A neighborhood group challenging the environmental impact report for the Expo Line plans to appeal a ruling issued late Tuesday that clears the way for construction of the Expo Line to begin from Culver City to Santa Monica.

Neighbors for Smart Rail had argued that the environmental impact report for the Expo Line's second phase didn't adequately account for traffic or safety issues in West L.A. arising from the light-rail line. L.A. Superior Court Judge Thomas McKnew issued a preliminary ruling in December, saying that NFSR's argument didn't hold much water. On Tuesday, he cemented that decision by dismissing the lawsuit.

"While NFSR would have preferred to prevail at the trial court level, NFSR has always believed that the issue would be resolved at the appellate level as either side was certain to appeal the trial court’s decision," the group said in a statement. "NFSR will be filing an appeal and is confident that the appellate court will review the plain facts of the case and find that the Expo environmental review was fatally flawed and must be corrected."

NFSR has said that the light-rail line, running in the middle of streets, would clog traffic near Overland and Sepulveda Boulevards. Expo Line officials have said traffic lights and the number of cars on the road cause traffic. The trains will obey all the rules of the road like a normal car, causing only a small effect on traffic, according to the authority's studies.

L.A. County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavksy and Santa Monica City Councilwoman Pam O'Connor--both of whom sit on the Expo Line's board of directors--praised the ruling.

“The court’s ruling is thoughtful and thorough and validates the difficult and meticulous work that the Expo Light Rail Authority, its staff and consultants did to ensure that this project will be safe, environmentally sound and sensitive to the communities through which it will travel,” Yaroslavsky said.

As part of its appeal, NFSR would need to seek an injunction to stop construction. Otherwise, construction would begin this summer as the legal battle draws on. Skanska/Rados received earlier this month the construction contract for the 7-mile phase two alignment, which ends at Colorado Boulevard and Fourth Street in Santa Monica.

The nearly 9-mile first phase from Downtown L.A. to Culver City has cost $930 million. Testing of the tracks is expected to begin in the late spring. The second phase is starting off with a $1.5 billion price tag.

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Reach executive producer Paresh Dave here. Follow him on Twitter: @peard33.