Support Letter for C Line to Torrance FEIR Certification and Hybrid LPA
LA Metro Board of Directors
One Gateway Plaza
Los Angeles, CA 90012-2952
Email: BoardClerk@Metro.net, greenlineextension@metro.net
Letter of Support – C/K Line Extension to Torrance FEIR Certification & Approval (Jan 2026 Board Meetings)
Dear Board Directors of LA Metro and South Bay Cities Council of Governments:
On behalf of South Bay Forward, a local grassroots advocacy organization focused on housing, transit, and mobility in the South Bay LA region, we write this letter in support of certifying the Final Environmental Impact Report (EIR) and approving the C/K Line Extension to Torrance.
By approving the project and moving forward with the Locally Preferred Alternative (LPA), we can provide a much-needed, once-in-a-generation rail connection between LA County and the South Bay. This project will attract millions of new riders, reduce travel times, and respond effectively to community concerns with mitigation measures and new amenities along the Metro ROW, while aligning with available funding and the Measure M schedule.
South Bay Forward is composed of over 600 members across the South Bay LA region in the cities of Torrance, the Beach Cities (Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach, El Segundo), Inland South Bay (Carson, Gardena, Hawthorne, Inglewood, Lawndale, Lomita), Harbor Area (Harbor City, Harbor Gateway, San Pedro and Wilmington), and the Palos Verdes Peninsula.
We have closely followed and strongly supported the project since our organization’s founding in 2023 and have continued to support local and regional projects as part of Yes In My Backyard organizing to advance abundant housing and connected transit for a more affordable, accessible, and sustainable South Bay.
STRONG LOCAL AND COMMUNITY SUPPORT
We reiterate our support letters dated December 14, 2023 and May 22, 2024 in which we detailed our support for the Project on the Metro-owned right-of-way and Hybrid Locally Preferred Alternative. In March 2025, we responded to Metro’s call for community-based organizations (CBO) to deliver outreach for the project. Over the past six months, we have tabled and hosted community events around the South Bay sharing information in our role as CBO. See Appendix 1 for photos and written comment cards from our outreach activities. We have connected with over 700 individuals during outreach events along the corridor and have generated 10,000+ social media views. Responses from the public have been overwhelmingly positive, with the most common question being, “How soon will it be built?” This sentiment reflects the results of a 2023 phone-based survey showing 67% support for the project within the cities of Lawndale, Redondo Beach, and Torrance.
Additionally, this project is well-supported by dozens of community organizations, labor groups, and businesses as part of the South Bay On Board Coalition including: MoveLA, Streets for All, Abundant Housing LA, Downtown Torrance Association, Torrance Area Chamber of Commerce, Indivisible South Bay LA, Torrance Democrats, Streets Are For Everyone, and LA/OC Building & Construction Trades. Coalition support letters can be found in this Folder. This project has been long-supported by various South Bay cities, though they have differed on alignment preferences over the years. However, the cities of Redondo Beach and Torrance have invested over $45 million in new bus centers adjacent to the rail corridor in anticipation of future rail service. In May 2024, Metro Board selected the 170th/182nd Grade-Separated (Hybrid Alternative) as the Locally Preferred Alternative (LPA). The Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR) was released in September 2025 responding to over 2,000 public comments with fact-based responses and clarifications.
REGIONAL IMPORTANCE
This project has been promised to South Bay residents since 1980 and has been identified as a top priority for rail service since 2009. In 2016, South Bay voters helped pass Measure M which promised the Green Line / C Extension as a priority rail project. With the updated operating pattern of the K Line and the recent opening of the LAX Metro Transit Center, this Project will now create a one-seat ride between Torrance, Redondo Beach, LAX, and Inglewood. Further connections can be made to Gateway Cities on the C Line and to the Westside and Downtown Los Angeles via the Metro E Line. Estimates project a 19-minute ride from Torrance to LAX and significant travel time savings between the South Bay and greater Los Angeles.
The South Bay suffers from congested streets and lack of rapid transportation options, resulting in long travel times for drivers and transit riders alike. Congestion is projected to worsen by 30% in 2045. The Project will create a fast and reliable transportation option to connect people by rail to jobs, schools, and services across the County with benefits concentrated in many Equity Focus Communities that will be linked along the Metro C and K Lines. With expansion of sporting facilities, housing, businesses, and jobs throughout the subregion, high-quality transit is a must.
STRONG FUNDING PLAN
The project is well-positioned for funding currently and is highly-competitive for state transportation grants following FEIR certification. The LPA is designed to not require federal funds, which is ideal within our current political landscape. The Board Report from May 2024 details the project has been allocated funding from Measure R at $272M, Measure M at $828.4M, TIRCP at $231.3M and SB1 at $9.0M. This totals to $1.34B.
Since 2023, cost estimates for the project have increased from $2.23B for Hybrid and $2.96B for Hawthorne to $2.7B for Hybrid and $3.44B for Hawthorne from the Draft to the Final EIR. Cost escalations are due to inflation, tariffs, contingency, and delays on the project (NYU Transit Costs Project). The project is over 52% funded for LPA. No project is fully funded at the Final EIR stage and this project is better positioned than nearly every project in the Metro portfolio. SBCCOG received this information via public comment in November 2025. See Appendix 2 for funding levels of recent Metro light rail projects at FEIR approval.
