Los Angeles Metro Expo Line - Phase II Tour, Part 1

A speedy, time-lapse trip through the disputed rail right-of-way for Metro's Expo line - currently being built from Downtown Los Angeles to Santa Monica.

Starting about 6 blocks West of Robertson & Venice through West LA to the corner of Pico & Sawtelle! Yes, no kidding - this is West LA and it was shot on July 10 & 11, 2010.

The homeowners around this part of the line (Cheviot Hills) are annoyed because a train is coming, so they decided to sue the city to stop it claiming it's not "safe." You be the judge - a massively wide right-of-way sitting unused and tunnels & bridges already in place from the last streetcar line we had here!

Let's hope these NIMBYs lose and the city wins.

I made this film with a home brew steadycam, a Panasonic Lumix TZ-10 camera, Apple's iMovie and a lot of walking. ;)

Please subscribe if you want to get notified of the next video update. For more info on the Expo line, see http://www.buildexpo.org

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Expo line
• time lapse
• Cheviot Hills
• Los Angeles
• NIMBY
• Rail
• Streetcar
• Santa Monica
• Pacific Electric

[SuperVillaTube]

i was in LA and i saw some rails on the middle of the road and going into builindings and stuff like that. know what that is?

[bendix5]

@SuperVillaTube Look up "Pacific Electric" on wikipedia. Los Angeles had a massive streetcar system at one time. Many of the tracks are still around in pieces.

[TheGentlemanCaller88]

Does anyone know what those old rails were used for? Was it for trains or did the interurban Redcar use these tracks?

[bendix5]

@TheGentlemanCaller88 These tracks were used for a Pacific Electric interurban line called the "Air Line" from Los Angeles to Santa Monica. Prior to that it was a narrow gauge steam line.

The interurban closed in 1953 and tracks were occasionally used for diesel delivered freight until about 1989. Look up Expo Line on Wikipedia for detail.

[MilwaukeeSDman]

Respond to this video... how many years were those rails sitting there? unused quiet???

[bendix5]

@MilwaukeeSDman Passenger service stopped in 1953, there was limited freight until about 1987...

[SUPERDAVIDLEVINE]

i like to knoww were this expo line is ther is no neration and hate vidios like that but were does it go to and what is the statis is ere plasn for a light rail on it or a bike trail will there be a big fight over that matter to bad I don,t think it could be both,oh is see something about expoline opening last year I will chekc it out

[ADogHowls]

This is AMAZING! Great work Bendix,

Is there any chance you're going to do a part 2? Because WE NEED IT!

[HowieDub]

No one wants to buy a home when a rail is planned to go by your property. We have been looking for a home and found one we liked on Dunleer, but because the rail goes behind it, we didn't even want to look at it. I can completely understand why residents there are against it. I would be if I lived there.

[ziggypwner]

As a railfan, I am extremely disappointed at the two top comments.

[waltarrrrr]

I love this so much, I'm surprised I didn't do it myself. Great job.

[inMANvisible]

super video, pls continue

[bigpoppapumps09]

id lovd to go there

[dafeinstein]

Wonderful tour. I've walked a lot of this route, but never as thoroughly as this. Time for another walk. Thank you.