In the ongoing endeavor to enhance transit options and foster community connectivity, the City of West Hollywood has remained committed in its support for expanding its transit options. Starting in 2015, the City approved a plan to conduct outreach and build public support of a Metro rail project that would extend the Crenshaw/LAX line to connect to high volume destinations including LACMA, Pacific Design Center, the Beverly Center retail complex, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, and other popular landmarks.

Driving this advocacy forward is TRG, working on behalf of the City of West Hollywood. Through a series of leading outreach and public education initiatives, TRG has worked tirelessly to rally support for the Northern Crenshaw Extension project. Recognizing the importance of proactive engagement, the City of West Hollywood has established two advocacy groups, West Hollywood Advocates for Metro (WHAM), and the All on Board Coalition (AOB), to bolster community involvement and support within West Hollywood and throughout Los Angeles County.

After our extensive outreach campaign to garner support for the Northern Crenshaw Extension, the Metro Board unanimously approved a $50 million contract to begin the environmental analysis stage of the project during their August 2020 Board Meeting – 20 years before their original plans projected construction to begin. View the support video we put together for the Metro Board here.

Crenshaw North would create a new north-south rail connection from LAX and Inglewood through Mid City and West Hollywood to Hollywood where it will connect with the Metro Red Line (B)—and potentially the Hollywood Bowl! There are currently three different route options being studied by Metro, but only the Fairfax-San Vicente Hybrid alignment would serve all the major destinations in Mid City and WeHo. This would benefit a wide range of underserved communities along the way and provide direct access to four times as many jobs and twice as many residents compared to the La Brea alignment.

TRG's outreach initiatives have been extensive and diverse, aiming to reach stakeholders across the affected communities. We've been actively present at various community events, including Cyclavia, Leimert Park Juneteenth celebrations, and the K Line opening, fostering meaningful interactions and dialogue with residents and stakeholders.

TRG has played a pivotal role in orchestrating workshops, conducting informative sessions, and fostering dialogues to enlighten the community about the project's advantages and collect valuable feedback. Through active collaboration with stakeholders, TRG has effectively integrated community perspectives into Metro's engagement initiatives, ensuring that diverse voices are acknowledged and integrated into the decision-making framework.

Currently, Metro is scheduled to release their draft environmental report in 2024.To learn more about the three alignments under consideration in Metro’s environmental process, visit whamrail.com.