Council approves pedestrian bridge over Blue Line tracks at Pueblo Del Rio to improve safety
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Summary
The council approved a motion to proceed with a pedestrian bridge across the Blue Line tracks at Pueblo Del Rio after years of local requests and a fatality. The Department of Transportation and MTA worked on the project; councilmembers emphasized grade separation to reduce future deaths.
The Los Angeles City Council approved a motion to move forward with construction of a pedestrian bridge over the Blue Line tracks at Pueblo Del Rio, a site where residents and councilmembers cited past fatalities and repeated unsafe crossings.
Councilmember Janice Walters described long-standing requests for a bridge across the tracks that split the Pueblo Del Rio housing project, noting at least one child was killed near the tracks about a year earlier. Walters said the Department of Transportation had worked with the MTA to enable a bridge and that interim services had included bus shuttles for residents.
Councilmembers supporting the motion stressed the need for grade separation on heavy-rail or light-rail alignments to reduce collisions and pedestrian fatalities. Councilmember Nate Holden described past votes and advocacy for separation along the Blue Line and urged the city to be mindful of safety in future rail expansions.
The motion passed on a roll call recorded as 10 ayes. The council directed departments to proceed with project steps, including funding approval and coordination between DOT and the MTA, to deliver a design and construction timeline.