L.A.'s 'Subway to the Sea' Gets Close

The route selected would travel down Wilshire Boulevard, a major East-West artery in the city, and would stop a few miles short of reaching the seaside city of Santa Monica.

"The action sets the stage for the even trickier business of going block by block to establish the precise path from the existing Purple Line Wilshire-Western station to the veterans hospital in Westwood. Residents of Beverly Hills, in particular, showed up Thursday to underscore their concerns about having trains pass beneath their homes and businesses.

If all goes as planned, construction will begin in 2013 after an environmental impact review."