Early work began last week on a new entrance to the busy 7th/Metro Center Station in DTLA that serves the Blue Line, Expo Line and Red/Purple Lines. The entrance will connect the station on the north side of 7th Street to The Bloc shopping mall on the south side of 7th — i.e. the former Macy’s Plaza that is in the midst of getting a huge makeover.
The above video shows how the connection will work and below are a few pics of some of the construction equipment that will be used.
Work on the Bloc is expected to be completed in 2016 and Metro estimates that the new tunnel will be done by late ’16.
And here’s a Metro staff presentation on the project from earlier this year:
Metro has three other pedestrian-related projects of a similar ilk on the Red Line in the San Fernando Valley:
•A new pedestrian tunnel is being constructed under Lankershim Boulevard in North Hollywood to connect the Orange Line Station to the Red Line’s underground station. Completion is expected in 2016.
•At the Universal City Station, a pedestrian bridge is being constructed over Lankershim Boulevard to help people travel between the subway entrance and Universal City. Completion is expected in 2016.
•And in DTLA, elevators and a pedestrian bridge will help connect the Regional Connector’s 2nd/Hope Station to Disney Concert Hall, The Broad and Grand Avenue. The Regional Connector is currently forecast to be complete in 2020.
Categories: Projects
[…] Bloc and the new Metro connection mark the beginning of many streetscape projects breaking out across Downtown Los […]
Now can someone get to work on a direct connection to LAX from the Green/Expo line so we ALL can use it whenever fly out from the airport….
Hi Ta;
The plan at this time is that Los Angeles World Airports will build an automated train that will have three stations near LAX airport terminals and will also have a station where riders can transfer to/from a new station to be built along the Crenshaw/LAX Line near the intersection of Aviation/96th. The airport will build the automated train (known as a people mover) and Metro is building the Crenshaw/LAX Line and the new station, which is considered a separate project.
Hope that helps explain it! Here’s the latest Source blog post about it: http://thesource.metro.net/2015/11/23/how-we-roll-nov-23/
Steve Hymon
Editor, The Source
I really wish that Metro would have another entry point at the Hollywood & Highland station. It gets so crowded at that station; it would make sense to have another way to enter and exit that station
[…] Video Fly-Through Of New Metro 7th Street Station Tunnel To The Bloc (The Source) […]
Why can’t we get video renderings like this for the new subway stations under construction for the Purple , Regional Connector and Crenshaw Lines Metro?
ONE BIG ISSUE THE SIGNAGE DOSE NOT SHOW THE EXPO LINE SO WHAT IS UP WITH THAT !!!!!!!
I’m sure they will put it in, but…all the signage has to be changed in five years anyway once the Regional Connector opens and we get Lettered Lines. We’ll have lines A,B,C and E accessible here. You’ll get trains with destination signs reading Santa Monica, East L.A. (eventually Whittier), Azusa (Eventually Montclair) Beverly Hills, Union Station (maybe Arts District eventually) and Long Beach. (Okay, probably “Wil/LaCienega” but “Beverly Hills” train would be cooler. Six different destinations from one station is AMAZING!
A nice feature is more direct access from the station to restrooms. I just hope the new development plans on having nicer facilities than are currently on the property. Some signage from the station to the restrooms would be a welcome addition.
It looks like the new connection is outside the faregates, which means people can use it to cross 7th Street even without riding Metro. If the tunnel is kept in clean and pleasant condition, people will use it.
[…] As part of its comprehensive, still-in-progress makeover, The Bloc retail complex in Downtown’s Financial District (formerly the bricky, fortress-like Macy’s shopping center) is bringing a lot of exciting new additions DTLA, like a boozy Alamo Drafthouse arthouse theater, a replica of the Tail O’ the Pup hot dog stand, and a brand new tunnel to connect the shopping hub directly to the Seventh Street/Metro Center station. The latter will let Blue, Expo, Red, and Purple Line passengers exit the station right in the thick of all the retail action, as demonstrated by a new video on The Source. […]
Very nice video.
Additionally, the property owner will demand higher rent because of the increased foot traffic Metro is sending their way.
That rent will be recouped with higher prices for merchandise.
So we pay for the half the tunnel, and then pays extra in perpetuity when we buy merchandise on the other side of the tunnel.
Cool, at least we’ll have a clean place for a restroom break.
looks awesome, even with all of the cardboard cutouts in the tunnel
Metro is paying half the cost to construct a special tunnel to between metro users and private real estate developer.
The public foots half the cost, and the firm privatizes the revenue from the additional foot traffic.
Has this sweetheart deal been offered to other private developers or just The Ratkovich Company?
Metro is getting a ADA non-compliant entrance turned into an ADA compliant one. That’s worth something to the disabled community who are often ignored and inconvenienced by government actions.
This is exciting, although a short distance, it makes such a huge impact on surface traffic and how people can actually access the station and The Block. I wish more of our stations had multiple portals to enter. It would seem logical since it promotes less foot traffic above the street, and can allow more cars to make right turns etc. North Hollywood was a pretty good example of not so good connectivity that affects surface traffic.
On a recent trip to Chicago, I was very surprised at how connected AND disconnected the system was. In example, the Red and Blue Lines had many entry points, and even a transfer point similar to what we are getting above. Imagine, getting off of the Redline, walking through the block to 8th, and transferring to a different line it was odd but fluid. Then of course in the loop I could stand in one place and catch 3 different trains I think. I Also do remember a transfer from Red to Pink I believe where I walked the equivalent of about four blocks, and go from subway to L. I learned there, the less I have to be outside (in weather) the better).
It makes me wonder how many more of the stations have knock out panels, and if any are in the planning stages to be added?Wilshire Vermont and especially Hollywood and Highland could use multiple access points.