Meeting_Body
EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
OCTOBER 17, 2019
Subject
SUBJECT: ROSA PARKS CUSTOMER CENTER DEDICATION
Action
ACTION: APPROVE RECOMMENDATION
Heading
RECOMMENDATION
Title
DEDICATE the new Metro Customer Center at the Willowbrook/Rosa Parks Station in honor of Rosa Louise Parks, a civil rights activist.
Issue
ISSUE
In late 2019, Metro will open a new Metro Customer Center at the Willowbrook/Rosa Parks Station on the Metro Blue and Green Lines.
Consistent with the Metro Property Naming Policy, the Metro Board of Directors should consider dedicating the new Metro Customer Center at the Willowbrook/Rosa Parks Station to Rosa Louise Parks and honor her significant contributions to the American civil rights movement and social justice.
Background
BACKGROUND
Since the completion of the Metro Blue Line in 1990 and the Metro Green Line in 1995, the Willowbrook/Rosa Parks Station has evolved from a neighborhood station into the fourth most heavily used station in the Metro system. As part of the Willowbrook/Rosa Parks Improvement Project, Metro is completing significant upgrades to the station, expanding its capacity, adding new amenities, and strengthening its roles as a mobility hub and community resource.
This revitalized regional facility will provide thousands of Metro patrons with superior access to local treasures and amenities, including the County’s most advanced health care services provider, the rebuilt Martin Luther King Jr. Medical Campus, and the Charles Drew University of Science and Medicine.
The improvements will transform the Willowbrook/Rosa Parks Station into a first-class transit facility through a number of improvements including:
• Upgrades to the elevators, escalators, stairs and mezzanine between the Blue and Green Line platforms
• Improvements to and consolidation of the bus bays to provide a safer and more comfortable area for patrons
• Reconfiguring of the Park & Ride lots for optimal circulation and pedestrian safety
• Improvements to pedestrian circulation, signage and wayfinding through the station
• New interactive digital displays with transit information and advertising
• Integration of new site-specific artwork
• Addition of a civic plaza with a Metro Customer Center, Transit Security Center, and Metro Bike Hub
As part of these improvements, Staff proposes to dedicate the new Metro Customer Center in honor of Rosa Parks. Rosa Louise Parks was nationally recognized as the “mother of the modern-day civil rights movement” in America. Her refusal to surrender her seat to a white male passenger on a Montgomery, Alabama bus on December 1, 1955 triggered a wave of protest on December 5, 1955 that reverberated throughout the United States. Her quiet courageous act changed America, its view of black people and redirected the course of history.
The new Metro Customer Center will be the first and only fully custom-built customer center in the County and will feature contemporary architecture, integrated site-specific interior artwork and other customer amenities. The center will bring a range of valuable services and products to the community including the ability to purchase TAP cards and submit applications for reduced fare program (e.g. Senior or Student cards), timetables and trip planning assistance.
Financial_Impact
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Adoption of Recommendation would have no financial impact to the agency.
Impact to Budget
There is no budget impact. Funds necessary for signage and other materials have been previously allocated as part of the capital budget for the new Metro Customer Center.
Implementation_of_Strategic_Plan_Goals
IMPLEMENTATION OF STRATEGIC PLAN GOALS
The recommended action supports the following goals:
Goal 2: Deliver outstanding trip experiences for all users of the transportation system;
Goal 3: Enhance communities and lives through mobility and access to opportunity;
Alternatives_Considered
ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED
• Do not dedicate the new Metro Customer Center.
Next_Steps
NEXT STEPS
Should the Board approve the recommendation, signage will be fabricated and installed at the new Metro Customer Center at the Willowbrook/Rosa Parks Station dedicating it in honor of Rosa Parks. A dedication event will take place at the center as part of a grand opening celebration in late 2019. Metro’s website, customer guides, and related materials will be updated to reflect the new name of the customer center.
Attachments
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A - Draft Signage
Attachment B - Draft Plaque
Prepared_by
Prepared by: Tim Lindholm, Sr. Executive Officer, Project Management, (213) 922-7136
Anthony Crump, Deputy Executive Officer, (213) 418-3292
Reviewed_By
Reviewed by: Richard Clarke, Chief Program Management Officer, (213) 922-7557
Yvette Rapose, Chief Communications Officer, (213) 418-3154
Phillip A. Washington, Chief Executive Officer, (213) 922-7555
