Metro has officially started work for a $109-million project to upgrade the workhorse Willowbrook/Rosa Parks Station with additional capacity and new amenities.

The station, the fourth busiest in the Metro Rail system, is served by both the Blue and Green lines as well as numerous bus routes.  Plans call for:

  • an expansion of the at-grade Blue Line platform to reduce crowding and the addition of a new overhead shade canopy;
  • the addition of a new pedestrian crossing and entrance on the south side of the Blue Line platform;
  • improvements to vertical circulation systems such as elevators, escalators, and stairs between the Blue and Green line platforms;
  • consolidation of bus bays;
  • new artwork by Jamex, Einar de la Torre, and George Evans;
  • a new customer service center, transit security center, bike hub, and public restrooms; and
  • an open-air plaza.

According to Metro, early construction work is expected to continue through the remainder of 2018.  Starting in January 2019, Willowbrook/Rosa Parks Station will close for eight-to-nine months to facilitate a modernization project for the Blue Line - the oldest in the Metro Rail system.

From January through May, rail service will be suspended between Willowbrook and Downtown Long Beach. This will be followed by a suspension of service between Willowbrook and Downtown Los Angeles between May and September.  Shuttle buses will replace Blue Line service during this period.