Dennis RomeroYou know that trolley at The Grove? It's kind of cute — toke — but it, like, goes nowhere. It's likable and all — exhale — but once you go around once you have to, like, leave it to the tourists, man.
But wouldn't it be cool if — toke — that thing went all the way to the L.A. County Museum of Art. Exhale. Ding-a-linging through traffic. Dude!
We've met Grove developer Rick Caruso a few times and we're pretty sure he's not smoking anything funny. He dresses like a boss in “Boardwalk Empire,” and he's about as serious as one, too.
But he has an imagination.
Caruso Affiliated and LACMA this week announced that they are going to launch a study to explore the idea of a trolley line between The Grove and LACMA, where a subway Purple Line extension is destined to be developed.
According to a statement from Caruso's company:
Credit: R.E. via the LA Weekly Flickr pool
Caruso's vision for a neighborhood trolley sparked candid conversation among urban planners, media, and local residents, including those who fondly recall a bygone era of colorful neighborhood streetcars throughout Los Angeles.
The study will look at traffic, design and, most importantly, cost. We should know the results by Thanksgiving or so, according to Caruso Affiliated.
City councilmen Tom LaBonge and Paul Koretz expressed support for the study. And here's what Caruso himself had to say:
This neighborhood has become the cultural center of Los Angeles, and the trolley is an innovative way to bring people together and provide a memorable, unique experience in our city. Other cities have great street car lines that function very effectively. We are optimistic about finding out a way to get this done in our backyard.
We call shotgun.
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