Assembly Candidates Pledge to Oppose Subway Route Under BHHS

All four candidates running for the , which includes Beverly Hills, have said in an interview airing April 2 that they oppose a subway route under .

Democrats Betsy Butler, Torie Osborn, Richard Bloom and Republican Brad Torgan all appeared on the program Inside Beverly Hills, a public affairs show produced by the city government. The program is hosted by local journalist Rudy Cole, who told Patch that he asked the candidates their views on Metro’s plans to tunnel under BHHS as part of the .

"All four candidates agreed that the subway route should not go under the high school," Cole said.

It is unclear whether any of the candidates will attend a Thursday meeting about the subway route being held in Beverly Hills by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. The meeting, which is open to the public, will take place at from 5-7:30 p.m. Thursday. The MTA released its Environmental Impact Report in which it endorsed a subway route that travels under BHHS.

The Beverly Hills Unified School District has asked families to attend the meeting to voice their opposition to the subway route.

"Despite our protests Metro has decided that the Century City subway station should be at Constellation Boulevard—which means Metro will tunnel under Beverly Hills High School if the Metro Board approves this report," the email said. "We need your support and voice to stop this injustice."

All five district PTAs made similar points in their school newsletters this week. The PTA Council, an umbrella group that represents the PTAs, voted Tuesday to spend up to $3,500 on banners and signs at school sites opposing the subway route.

told the PTA Council that the City Council is "united and uniform" in its opposition to a subway route under BHHS.

The council will hold a closed session April 3 to discuss possible new actions to take to oppose the subway route, Brien said. The mayor encouraged parents to attend the Thursday MTA meeting, although he will be unable to be there because of a prior commitment in Washington, D.C.  

Board of Education President Brian Goldberg is one of several board members who have visited PTA meetings to urge parents to attend the Thursday meeting. At a recent Horace Mann PTA meeting, he suggested parents contact County Supervisor , whose district includes Beverly Hills. Yaroslavsky is on the MTA board that must give the final approval on the Westside Subway extension.

"Email is not so effective anymore," Goldberg said. "Please pick up the phone and call Zev’s office."

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