Pedestrian improvements at the Blue Line’s Wardlow Station in Long Beach. Photo: Metro.

A key Metro project to increase pedestrian safety at 27 Blue Line street crossings was completed this week when the California Public Utilities Commission gave its final approvals for the project.

Construction of the project began in 2015 in Long Beach and continued north. Among the upgrades made were pedestrian swing gates and crossing gates, new and wider walkways, new continental crosswalk pavement striping, ADA curb ramps and roadway improvements and installation of improved signage. The project cost $31.5 million.

The project is part of the effort to upgrade the Blue Line, which opened in 1990 and is Metro’s oldest rail line. Unlike Metro’s more recent rail projects, the Blue Line was built almost entirely at street level — with one stretch running alongside active freight railroad tracks.

These new improvements will make the Blue Line safer to access and bring the line up to the specs found on other Metro light rail lines. It’s part of an overall project called “New Blue” that aims to bring the entire Blue Line into a State of Good Repair. Please see this post for more about major work scheduled to begin in early 2019.