Union Station

Metro is planning to pedestrianize the front of Union Station, including narrowing streets and creating pedestrian plazas and walkways.

This week, the California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA) announced the recipients of its Transit and Intercity Capital Program (TIRCP) grants. TIRCP distributes state cap-and-trade funding to local transit agencies for projects that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In greater Los Angeles, funds were awarded to Metro, Foothill Transit, Los Angeles-San Diego-San Luis Obispo (LOSSAN) Rail Corridor Agency, Antelope Valley Transit Authortity (AVTA), and Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA). A detailed project list follows.

For rainy Tuesday night viewing, watch Metro's updated Union Station explainer video.

Earlier this week, Metro announced a new "pilot program" to restrict access to the public seating area except for those holding passenger tickets to Metrolink or Amtrak trains that would be departing within the next two hours. The policy is aimed specifically at the homeless, many of whom sleep and rest in Union Station's seating area, but impacts many groups of people including the homeless, people waiting for family and loved ones, and Metro passengers and customers.

Sometimes, we can take for granted how far Los Angeles has come in the past half decade when we look ahead at all the many things that have to happen before this becomes a truly Livable City. But when I was reading the promotional materials for tomorrow's Community Visioning Festival for Metro's Union Station access study, I couldn't help but remember the first ever "Los Angeles" story to appear on Streetsblog.

We picked up this news tidbit from The Transit Coalition Newsletter. Visit their website to sign up for the newsletter, join the coalition, or make a donation.

As the modernization of Union Station continues, Metro is looking for a "local chef" willing to invest in a new restaurant in L.A.'s largest transit hub.

Tonight marks another milestone in the Union Station Master Plan project. Metro will unveil four alternatives that will be studied, based on the feedback given during stakeholder outreach and public meetings. Honestly, each of the four look like large improvements over the current design and layout of the station.