Santa Monica Daily Press, November 06, 2007

Page 1

INSIDE SCOOP

COMMENTARY

PARENTING

PEE WEES STAYING ALIVE PAGE 3 STRAIGHT POOP ON LOVING YOUR PETS PAGE 5 KEEPING KIDS CLEAN PAGE 6 Visit us online at smdp.com

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2007

Volume 6 Issue 305

Santa Monica Daily Press JOE’S TOWN SEE PAGE 14

Since 2001: A news odyssey

THE DRINKING IS BAD ISSUE

COMMUNITY

IDENTITY CRISIS

Photo courtesy of MTA

TRACKING THE PROGRESS: Dreams of the Expo Light Rail reaching Santa Monica may have hit a considerable snag, with the first phase of the project — spanning Downtown LA to Culver City — already battling a $145 million shortfall.

Price tag for Expo blows up

Del Rey carves out a niche

STORY BY MELODY HANATANI PAGE 11

Project experiences a setback as leaders scramble for funds BY MELODY HANATANI Daily Press Staff Writer

DOWNTOWN LA The long-awaited dream to bring a transit rail system to Santa Monica hit another snag. Officials with the Exposition Construction Authority announced last week that the first phase of the light rail project, which will take the public transit system from Downtown Los Angeles to Culver City, is battling a $145 million shortfall, raising questions as to when the electricallypowered train would reach Santa Monica. Construction for the first portion of the project began in August and the second phase, which would bring the light rail from Culver City to the terminal at Fourth Street and Colorado Avenue in Santa Monica, is currently undergoing planning. The first leg of the Expo Light Rail was originally slated to cost $640 million when initial cost estimates was done in 2004 and 2005. That projection only accounted for a 3.5 percent inflation rate, standard for the construction industry three years ago. How times have changed. A sizable chunk of the multi-million dollar deficit — approximately $80 to $100 million — is attributed to inflation, which actually increased in the neighborhood of 11 to 20 percent a year. The remainder of the price hike is due to Morgan Genser news@smdp.com

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