PUC Rejects Call for Rail Changes
The Public Utilities Commission has turned down the last-ditch appeals of two community groups that had pressed for changes in the design of the Pasadena Gold Line light railway.
In a meeting closed to the public Wednesday, the five-member PUC voted against reviewing its May decision that cleared the way for the final phase of construction of the 14-mile light rail line. It will connect downtown Los Angeles with Pasadena and is scheduled to open next summer.
The community groups, from Pasadena and Mount Washington, have fought for years against the design, saying the mostly street-level pathway would be a hazard to cars and pedestrians and would cause environmental damage.
The 3-2 PUC decision means the two groups can no longer appeal to the regulatory agency, which oversees rail safety in California.
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