SPBID Improves Rider Experience at Pico Metro Station

LOS ANGELES, April 23, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — As the recipient of a $1.5 million grant from the MyFigueroa Project, the South Park Business Improvement District (BID) designed and managed a series of improvements to Pico Metro Station. Those improvements include new lighting, station signage, decorative fencing, drought-tolerant landscaping, and a decorative k-rail wrap. The project design was the result of a collaboration between the South Park BID, Los Angeles Department of Transportation, and a project team that included Griffith Company as the Project Executive, with design by PSOMAS, Melendrez, and KOA.

New sign, landscaping, and fencing at Pico Metro Station in South Park, Los Angeles.

These improvements enhance the experience for users of the station – which include South Park and downtown residents, workers, and visitors to L.A. LIVE, STAPLES Center and the Los Angeles Convention Center – and encourage continued exploration of the area.

“Pico Station is the gateway to Los Angeles’ live entertainment hub and to a growing residential center,” said Councilmember Huizar. “Improving the rider experience and sense of safety is a critical step toward providing a pleasant and safe pedestrian and transit experience to the people who live, work, and play in Downtown Los Angeles,” said Councilman José Huizar.

Improvements were undertaken as part of a larger South Park Walkability Project, launched in 2015, to improve the pedestrian, cyclist, and transit rider experience in the district. These improvements are hopefully the first of many slated for Pico Station as surrounding development continues. The BID is also working to connect the station to L.A. LIVE and the Convention Center with the installation of scramble and mid-block crosswalks.

“The majority of crimes that take place in South Park are committed on or around the station, and our 24/7 safety patrols reflect that. These improvements will encourage increased usage of the station, and those additional eyes on the street make the environment safer for all,” said Executive Director, Ellen Riotto.

About:
The South Park Business Improvement District (BID) is managed by the South Park Stakeholders Group, a coalition of residents, property owners, and business who are deeply committed to the ongoing improvement of the district. Since 2005, the South Park BID has worked to make South Park safer, cleaner and more vibrant for the people who live, work and visit South Park.