday evening.  From 9 p.m. Friday, October 23 until 6 a.m. Monday, October 26, Metro will be a installing k-rail (concrete barriers) and fencing around the north three lanes of Wilshire Blvd., between Mansfield and Detroit St. The work will include street re-striping, traffic signal reconfiguration, and removal of parking on Wilshire, from Mansfield to Detroit. As part of the work, Wilshire Blvd. will also be reduced to two lanes in each direction from Highland to Cloverdale. And the reduced lanes will remain in place for the duration of pile installation activities, which will take approximately 6-8 months. Traffic delays are definitely anticipated for the first few days, and  Traffic Control Officers (TCOs) will be on hand at major and artillery intersections.
This is, of course, only the first phase in what will be even more extensive lane and even full street closures as Purple Line construction kicks into high gear. Â Metro is currently seeking input from local neighborhoods on which of two Wilshire Blvd. full-closure options residents might prefer for one of the next big construction phases – installation of street-level decking that will allow construction on the underground station box, stretching from Sycamore to Detroit, to continue below street level 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Â
The two proposed options for closing Wilshire during construction of the decking are 7 weeks with Wilshire Blvd. fully closed 24/7…or 22 weeks with Wilshire Blvd. fully closed only on weekends, and open to traffic during the week.  Metro has said it will make the decision in November, and meetings are currently underway in various neighborhoods to discuss the pros and cons of each option.  Metro started the community discussions with a presentation at its September 17 community update meeting and a presentation to the Greater Wilshire Neighborhood Council on October 14.  Sycamore Square and La Brea-Hancock (two of the neighborhoods most severely affected by the proposed closures) will hold a joint meeting on the subject on Sunday, November 1 (location TBD), and Windsor Village is scheduled to hold a meeting about it on Monday, October 26, 6:00 p.m. at the Ebell of Los Angeles, 743 S. Lucerne Blvd.  The Miracle Mile Residential Association has launched an online poll to collect input from its members…and has printed an extensive writeup of the proposals in its October  newsletter.  And, finally, the closure proposals will also be the focus of Metro’s next bi-monthly community update meeting, which will be held at John Burroughs Middle School on Thursday, November 12.  City Council Member David Ryu will be a panelist at that meeting.
If you live in one of the affected areas, be sure to attend one of the local meetings. If you would like to provide your thoughts on the two options directly to Metro, send an e-mail to  [email protected], or contact Kasey Shuda, Metro Construction Relations Manager at  [email protected] or (323) 900.2124…or Michael Cortez, Construction Relations Officer, East Segment (Hauser to Western), at [email protected] or (323) 900.2145.
[10/21/15 – 12:00 p.m. – this story has been updated to add the information about Metro’s November community meeting.]
