Metro Rail...pink line for West Hollywood?

Metro Rail announced that the spanking-new subway extension may shift course and drift over from Wilshire Boulevard to journey along Santa Monica Boulevard out to the Beach Cities.

Old-timers may recall that a trolley-on-rails followed the same route around the turn-of-the-century.

In fact, in Beverly Hills, there are still vestiges of the old line just off the edge of the flats.

City planners must have taken a nostalgic glance at the past and opined it was the best way to go.

Although one City Official noted that West Hollywood welcomes the subway, can anyone overlook the turmoil such a project will cause in Boys Town?

I recall the mess on Vermont which lasted for an unsettling couple of years; huge trucks thundering in and out the neighborhood, a perpetual din of gathering dust, torn up pavement which caused the occasional flat tire, and a noisy barrage of jack hammers piercing the early dawn!

If there is a green light for the line, some residents have threatened to sublet their apartments and residing elsewhere until the rail is completed.

On the other hand, many are excited about the subway project; after all, it would be a boon to the west side.

Already, the bus lines on Santa Monica Boulevard (No. 4 and No. 704) are crowded to capacity.

In fact, bus drivers often zip right by pedestrians at the curb, because there's no space left on the carriers.

Double-sized buses - fashioned at the center with a sort-of accordian-style attachment to allow for cramped turns - have been trying to meet the demands of a public hungry for cheap accessible transportation.

But, some complain when they board a bus, there's rarely a seat for white folks; the metro buses appear to be packed to the rafters with Latinos - day-workers, gardeners, and maids - heading off to work in Beverly Hills and beyond.

Well, if immigrant workers are denied Driver's Licenses, and are paid a paltry minimum wage, what other option is there but public transport?

Others feeling the pinch financially due to high gas prices are taking the Metro, too.

It's a vicious cycle which requires some review.

In the meantime, West Hollywood residents wait patiently for a decision on the subway extension.

Will Metro Rail crown it the pink line?