Metro officials join L.A. City Council Member Bob Blumenfield and the Warner Center Association do the honors. Photo by Juan Ocampo for Metro. Photo by Juan Ocampo for Metro. Photo by Dave Sotero/Metro. Photo by Dave Sotero/Metro. Photo by Dave Sotero/Metro. Photo by Dave Sotero/Metro.

This morning, Metro joined L.A. City Councilmember Bob Blumenfield, residents and community groups to officially open a new pedestrian station entrance at the Metro Orange Line Station in Canoga Park.

The $200,000 Metro-funded project connects the Metro Orange Line’s east platform directly to an existing pedestrian walkway that leads to four large apartment complexes and a FedEx building that are behind the station. More than 2,000 nearby residents seeking to ride the Orange Line no longer have to walk a quarter-mile to Vanowen Street to access the station for transit trips to Warner Center, North Hollywood or Chatsworth.

L.A. City Councilmember Bob Blumenfield worked closely with Metro and the Warner Center Association on plans to connect the entrance with the existing developer-owned 10-foot pedestrian walkway.

The station entrance features an ADA-compliant walkway, protective fencing, lighting, security cameras, irrigated landscaping, TAP vending machine and a TAP card validator for new neighborhood patrons.

“This new pedestrian entrance gives residents a great shortcut to the Orange Line, one of the most successful Bus Rapid Transit Lines in the country,” said Sheila Kuehl, L.A. County Supervisor and Metro Board Member. “It’s another example of the ways in which Metro is making public transportation in Los Angeles faster and more convenient.”

“This pedestrian connection shows that when Metro and Los Angeles work together, we deliver common sense solutions that help our community,” said Blumenfield. “The Orange Line is vitally important for the West Valley and I am very proud that we made it easier for residents to use public transportation, connecting the entire city.”

“The Warner Center Association appreciates the efforts of Councilmember Blumenfield and Metro to complete the pedestrian connection between the Orange Line Canoga Station and the thousands of immediately adjacent residents and employees,” said David Allison, Chair of the Warner Center Association. “It is another step on the way to a more urban, transit-oriented environment in Warner Center that makes it an attractive place to live, work and play.”

This Canoga station entrance is not the only pedestrian amenity planned for the Metro Orange Line. The agency is also building a pedestrian tunnel underneath Lankershim Boulevard in North Hollywood station to directly connect the Metro Orange Line with the Metro Red Line. The pedestrian tunnel will tremendously improve safety for patrons by eliminating the need to dodge traffic while crossing Lankershim Boulevard. It is scheduled to open this summer.

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