Politics & Government
Brucker: MTA Study Favors Route Under BHHS
The mayor and council members reiterate their pledge to keep up opposition against tunneling under the high school.
on the geology and seismic impacts of the Westside Subway Extension advocates tunneling under , Mayor Barry Brucker announced at the City Council meeting Thursday. He reaffirmed the council's unanimous drive to divert the subway from school property.
"Needless to say, the results were extremely disappointing to the council and most Beverly Hills residents," Brucker said.
Metro's scientists determined that the location of earthquake faults in the area make council members' unsafe.
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"They concluded that the only safe place to tunnel was the route that goes under the high school with the station at Constellation Boulevard and Avenue of the Stars," Brucker said. "The question is, what do we do next?"
The city has hired two engineering consulting firms to vet Metro's environmental impact report and conduct an independent analysis of the subway project's technical data. Brucker said these studies would be completed by the end of the year.
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The mayor appointed Councilwoman Lili Bosse and Vice Mayor William Brien to form a task force committee that will work closely with the Beverly Hills Unified School District "to vet the science as presented and address the legal and joint defense options," Brucker said.
Councilman John Mirisch, City Manager Jeff Kolin, Brucker and city staff members attended the MTA meeting where the geologic study's results were released Oct. 19.
"From my perspective the results were not surprising," Mirisch said, noting the reaction of Los Angeles County Supervisor Mike Antonovich who "summed it up best when he felt that the release of the information seemed to remind him of a professional wrestling match, where you knew who was going to win before the match even started."
Mirisch then criticized Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's federally backed . The councilman additionally questioned the location choice for the Westwood station, which is intended to serve UCLA students but is located several blocks from the university near the Veterans Administration complex on Wilshire Boulevard.
"Perhaps we should consider withholding support of expedited federal funding until all of these critical questions are answered," Mirisch said.
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