Commuters stopping at the Willowbrook/Rosa Parks Metro station will soon have new surroundings thanks to a $39 million grant which has received high praise from community stakeholders, public officials and Metro workers as well.
The Willowbrook/Rosa Parks renovation project is part of a nearly $1 billion planned investment that seeks to improve the quality of life for the South Los Angeles community by promoting health and wellness, economic development and job creation. The station is the fourth busiest depot on the Metro Blue Line which itself handles about 80,000 daily boardings. There will be a new plaza and parking facility; enhanced passenger safety, new lighting fixtures and a new Sheriff’s substation. The grant will also be used for traffic signal enhancements along the entire Blue Line; and officials expect the refurbishment project to yield a 865,000-ton reduction in carbon emissions which is reportedly the equivalent of Los Angeles motorists driving 2 billion fewer miles.
“I commend the state for investing in projects that meet a triple bottom line,” said Los Angeles County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas, who also serves as chair of the Los Angeles County MTA board of directors. “The improvements will green our environment, improve access to our public transit system, and help to revitalize the surrounding community.”
The improvements come from the California Cap and Trade program which provides funding to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions through various incentives including the expansion of public transportation ridership.