Additionally, the project only becomes competitive for additional grants after the certification of the FEIR, when it can apply for state sources of funding under TIRCP, STIP, SB1, or other grants. Other sources of funding that could be explored for this project includes: ExpressLane revenue from I-110 and I-105 corridors and surplus highway funds from South Bay Measure M funds. Other jurisdictions have developed funding mechanisms to fund their Metro rail projects, like the West Hollywood's Enhanced Infrastructure Financing District for the K Line Northern Extension.
This is a highly cost-effective and grant-competitive project. Further delay, pause, or concern around FEIR certification could lead to further cost increases and jeopardize the project and its numerous benefits to the South Bay–relieving congestion, reducing VMT, boosting economic growth, serving jobs and schools. Please support South Bay’s best chance of future rail.
JOBS, HOUSING, MOBILITY, & ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS
The Extension will help reduce 13.7 million vehicle miles and 1,905 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2) per year, helping to combat climate change. The project will also attract around 1.5 million new Metro riders per year, expanding access to aerospace, government, manufacturing, and healthcare job centers in the South Bay and generate over 15,000 construction jobs to strengthen the South Bay economy.
The Final EIR indicates that no homes will need to be acquired for the LPA and that safety and noise mitigations for the project will improve the overall safety profile for residents who currently live near the freight line. The mitigations are thoughtful and comprehensive, reflecting a commitment to addressing concerns. Hawthorne Blvd costs nearly $1 billion more and faces enormous technical, engineering, and approval constraints with 2-4 more years of NEPA review, requiring federal funds and massive utility relocations including a regional stormwater drain. Proceeding with the Board-Selected Hybrid LPA provides an all-inclusive project that updates the aging rail corridor, adds neighborhood walking-biking paths, and connects directly to transit centers with parking, restrooms, and bus service.
Metro has safely delivered and operated projects with freight, light rail, and walking trails near homes such as the A Line in South Pasadena, Highland Park, San Gabriel Valley, and South LA and the E Line from Westwood to Bundy. The newly opened A Line to Pomona also contains a shared freight, light rail, and residential corridor from Irwindale to Pomona. Metro is building the Southeast Gateway Line in the communities of Southeast Los Angeles as a shared corridor with light rail, freight and utilities. The corridor widths and profiles are comparable to this project.
This project will address the jobs-housing imbalance in our subregion. The South Bay Galleria site near the Redondo Beach Transit Center has been approved for 650 new homes in anticipation of future rail service. The half-mile areas near the Redondo Beach and Torrance Transit Centers already qualify for SB 79 as part of the regional plan. Housing at these sites will require rail transit to mitigate traffic impacts. The LPA includes neighborhood biking and walking trails in Lawndale and Redondo Beach that will connect to existing and planned bike networks, improving first-last mile mobility for South Bay residents, workers, and students.
We ask that you approve and certify the Final EIR so that the project can prepare for design and construction. The C/K Line Extension to Torrance project is a critical component of Measure M promised to South Bay voters that will transform mobility in LA County, bolster the local economy, improve air quality, improve mobility and safety on the corridor, and provide additional benefits to low-income households and disadvantaged communities. Thank you for your leadership and for championing the Extension project for the South Bay and Los Angeles County.
Sincerely,
South Bay Forward Steering Committee
Allen Natian, San Pedro
Brandon Smith, Gardena
Brianna Egan, MPH, Redondo Beach
Courtney Alicia Miles, Gardena
Grace Peng, PhD, Redondo Beach
Ginny Weinert, Lomita
Liam Walsh, Redondo Beach
Matthew Lawrence, Torrance
MC Guerry, Hermosa Beach
South Bay Forward Transit Organizing Team
Adam Schwartz, Torrance
Andrew Blackney, Lawndale
Christopher Truman, Torrance
Devon Hollowood, PhD, Redondo Beach
Iris Polak, Redondo Beach
Isabel Schwartz, Torrance
Kenneth Johnson, Torrance
Ryan VanMeter, Lawndale
Zaid Ibrahim, Torrance
Appendix 1: Tabling and Outreach Activities (May 2025 - Present)
Bicycle Block Party, Redondo Beach (May 2025) K Line Ride Along, Redondo Beach (June 2025)
Julian Katz Bike Ride, Redondo & Hermosa (June 2025) Bus Fest, Long Beach (Sept 2025)
Hollywood Bowl Park & Ride, Torrance (Jul-Sept 2025) Livable Communities, Hermosa (Jul 2025)
South Bay Transit Summit, Torrance Transit Summit (Oct 2025) Comment Cards Below
Appendix 2
Eastside Transit Corridor (LRT Extension) Cost Estimate - 4.7 mile long extension of E Line light rail, $7.9B estimate, $3.6B secured (45.6% of total) at Final EIR Certification (May 2024)
West Santa Ana Branch / Southeast Gateway Line (Jan 2024) - 14.5 mile new light rail line along a rail corridor, $7.2B estimate, $2.55B (35.4% of total) at Final EIR Certification (Jan 2024)
East San Fernando Light Rail - 6.7 mile new light rail line, $3.573B budget with $790M committed (22% of total) at monthly status report, after FEIR Certification (August 2025)
