Meeting_Body
REGULAR BOARD MEETING
FEBRUARY 23, 2023
Preamble
Motion by:
DIRECTORS HAHN, BASS, SOLIS, AND DUTRA
Blue Line Service Hub in Long Beach
In October 2022 (File No. 2022-0734) the Metro Board approved the "End of Line Policy and Unhoused Riders Motion." Among other things, the motion sought recommendations from staff for what could be done differently to address challenges associated with Metro's end of the line policy and its impact on communities with a station at the end of a Metro rail line. The motion also noted a letter from the Long Beach City Council that requested an evaluation of this policy.
The January 2022 (File No. 2022-0744) initial response to this motion found that in the City of Long Beach, an average of 39 unhoused riders total exited the last two trains taken out of service every night, at a time when housing and services are unavailable for these individuals. During Board discussion on that report back, staff indicated that it may be possible to keep trains in service on their route to the Metro Blue Line Division 11 in Long Beach, just north of Wardlow Street Station, in order to enforce the End of Line Policy at another location, where services could be located for unhoused riders.
Board discussion on a possible service hub along the Metro Blue Line has focused on Willow Street Station, because Metro owns land that could be leased out to provide services at that location; however, the primary objective is a location that best serves the population, where Metro can be a partner in providing space, with minimal disruption to operations requirements, while relying on the appropriate agencies to operate the hub. Therefore, staff, in coordination with the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA), County, and City of Long Beach, should make the determination for where best a service hub could be located to ensure that End of Line challenges noted above can be addressed.
The City of Long Beach, County of Los Angeles, and Ci...
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