Get AI Briefings, Transcripts & Alerts on Local & National Government Meetings — Forever.
Redondo wins Hawthorne alignment for Metro extension; harbor and boat-ramp projects advance
Loading...
Summary
Mayor Light highlighted a Metro board decision favoring the Hawthorne route for a regional extension, credited local residents and Supervisor Holly Mitchell, and outlined harbor projects including Port Royal lease extensions, a Marine Mammal Care Center agreement and a boat ramp now in the Department of Boating and Waterways funding cycle.
Redondo Beach officials celebrated a regional transportation decision and outlined a string of harbor and pier projects that the city says will boost economic activity.
Mayor Light said the Metro board chose a Hawthorne alignment for the extension rather than routing trains through a freight right-of-way that would have increased train traffic through Lawndale and parts of Redondo. "We pushed heavily against that direction ... and, finally, when it came to the final vote ... it went our direction," he said, crediting residents, Redondo and Lawndale city councils and Supervisor Holly Mitchell for persuading the board.
The mayor called up Jessalyn Waldrop (representing Supervisor Mitchell on the Metro board) to accept a commendation and to thank residents for advocacy. Waldrop called Supervisor Mitchell "someone who will do the hard thing" and accepted the city's recognition on her behalf.
Harbor and pier updates: The mayor described several ongoing harbor projects: an extended lease with Port Royal Marina tied to new slips and docks; a signed option agreement and fundraising in progress for an education center at the former Joe's Crab Shack site with the Marine Mammal Care Center; and completed 30% design work for a boat ramp that is now in a Department of Boating and Waterways (DBW) funding cycle. He said DBW officials plan a site visit in April as part of that funding review.
Why it matters: Mayor Light said the Hawthorne alignment both protects neighborhoods from increased freight-train traffic and aligns with Metro ridership projections favoring the Hawthorne route. The harbor projects, he said, were aimed at revitalizing King Harbor as an event and business destination in advance of major regional events.
Timing and next steps: The Metro vote was described as complete; for harbor projects the mayor outlined fundraising and permitting steps. Boat-ramp construction depends on DBW funding and Coastal Commission and other entitlements; the city does not plan construction before the 2028 Olympics and expects multi-year permitting and funding steps.
