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Metro Looking to Improve 2nd Busiest Station, AKA Pedestrian Hell
Waiting for the train at the Rosa Parks Station in Willowbrook | Photo by Los Ojos De Muerte via Flickr
Waiting for the train at the Rosa Parks Station in Willowbrook | Photo by Los Ojos De Muerte via Flickr
Metro is sure putting on a good number of community meetings in October. From the Wilshire Bus Lanes project to the Crenshaw Line to LAX and now another one is set for a plan to overhaul the pedestrian experience at the second busiest rail station in the system (Metro/7th in downtown being the busiest) where the Blue and Green lines converge.
Here's how one transit user described the Wilmington/Imperial/Rosa Parks Blue Line Station, located in unincorporated Willowbrook, to LAist in an e-mail: "When you are waiting for the Green Line you are subjected to the freeway. When you are waiting for the Blue line, you are stuck in a dark area. Then, in order to access anything beyond the station pedestrians (and bicyclists!!!) must dodge trains, buses, and cars."
Metro received a $250,000 communtiy planning grant from Caltrans to make a transit oriented district plan, to not only help people transfer from transit mode to mode, but into the community where MLK hospital is located. Word on the street is that there are some initial plans to also build a community college and library in the neighborhood.
A community meeting scheduled in October will include a project overview and a breakout session to discuss public art, potential station improvements, and access to the station and neighborhood. About 16,000 to 17,000 people use the station every weekday.
The meeting takes place on October 14th from 6 to 8 p.m. in the cafeteria of the Ronald McNair Elementary School in Compton (1450 W El Segundo Blvd, 90222).
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