A community presentation obtained by numble offers a first glimpse at what the planned Metro subway extension to the Arts District could look like.
The Arts District/6th Street Station, planned within the footprint of Metro's Division 20 rail yard, would sit directly south of the new Sixth Street Viaduct, along the west of the Los Angeles River. The at-grade stop would serve the dual purpose of turnaround facility and terminus for both the B and D Lines, piggybacking off work that is being done to expand the rail yard in anticipation of the subway extension to Westwood.
Illustration of station portal looking east toward Metro stopMetro
Pedestrian access to the station is planned via a tunnel, running beneath Mesquit Street into the rail yard from what is now an empty strip of land adjacent to the L.A. Department of Water and Power River Switching Station. According to the presentation, the tunnel would include stairs and elevators opening onto a plaza, with access and customer experience similar to other heavy rail stops.
The location of the stop would also give the station direct access to the new park space planned below the Sixth Street Viaduct, and potentially to 7th Street via a proposed mixed-use development along Mesquit Street. At a point in the future, the station may also offer a connection to a segment of the L.A. River bike path cutting through the Downtown area.
Diagram showing pedestrian access to Metro stopMetro
Construction of the new station will require coordination with both the developer of the adjoining 670 Mesquit project, as well as Amtrak and BNSF, which own the freight and passenger rail tracks to the east. Metro expects to provide an update at a March 2023 community meeting, in anticipation of the release of a draft environmental impact report.
While no funding for construction of the station has been identified the last time the project made headlines in 2021, things may have changed. A request from Metro Board members could see $235 million in Measure M local return funds allocated to the Central City area go toward the Arts District/6th Street Station.
Follow us on social media:
