LOS ANGELES — WSP, one of the world’s leading professional services firms, combining its engineering, advisory and science-based expertise to shape communities, joined the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) to celebrate the start of construction of its Southeast Gateway Line, a new 14.5-mile light rail transit line that will provide a dependable alternative to driving for two million people.
WSP in the U.S. has been involved with the light rail project since 2016, serving as lead environmental and design consultant. The Southeast Gateway Line will include nine stations between the City of Artesia, located to the south of Los Angeles, and the city’s Slauson A Line station.
“This entire corridor is comprised of environmental justice communities and the project will be transformative for the residents and businesses along the new line,” said Kristin Carlson, AICP, senior vice president, transportation and environmental planning at WSP in the U.S. She has been involved with the project since environmental studies began in 2016, most recently serving as the project manager for the environmental phase.
A ceremony held in October celebrated the advance utility groundbreaking at the future site of Pioneer Boulevard Station in Artesia, which will serve as the southern terminus for the new light rail line. During the event, a $231 million grant from the California State Transportation Authority, from the Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program (TIRCP), was presented to Metro to help finance the project.
“This corridor has been studied for nearly 30 years and started with the goal of finding the best way to utilize a right-of-way previously used for Los Angeles Pacific Electric (Red Cars), and to bring geographic equity to a community that has desired rail service for a long time,” said Luke Yang, PTP, ENVSP, senior vice president of program management at WSP in the U.S. “This is a tremendous moment for everyone involved and especially gratifying for WSP to have been trusted by Metro to figure out the funding picture that made it possible to reach this milestone moment. We are experiencing a renaissance of bringing reliable transit rail service back to this region.”
WSP performed several planning studies, including completion of the Final Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report (EIS/EIR) in March 2024. Metro certified the Final EIR under the California Environmental Quality Act in April 2024, followed by the Federal Transit Administration issuing a federal record of decision in August 2024.
When completed, the Southeast Gateway Line will provide convenient transit access for the cities of Bell, Bellflower, Cerritos, Cudahy, Downey, Florence-Firestone, Huntington Park, Los Angeles, Paramount, South Gate and Vernon. The line will also include a new C Line station at the I-105 freeway.
While the TIRCP grant will go a long way toward moving the project forward, there is still a funding gap to fill to complete the project on time. WSP has been a strategic funding partner with Metro, previously collaborating on a successful application for a $300 million grant secured prior to the COVID-19 pandemic for the Southeast Gateway Line project. Cost increases since then have raised the anticipated cost for completing the project.
“WSP's grant services experts will continue working with Metro to find those funds wherever they are available,” said Angela Schwarz, senior vice president and WSP national transit and rail market leader in the U.S. “We are committed to progressing this project to bring valuable transit service to these underserved Los Angeles communities.”
Early stages of the project center around utility relocations and other preconstruction activities that will be necessary before work on the broader project can begin. Forward movement and enthusiasm by local government leaders and Metro partners is providing confidence that the project is on the right track.
About WSP in the U.S.
WSP is one of the world’s leading professional services firms, uniting its engineering, advisory and science-based expertise to help shape communities to advance humanity. From local beginnings to a globe-spanning presence today, WSP operates in more than 50 countries and employs approximately 73,000 professionals, including 19,000 in 300 offices across the U.S. Together we pioneer solutions and deliver innovative projects in transportation, infrastructure, environment, building, energy, water and mining and metals sectors. wsp.com
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