Photos by Anna Chen/Metro
Lots of celebration this morning at Leimert Park, which the Metro Board voted yesterday to fully fund as a station on the Crenshaw/LAX light-rail line. L.A. County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and Mel Wilson, all Metro Board members, joined other local dignitaries and residents of South Los Angeles to mark the occasion as singers chanted, “There’s a train a comin’. ”
“It takes a village to get a train to stop in Leimert Park. We did it together and we ought to be proud of that,” Ridley-Thomas said to the gathered crowd of about 200. “And I’m delighted that the board has approved funding to make this historic community a train stop.”
As we posted yesterday the Metro Board approved a motion, co-sponsored by Ridley-Thomas, to commit $80 million for the station, which will be built in what is considered a historic enclave of black business and culture. The Board’s decision came a day after the L.A. City Council committed $40 million of the city’s share of Measure R local return funds to Leimert Park.
“This is a celebration of you,” Mayor Villaraigosa said. “Of a community that is vibrant, that has always been important to this town. As I ride into the sunset for a bit, I wanted to make sure we did this right … and I think we have.”
Categories: Transportation News
[…] Ridley-Thomas tells crowds gathered at Leimert Park: ‘There’s a train a comin’ (The Source) […]
I neither live nor work in Leimert Park, but I visit the area every so often, and I can’t even picture the Crenshaw LRT line without this station. It’s probably the most important stop aside from the LAX station. It’ll be the magnet that equally attracts the upper-income people west of Crenshaw and the lower-income people east of Crenshaw. Most importantly, the station is an investment in the neighborhood’s future: The entertainment, cultural and culinary activity north of 43rd will likely spill over to the south side of the park after this station opens.
This is great news. Leimert Park is a great cultural nexus in our vibrant city. So glad that Antonio V and Mark Ridley-Thomas found a way.
This has been a fantastic decade for Metro Rail. Hopefully mayor-elect Garcetti will keep the focus for years to come.
[…] MRT: “There’s a Train a Comin’” (The Source) […]
[…] Ridley-Thomas tells crowds gathered at Leimert Park: ‘There’s a train a comin’ (The Source) […]
It’s about time. I have played in the Leimert Park venues. This will allow more people to experience the culture and flare that is Leimert Park.
Way to go LA! It will do wonders for the Leimert Park art walk, Vision theater shows, and a generally vibrant area of South LA.