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A new project launched by the City of Beverly Hills will develop a streetscape plan for the Metro stations along Wilshire and La Cienega Boulevards. “Connect Beverly Hills: Meet Me on Wilshire and La Cienega,” or “Connect Beverly Hills” for short, is the latest initiative designed to prepare for the Metro Purple Line Extension. The Purple Line will bring two new subway stations to the City. The Wilshire/La Cienega station is set for a 2023 completion, while the Wilshire/Rodeo station will open in 2025. The goal of Connect Beverly Hills is to make the pedestrian corridors surrounding the stations more inviting through enhanced amenities, including landscaping, lighting, and bus shelters. Residents, business owners, employees and other stakeholders are encouraged to participate in the program by sharing ideas. 

Previously scheduled community outreach programs have moved to an online platform, connect.beverlyhills.org. Website features include a virtual walking tour of Wilshire and La Cienega Boulevards and the chance to provide feedback via an interactive questionnaire. This summer, the City will host a weeklong design workshop with the community, with the goal of brainstorming concepts that will make the streets more inviting. 

“Connect Beverly Hills is an opportunity to promote the new Metro stations as destinations that are uniquely Beverly Hills,” said Beverly Hills Mayor Lester Friedman. “The plan will improve accessibility and enhance the overall experience for people traveling to our City along these two historically significant corridors.”

The City’s Community Development Department is taking the lead in the Connect Beverly Hills initiative. The consultant team includes Toole Design, a national leader in rethinking streets and mobility; RCH Studios, the multi-disciplinary design and architecture firm based in Los Angeles with an international portfolio, and Community Arts Resources, co-founder of CicLAvia and a community engagement specialist. For more information, visit the project website, email the City at transportation@beverlyhills.org or phone at 310-285-1128. 

In additional Metro-related news, the City Council held a Special Meeting the evening of May 28 on the issue of reestablishing travel lanes on Wilshire Boulevard and Beverly Drive. On March 31, the City approved the closure of Wilshire between Crescent Drive and Beverly Drive to accommodate Wilshire/Rodeo station construction during the COVID-19 pandemic. The closure took effect on April 2, at a time when automobile and pedestrian traffic was severely diminished because of mandated business closures. Since April 2, Metro has made significant progress on its most impactful activities, such as piling and decking. In fact, members of the City Council toured the construction site over Memorial Day Weekend to see that progress for themselves. While original plans called for the closure of Wilshire through June 15, recent business reopening trends call for a reevaluation of that date.