Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (L.A. Metro) hosted a group of local, state and federal officials to officially dedicate the Expo/Crenshaw Station in the Crenshaw District ahead of the K Line opening later this year.
Those in attendance included U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg; Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Administrator Nuria Fernandez; U.S. Congress Members Maxine Waters (D-CA-43) and Karen Bass (D-CA-37); California Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis; L.A. Metro Board Chair and Glendale Council Member Ara Najarian; L.A. Mayor and L.A. Metro Board Member Eric Garcetti; L.A. County Supervisor and L.A. Metro Board Member Holly Mitchell; Inglewood Mayor and L.A. Metro Board Member James Butts; L.A. Metro Board First Vice Chair Jacquelyn Dupont-Walter; and L.A. Metro CEO Stephanie N. Wiggins. These officials joined community leaders, advocates and residents to recognize them for their efforts to help the project reach this point. Also in attendance were former Congress Member Diane Watson, former L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and former L.A. Metro Board Members Pam O’Connor and John Fasana.
“This is a monumental accomplishment that many have referred to as the most important investment in the heart of Los Angeles’ Black community in decades,” said Sec. Buttigieg. “This is a good investment in good public transit that will bring new businesses, housing and economic development right here.”
The Crenshaw/LAX Line — which will be the K Line as part of L.A. Metro’s rail system — is a $2-billion transportation investment from L.A. Metro’s federal, state and local partners that will serve the cities of Los Angeles, Inglewood and El Segundo. The rail line will provide an essential link for riders in the Crenshaw Corridor and Inglewood and those headed to a variety of destinations — including downtown L.A. and the Westside.
The project will run between the existing Metro E Line (Expo) at Crenshaw and Exposition Boulevards to the C Line (Green) in El Segundo. The K Line will eventually have eight new stations, including stations serving Leimert Park, downtown Inglewood and a new station at Aviation Boulevard and 96th Street that will be the transfer point between Metro trains and buses and the LAX automated people mover that will serve airport terminals.
The U.S. Department of Transportation provided $263.9 million in federal funding, which included funds from TIGER grants, the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Program, the Highway Infrastructure Program and the Surface Transportation Block Grant Program.
“Transit all over our country has the ability to be the great equalizer, bringing the same chance to work, learn and play to everyone who steps aboard,” said Fernandez. “In this critically important part of Los Angeles, thousands of people will have a fast, safe, reliable way to connect with their community. When Metro Airport Connector is finished, it’s a short train ride to LAX, where they can connect with the whole world.”
The state of California contributed $215 million in funds from Proposition 1B and the Regional Improvement Program.
“Metro’s rail investment in our South L.A. communities is more than just about expanding the transit system, it’s about creating greater mobility, jobs, access to opportunity and improved quality of life for residents in this corridor,” said Najarian. “As we near the opening of this critical new line, we are celebrating with the community as well as our local, state and federal partners who helped make this line a reality.”
The project also received over $1.6 billion in local funding directly from the L.A. County voter-approved sales tax measures Prop A, Prop C, Measure R and Measure M. Funds were also provided by local agency contributions and L.A. Metro’s general fund.
“The K Line is a long-awaited promise of transit equity for South Los Angeles,” said Dupont-Walker. “This line will be complemented by projects in the pipeline such as the K Line Northern Extension, the Airport Metro Connector and the C Line Extension, all of which, will serve as a nexus to other transit lines. Additionally, passengers will benefit from enhanced first/last mile connections, which include buses, bikes, Metro Micro and walking.”
The Crenshaw/LAX project also offered many residents who live near the rail line to work on the project. As part of L.A. Metro’s Project Labor Agreement and Construction Careers Policy, the project exceeded the following workforce requirements:
- L.A. Metro’s goal to hire 40 percent targeted workers from an economically disadvantaged community was exceeded by 20 percent, reaching 60 percent of targeted workers on the project.
- L.A. Metro’s goal to hire 20 percent apprentice workers actually reached 23.51 percent.
- L.A. Metro’s goal to recruit and hire 10 percent disadvantaged workers or socially barriered individuals reached 10.31 percent.
“The K Line is integral to L.A.’s transportation future — and this station dedication shows how close we are bringing world-class public transportation to South Los Angeles,” said Garcetti. “Once complete this fall, this new line will open doors of opportunity for riders across Los Angeles — and is a clear indication of our commitment to make Los Angeles a more accessible, sustainable, and inclusive city.”
The station dedication ceremony also included a brief train ride from the Martin L. King, Jr. Station to Expo/Crenshaw Station. The ceremony highlighted the regional importance of the transfer stations, station art and nearby historic neighborhoods. Public officials also recognized and featured early project champions, small businesses, local performing artists and Expo/Crenshaw Station commemorative pin contest winner, high school student Jada Harmon.
All K Line stations include artwork commissioned through the agency’s Metro Art program. Artists were selected through an open, competitive selection process following the recommendation of a panel of community-based arts professionals. Artworks commissioned for the Expo/Crenshaw Station include mosaic murals by Rebeca Méndez, a glass pavilion by Erwin Redl and porcelain enamel panels by Jaime Scholnick.
“As a former resident of South Los Angeles, I am happy to see how the station-specific art uplifts our customers, marks each station as unique and contributes to a sense of place in local communities,” said Mayor Butts. “On the K Line, art is a station-defining element that builds on the creative vitality and cultural richness of our Crenshaw area communities.”
“My vision is for Metro to be Angelenos’ first choice for transportation. The K Line is a transformative, meaningful investment to help the people of Crenshaw, Inglewood, and south Los Angeles access jobs, opportunity, family and fun,” added Wiggins. “Once other enhancements are complete, the K Line will not only be the first choice for transportation in the area, it will be the best choice for Angelenos to get to the airport, SoFi Stadium and destinations in Crenshaw and Inglewood. I can’t wait to welcome the first passengers aboard.”
