Photo by Sarah Bennett
Several upgrades and public-safety improvements are already in the works for the southern stretch of the Blue Line, Metro representatives wrote in a letter to the Long Beach City Council Tuesday.
The letter was distributed after a day of meetings between Metro and City officials and right before the Council unanimously voted to formally take the position that turnstiles should be installed at every station and Metro should address necessary platform and signage repairs.
“The Metro Blue Line is a key component of our transit system, as well as being the most productive light rail line in the country,” said the letter, which was signed by Diane DuBois and Don Knabe, Vice Chair and Chairman Pro Tem, respectively, of Metro’s Board of Directors. “Is is, however, over 24 years old and in need of rehabilitation and modernization.”
According to the letter, nearly $200 million has already been set aside for upgrades to the line including replacement of track, replacement of the overhead catenary system, refurbishing of several rail stations and stepping up security, the last of which has already been implemented.
As of this Monday, June 3, the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department, whose Transit Services Bureau patrols the entire Metro system, says is has added two additional foot-patrol deputies on each the AM and PM shifts to cover the section of the Blue Line between the Wardlow and Anaheim stations. Additionally, four fare inspectors have been added to each shift to assist with enforcement in the Long Beach area.
In the next fiscal year, Metro says it has also allocated $20 million specifically to address safety improvements on the Blue Line, though statistics show that the Long Beach stretch of the line experiences far less violent crime than the central portion.
“The Board works hard to provide all of the elements necessary for a world-class transit system,” the letter said. “We are always looking for ways to improve our system.”
Long Beach is home to eight of the Blue Line’s light rail stations, all of which fall under county jurisdiction. An estimated six million riders are served annually by these stations, most of which are highly visible pedestrian platforms in the center of major thoroughfares.
{loadposition latestnews}On Tuesday, City Council voted in favor of a recommendation to inform Metro of its support for more investment in Long Beach’s Blue Line segment. Vice Mayor Robert Garcia–in a recommendation co-authored by fellow councilmembers Suja Lownethal, James Johnson and Steve Neal–contended that installing electric turnstiles at each station as well as upgrading the aesthetics–such as repairing the dilapidated public art pieces as well as renovating the landscaping–will provide a safer, more comfortable trip for the riders.
“The Blue Line is heaviest-used light rail in county, so naturally the need for more attention is there,” said 2nd District Councilmember Lowenthal, whose district contains the line’s two southernmost stops. “No one here is naïve in their expectations that turnstiles will stop people from doing negative things, but hopefully it’s a barrier for more folks than less.”
Metro recently rolled out locking turnstiles that force fare payment at all of the underground subway stations but says it has no plans to do the same for street-level stations in Long Beach, as the size and configuration of the existing platforms could create a safety hazard if fare gates were installed.
Instead, Transit Access Pass validators are located on the platforms, and the additional fare inspectors will act as a mechanism to ensure valid payments are made.
Long Beach has always worked closely with Metro through Lakewood Mayor DuBois, who is the current representative for cities in the Harbor Gateway area. But because of the size of Long Beach and its importance to so many Metro stations, however, concerns remain about how much of a voice the city itself actually has toward implementing the changes agreed upon Tuesday night.
“With the size of this city and the number of transportation-related projects that are impacting Long Beach, we need to have a stand-alone voice on the MTA board,” said 8th District Councilmember Neal. “Beyond going forward with the measures today, I’d like to see us take an aggressive stance, possibly with state legislation, to get Long Beach a stand-alone voice in the MTA. It’s something we need to seriously look at.”
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