News
Westside Subway Extension gets Under Way
August 20 , 2009
On August 20, 2009, Chancellor Gene D. Block welcomed guests to the UCLA campus for a press conference regarding the Westside Subway Extension. Soil samples were extracted from underneath UCLA's Lot 36 for studying as Metro develops the subway plan that could traverse Wilshire Boulevard from downtown Los Angeles to Westwood.
Joining Chancellor Block were Los Angeles Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa, Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky, Glendale City Councilmember and Metro Board Chair Ara Najarian, Los Angeles City Councilmembers Paul Koretz and Bill Rosendahl, Santa Monica City Councilmember Pam O'Connor, and Metro CEO Art Leahy.
Chancellor Block highlighted the importance of the subway extension from Wilshire/Western to West Los Angeles , and particularly Westwood. Elected officials and community leaders called for the speeding up of construction of the $4.1-billion transit project, scheduled for completion in 2032.
“As a public university, UCLA must be accessible to hundreds of thousands of people and not only students, faculty and staff” said Chancellor Block. “Each year, more than 300,000 come here for health care; more than 500,000 for arts and culture; and more than 200,000 for athletic events. The Westside Subway Extension would serve many of them, while also reducing traffic congestion and pollution.”
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