Council says put light rail down Hawthorne Blvd.
by Garth Meyer The City of Redondo Beach made its position official last week on the proposed Metro light rail extension to Torrance: run it down Hawthorne Boulevard on an elevated track. The city council voted 4-0 to take the stance after much testimony Sept. 19. The decision came two days before Metro presented feedback suggesting “73 percent” of area residents preferred another option – which cuts through north Redondo Beach and Lawndale on an existing rail right-of-way. Councilman Todd Loewenstein gave his support to the Hawthorne option, saying he was also in favor of the city paying for a charter bus to take residents to a key Metro board meeting Oct. 26. That is the first time in which the 14-member board may take action on the extension. L.A. Mayor Karen Bass is the chair. Redondo Beach Councilman Zein Obagi, Jr., said he supports a charter bus too, and more. “I will advocate for filing (a lawsuit against Metro) on the draft EIR (Environmental Impact Report),” he said Sept. 19, if Metro chooses the right-of-way, Obagi citing flaws in the report. Later, he questioned Metro’s “73 percent” figure. “That’s not a reliable survey,” he told Easy Reader this week, alleging that a…
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