Metro officials say the $40 million council-approved package may not be enough to get the job done. However, businesses in the Crenshaw area are excited for the new customers the line may bring. Ted Chen reports from Leimert Park for the NBC4 News at 5 p.m. on May 22, 2013.
The Los Angeles City Council Wednesday approved $40 million for the construction of a rail stop at Leimert Park on the Crenshaw Line. But, some transportation officials are worried that amount may not be the enough to get the job done.
Residents living near Leimert Park are pushing for a stop because of the business it could bring to the neighborhood.
“We need the traffic and we need to have a lot more traffic coming in,” said beauty shop owner Tyrone Torres.
Several city councilmembers -- including Bernard Parks, Bill Rosendahl, Jan Perry and Herb Wesson -- announced that $40 million in Measure R funds would go toward that station and an additional $15 million will go toward a station in Westchester.
“The city is basically offering funding that will support that,” Parks said.
The $1.7 billion Crenshaw Line, connecting the Expo Line in South LA to the Green Line near LAX, is scheduled to open in 2018.
Advocates say a stop in Leimert Park is critical because of its economic and cultural significance. But MTA officials say they are worried about the price tag, which was originally estimated to be more than $130 million if the stop is put underground. And that is exactly what many residents want.
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“That way, we won’t have to stop at the stop sign when the train is coming by,” resident Doris Storms said.
The long-awaited decision on a Leimert Park station is expected Thursday from the MTA Board.
