FTA unveils environmental report for L.A. Metro's Purple Line extension

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has released a final supplemental environmental impact statement (SEIS) for the second phase of the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority's (Metro) Purple Line subway extension.

The report covers the segment that would run between the future Wilshire/La Cienega Station, downtown Beverly Hills and Century City. In particular, the document provides additional details on the Century City/Constellation Station, as well as potential public health and other impacts for the planned subway alignment.

The report also includes seismic studies. The SEIS expands on an earlier environmental analysis that was conducted for the full project between 2007 and 2012.

The release of the SEIS completes the additional environmental studies that were required by court order, Metro officials said in a blog post. The document stems from a federal lawsuit brought by Beverly Hills Unified School District and the city of Beverly Hills against the FTA, which is overseeing federal funding for the project.

In August 2016, a federal judge upheld the FTA's approval of the Purple Line extension but directed the FTA to conduct further environmental analysis for the portion of the project between the Wilshire/Rodeo and Century City/Constellation stations.

In June, the FTA released the draft SEIS for the project's second phase.

The U.S. Department of Transportation in January pledged $1.6 billion toward the extension's second phase, which is expected to cost $2.4 billion.