A group of Cheviot Hills residents called Neighbors for Smart Rail have lost what feels like their millionth lawsuit against the second phase of the Expo Line, which will run from Culver City to Santa Monica. The California Supreme Court ruled today (pdf) that the Expo Authority did not mislead the public by studying future traffic impacts of the line (as opposed to present), nor did it fail to plan for parking issues near stations; the CSC affirmed lower court decisions that ruled against NFSR. Even though the high court didn't think the Expo Authority purposefully misled the public by studying traffic impacts for 2030, a majority of justices did believe the environmental impact report should have looked at current traffic patterns. But since there was nothing devious on Expo's part and the findings wouldn't be that different, the supreme court dismissed NFSR's challenge. The group wants the entire extension placed underground because it believes street-crossings will cause traffic armageddon; the Expo Authority says that's poppycock and that there's no money to turn the line into a subway. The state Supreme Court was likely the last legal hurdle for the extension (NFSR could petition the US Supreme Court); it should open in two to three years.

· Expo Line Phase II Archives [Curbed LA]