Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda L. Solis released the following statement after the Metro Board of Directors passed her motion, co-authored by Directors Ridley-Thomas, Dupont Walker, and Butts, to launch a feasibility study of a possible station located at the Los Angeles River/Rio Hondo Confluence in the City of South Gate as part of the West Santa Ana Branch (WSAB) Transit Corridor, which would then be added to the WSAB project if the station is found to be feasible:
“The Confluence of the Los Angeles River and Rio Hondo, and the surrounding cities, comprise one of the most disadvantaged and transit-dependent communities in the county, with extremely low access to parks and high-quality transit. That is why LA County is developing a master plan to reimagine all 51 miles of the LA River corridor and make it a destination for residents and tourists alike. One of the signature projects of the master plan is a cultural center, the planning for which is led by legendary architect Frank Gehry.
The Confluence has already become a destination for the local community, with regular movie nights and festivals drawing upwards of thousands of people. The new cultural center, along with park and open space improvements – including an amphitheater, bridge parks, and stormwater treatment facilities, will ensure that the Confluence is a community anchor for generations to come.
The WSAB offers Metro a unique opportunity to combine light-rail transit, multi-use trails, regional park space, and the cultural center all in one location. A new station located at the Confluence would offer access to each of these amenities for residents from all over the county, provide desperately needed high-quality public transit for those living in the surrounding neighborhoods, directly improving career and educational opportunities while spurring economic development.
Equity for transit investment, as well as equity in arts and culture, demanded that Metro act today and support my motion to determine the feasibility of a potential station at the Confluence. I hope the feasibility study confirms what I know to be true: a Confluence station would be a tremendous boon for the community and the entire County. I look forward to their report back in six months.”