Metro is only now finally contacting residential building in the area where the construction would take place. Obviously, there are still more people that have to learn about the project. MTA has certainly done its best in getting information out there. But that is not where I find a problem with this project.

So no, not all posters think it’s a very good thing in its current design.

All posters here have made their opinion seeing that they believe in the long run that what is being proposed is a very good thing that would open Little Tokyo to the rest of Los Angeles in its current design.

It makes sense that the Eastside Line was built at-grade on Alameda. There is a lot of available space on Alameda and there are no shops which face out onto Alameda. Frankly, it is a blank, dead space between Union Station and Little Tokyo.

There is less available space on Second Street, therefore it makes more sense to build underground on Second. They built the Eastside Line underground in Boyle Heights for the same reasons. Building underground will limit the disruption to the neighborhood.

There’s nothing fundamentally confusing or complicated about the First and Alameda wye design.

Little Tokyo will lose one block when the Regional Connector is built. This is the Office Depot block. However, Little Tokyo will GAIN one full block when the Nikkei Center is built, and the Nikkei Center will benefit from having a light rail station.

Nobody knows what, if anything, will be built to replace the Office Depot. Maybe it will be a park. Maybe it will be another Office Depot. Maybe it will be Nikkei Center Phase II.

If the Regional Connector is built underground, a new station will be built near the Kyoto Grand. If it is at-grade, trains will avoid Little Tokyo completely. Little Tokyo will lose out on a chance to be better connected with the rest of Southern California.

When I look at the Regional Connector, I see an opportunity to avoid the traffic and parking problems in the neighborhood. I see a chance to come to Little Tokyo more often and spend money in Little Tokyo more often. I see a chance to convince my “transit otaku” friends to come visit Little Tokyo and help the ongoing revitalization and rebirth of this vital Japanese American neighborhood.

But to assume that folks outside doesn’t value Little Tokyo and because it was selected “by everyone else” when I do recall members from the local buddhist temples speaking for the project and residents who work and live in the nearby new condos supporting the project in it’s form.

Even if this was an underground station at 1st/Alameda or if the entire Gold Line was a subway the impacts and concern will still happen.

I’m very much pro-public transit- but MTA’s planning in this matter have been less than ideal.
Let’s face the fact that if underground were better, why wasn’t the Goldline Extension built primarily underground in the first place? We wouldn’t be having these concerns now if MTA had simply planned better for expansion and kept everything underground. Now, Little Tokyo has to pay for MTA mistakes.

Underground is the only alternative which makes sense. Little Tokyo will be a better community for it. Trains will move faster if they can move underground. Construction can be less disruptive if it is underground.

Little Tokyo will be easier to get to if this gets built. Parking in the neighborhood is horrible and streets are hard to navigate. Look at how widespread the Japanese American community is. The Regional Connector will make it easier for Japanese Americans throughout Southern California to reach Little Tokyo.

Little Tokyo will survive and thrive, just as Hollywood has done well since the subway arrived; just as communities throughout Los Angeles have benefitted from Metro Rail.

Don’t let NIMBY fearmongering prevent Little Tokyo from improving itself.