Los Angeles County Considers Expanding Rail Routes

LOS ANGELES (AP) Transit officials will choose the routes for two major links in Los Angeles County's rail system that would close a gap in downtown Los Angeles and push a route into the Westside.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority board is scheduled Thursday to select routes for a roughly nine-mile subway line into West Los Angeles and a two-mile downtown connector linking three other train lines. The connector would allow people to ride trains from surrounding suburbs east and west of downtown without having to transfer.

The Westside project is scheduled to begin construction in 2013 and could take until 2036 to complete. The time could be shortened if the project gets federal funding.

The projects will cost more than $5 billion and will require further environmental review.

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