Construction begins on expanded platform, new bike hub, community plaza, and customer service center
The Los Angeles office of Stantec is working with The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) on the Willowbrook/Rosa Parks Station Improvement Project in Los Angeles. The project will reimagine the existing Willowbrook/Rosa Parks Station as a community hub with an expanded and more efficient passenger experience, improved connections to the surrounding community and streamlined rail and bus transfers.
Stantec is providing architecture, lighting design, and project management on the project. Key subconsultants include Kimley Horn & Associates for transit planning and civil engineering; Miyamoto International and PacRim Engineering for structural engineering; PBS Engineers for mechanical, plumbing and electrical engineering and W2 Design for utilities and civil engineering.
The $109 million (total project cost) expansion of Willowbrook/Rosa Parks Station is critical, as the station has grown to the fourth most heavily used in the Metro system. Project highlights include:
- Metro Customer Service and Security Center: The new center will have space for traditional customer service—purchasing tickets, getting help with route planning—and also house a security station and traffic court, bringing that function much closer to the community.
- Metro Bike Hub: The Bike Hub provides a secure and protected space for bicycle parking, but it will also be an education center—with seminars and workshops planned on bike safety and maintenance.
- Community Plaza: This open-air space has been designed as a public resource to be used for community events year-round, including special exhibits, celebrations, movie nights, and food trucks.
- Station Remodel: The heart of the facility is the station itself, which will be closed for a period of time for construction. The remodel includes: extending the platform and mezzanine connection, providing greater capacity and daylight for those using the platform; a new pedestrian crossing across Metro and Union Pacific tracks; new elevators and stairs between the Blue and Green lines; a new “kiss-and-ride” dedicated drop-off location; and additional dedicated bus bays.
“We are excited to see this next step in the Willowbrook/Rosa Parks Station Improvement Project,” said Curtis Hung, Stantec architect and lead designer for the project. “This is a critical project for the community and will greatly improve the usefulness of the station. Designing this project for Metro is really designing it for the community, and I can’t wait to see it come together.”
“The entire Metro system will benefit from the complete transformation of this highly utilized station. These long overdue improvements will increase safety, accessibility and mobility for current and future riders, and further solidifies the Willowbrook/Rosa Parks Station as the linchpin of transit-oriented development for the Willowbrook community,” said L.A. County Supervisor and Metro Board Member Mark Ridley-Thomas.”
“The transformation of the Willowbrook/Rosa Parks Station into a modern transit hub is being made possible by our local, state and federal funding partners,” said Metro CEO Phillip A. Washington. “In addition to providing a better mobility experience for our customers, this crucial work will improve the quality of life for the Willowbrook community.”
The project is scheduled to be finished in 2020.
About Stantec
Communities are fundamental. Whether around the corner or across the globe, they provide a foundation, a sense of place and of belonging. That’s why at Stantec, we always design with community in mind.
We care about the communities we serve—because they’re our communities too. We’re designers, engineers, scientists, and project managers, innovating together at the intersection of community, creativity, and client relationships. Balancing these priorities results in projects that advance the quality of life in communities across the globe. Stantec trades on the TSX and the NYSE under the symbol STN. Visit us at stantec.com or find us on social media.
