LOS ANGELES (August 14, 2023) – Central City Association of Los Angeles (CCA), the premier advocacy organization for the Los Angeles region, today announced the launch of a partnership between Downtown building owners and managers and Metro to enhance safety and cleanliness at one of Downtown’s busiest and most important stations, the 7th Street/Metro Center station. The station serves the B (Red), D (Purple) and E (Expo) lines and began serving the L (Gold) line when the Regional Connector opened in June.
Partners in addition to CCA include the Downtown Center Business Improvement District (DCBID), a coalition of over 2,000 property owners in the central business district of Downtown Los Angeles and Downtown property owners and managers of the four buildings that have entrances to the station. These key stakeholders include JADE Enterprises, which owns 660 South Figueroa St.; National Real Estate Advisors, which owns The Bloc at 700 West 7th St., and Olympus Property, which manages the Roosevelt Lofts on 727 West 7th St. and 655 South Hope St.
“The Downtown business community is working with Metro to improve the safety and cleanliness of the 7th Street/ Metro Center station because transit is vital to Downtown’s success,” said CCA President and CEO Nella McOsker. “High-quality transportation ensures people have easy access to all the amazing amenities that Downtown has to offer, including their places of work, world-class sports, entertainment and cultural venues and exciting places to eat, drink and shop.”
Metro CEO Stephanie Wiggins said the partnership will help ensure the continued success of the newly opened Regional Connector, a 1.9-mile rail line that creates faster, seamless one-seat journeys for passengers traveling from Azusa to Long Beach and from East Los Angeles to Santa Monica with no transfers required.
“Metro wants more people to make us their first choice for transportation, so we are working hard to make our system as safe, clean, comfortable, reliable and easy as it can be,” she said. “7th and Metro is Downtown’s busiest station, and we are very appreciative of CCA, DCBID and the multiple property owners stepping up to collaborate with us on station enhancements that will attract more people to Metro and attract more business to downtown LA.”
Suzanne Holley, DCBID president and CEO, noted that the new partnership is the first step in an ongoing collaboration with Metro.
“The 7th Street/Metro Center station is a critical link for Downtown commuters and visitors,” she said. “We’re excited about this partnership that builds on the DCBID’s more than 20 years of work to enhance the quality of life in the Downtown Center because it will help ensure a safe and clean transit experience.”
The partnership was kicked off with the installation of brighter LED lighting at each of the station entrances. The Metro Board of Directors also directed staff to prioritize improving Downtown stations and build on recent successes seen by environmental changes at the Westlake/MacArthur Park station. This action was called for by multiple Downtown stakeholders who commented at the Board of Directors meetings. The strategies adopted at the Westlake/MacArthur Park station have proven to successfully increase safety and comfort for transit riders.
In addition to the upgraded lighting, other changes being explored are new signage, upgraded security cameras, additional security and law enforcement presence and increased cleaning, among others.
Holley and the Downtown building owners and managers said their organizations will be working more closely with Metro to coordinate their cleaning and security staff with Metro’s staff, Metro’s Community Ambassadors and the officers of the Los Angeles Police Department who also provide security at the station. CCA, DCBID and the property owners will continue to provide input to Metro on additional measures to improve the station.
“Our participation in this partnership demonstrates our commitment to the vibrancy of Downtown Los Angeles and to the safety of our tenants, employees and customers who travel to our current and future developments in DTLA,” said Dan Coté, General Manager of The Bloc. “We appreciate Metro and our business partners working together to develop this ongoing collaboration.”
In addition to formalizing this partnership with Metro and the Downtown community, CCA called on other members of the business community and the traveling public to help support transit in Los Angeles by taking the #GoMetroPledge to take a minimum of 24 rides on Metro by 2024.