Caruso Affiliated and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art on Wednesday said they will pay for a feasibility study on a proposal to build a Fairfax Avenue trolley line between the Grove shopping center and the Miracle Mile museum.

Rick Caruso, the Grove’s billionaire developer, in June proposed building a fixed-rail line that would extend the outdoor shopping center’s own trolley line south down Fairfax to LACMA and other Miracle Mile museums. It also is seen as a connector between the Grove and a proposed subway station for the future Metro Purple Line.

The feasibility study, to be conducted by URS Corp., is set to begin this week and is expected to take six to eight weeks.

“This neighborhood has become the cultural center of Los Angeles, and the trolley is an innovative way to bring people together and provide a memorable, unique experience in our city,” Caruso, chief executive of his namesake company, said in a statement.

The Mid-City West Community Council has presented an alternative proposal for a “rubber-tired” Fairfax Trolley, that would feature distinctive buses that would cover a wider area in a figure-eight route on Third Street, La Cienega Boulevard and Melrose Avenue. Backers of the plan, which they say would be less expensive than fixed-rail streetcars, are pursuing a partnership with the Los Angeles Department of Transportation.

Previous Coverage in the Business Journal:

Backers Split Over Type of Trolley for Miracle Mile Rail Line