What's Happening on Slauson Avenue? | Slauson Avenue Train Track Construction | Rail to River Path

What's Happening on Slauson Avenue? | Slauson Avenue Train Track Construction | Rail to River Path
Earlier this year, construction workers ripped out the old railroad tracks along Slauson Avenue and replaced them with, well, nothing yet. Why? Because South LA’s about to see a project that was has been 10 years in the making.
This is the South Los Angeles / South Central Rail-to-River development.
Slauson Avenue is a major east and west thoroughfare that runs right through the middle of South LA. 6.4 miles of the street, between Slauson and Long Beach Avenues and Slauson Avenue and Crenshaw Boulevard, there was an unused train railing that occupied the north part of the street.
First proposed by Los Angeles Metro Board members Mark Ridley-Thomas and Gloria Molina in 2012, The Rail-to-River project has been discussed as one of several ways to transform industrial blight into usable transportation space.
This is the same philosophy that has inspired the The Whittier Greenway Trail-or even The High Line in New York City.
In 2014, the Metro Board of Directors allocated $2.8 million to begin studying and designing the project - ridley-thomas....
Currently the Rail-to-River project is divided into two segments: A and B. Segment A, which is between Long Beach Avenue and Crenshaw Boulevard will be completed first. - www.metro.net/...
Segment A is current under construction - www.metro.net/...
By 2015, the Los Angeles Metro Board was hard at work securing funds for this development, and it secured a United States Department of Transportation awarded Metro a $15 million grant to start the project. - la.streetsblog...
And in 2017, the LA Streets Blog reported that the project would be ready to break ground in the middle of 2018, and was planned to be finished by 2019, just in time with the K Line. - la.streetsblog...
The Rail to River project was delayed because of funding and over-budget proposals - la.streetsblog...
New sustainable multi-purpose center is on the way - www.the-new-ni...

[@danielbrockerttravel]

The design is almost the same as the Chandler path in North Hollywood / Burbank. I use the Chandler path several nights a week to jog, walk and rollerblade. This path along Slauson would make the area so much nice to live in.

[@invalidacess]

thats assuming the people in the area actually take pride and use their level of education to keep it clean. Then theres the issue of homelessness. It would seem like an opening for the homeless folks to just go and set up tents and remain there. Combine that with the fact that the police dont enforce the law about not setting up tents in the day on public streets in the day, then we more than likely are just going to have to deal with a trashy pathway and homeless folks. I do have hopes that they ( the authorities ) actually can manage to keep it looking good.

[@danielbrockerttravel]

@@invalidacess Chandler path has homeless people there, including tents. But people still use and enjoy the path regularly. Just like drivers still drive on streets with homeless people.

[@ready4peace]

been waiting for this project to get completed.... clearly this is not a priority for our elected officials.

[@IHCOYT]

Wow! I was wondering what was going on over there. A bike path with trees blockading the side cars are on would be perfect. Everything metro related seems to take years longer than projected like Crenshaw-LAX line which was supposed to be finished in fall of 2019 I believe. I'm sure there were tons of setbacks but hopefully things move faster going forward. Hopefully metro expands thier reach in time for the Olympics

[@SouthLARecap]

Oh the Olympics will push this project into light speed lol. But I’d love to see Slauson Avenue look like this! It would be really refreshing to a new tree-lined street in South LA! But you’re right, it’s just crazy to see how slow a great project like this can move.

[@anthonychuc1142]

I really thought that they were going to put another rail line. they should from the LAX airport to Pico Rivera

[@anthonychuc1142]

Is it possible

[@SouthLARecap]

@@anthonychuc1142 that would be cool and accessible. But, unfortunately, LA rarely does anything that’s both cool and accessible with mass transit (and it’s not in Metro’s master plan :/)

[@TylerMumford]

I'm really looking forward to this path being made. I've biked from the A-line to Culver City. Slauson is one of the most dangerous roads to bike commute. It just never had bicycling in mind.

[@gilbertanguiano2145]

i got a couple of schwinns and a mountain bike

[@moysesmartinez1369]

They need something similar off of Willowbrook Ave. in Willowbrook/Compton. Theres a similar stretch of rail (although much shorter) which would make for a great park (something that area lacks)

[@JAWS8000]

When I was little growing up in south central tbh I use to love seeing BNSF run that line. It was sad when I found out it was abandoned.

[@Sup3rDup3rN0va]

Appreciate your videos!!!

[@SouthLARecap]

Thank you! I’m really glad they’re useful!

[@buzzydj]

Growing up in South Central near the former location of T.M Cobb, I remember that track was frequently used by Southern Pacific and Santa Fe back in the 80s.

[@afromolukker]

Do you know (what year) when the freight line stopped?

[@buzzydj]

@@afromolukker had to have been around 1996 when Sante Fe ceased operations just before their merger with Burlington Northern.

[@afromolukker]

@buzzydj see, I saw another comment saying like 2006/2007... I was born after 1996, but I remember early 2000s waiting at the tracks and hearing the train near Slauson/Central! But I was a kid then, memories are blurred

[@buzzydj]

@@afromolukker More than likely you are right. I was long gone by the time BNSF started to abandon the harbor sub division route. I totally forgot about the Alameda corridor and the impact it had. That project was also suppose to help reduce truck traffic off the 710 but didn't work out as planned.

[@JoshuaWebbs]

I'm so tired of LA Go Metro dragging thier feet for La's rail projects. It will take 16 years to build and will be $500 million dollars over budget.

[@nessiegal44]

I live off slauson and Avalon and now there homeless setting up camp ⛺️ 🤦‍♀️ wish they can get started

[@SouthLARecap]

Hopefully we’ll see some movement behind this soon! Metro has been very quiet on the progress behind this

[@markgorney4268]

The best thing to do with the homeless is to gather all of them up and dump them into the ocean. Right?

[@tommaddux7186]

In the 1940's my family lived on 58th street between Main and Broadway. Those tracks ran behind the back fences of the houses across the street from us. My brother and I would run down to the corner to see the steam engines go by. Sometimes we would put bent nails on the tracks for the train to squash into "swords" for our toy soldiers.

[@SouthLARecap]

I always appreciate the childhood stories that you add to these videos. It’s such a cool backdrop that illustrates the minor nuances on a region that appears to have been so different!

[@SouthLARecap]

Would you ride your bike down this soon-to-be bike path?

[@invalidacess]

probably would but only after some time has passed. This way we can tell if its actually safe to do so.

[@TylerMumford]

Yes!

[@robserrano8971]

Slauson Ave need a rail from Fox Hills Mall to the City of Whittier or at least to the 605 fwy.

[@USMNT_G]

I’m conflicted, I want a light rail line there but bikes are cool.

[@SouthLARecap]

You’re right. A light rail would be sweet! At least Slauson Avenue will look a little more green with new trees along the street lol

[@qjtvaddict]

They can build an elevated line over that corridor

[@mannyn5460]

Did you find a environmental report on the soil? I know trains leave a lot of chemicals behind

[@SouthLARecap]

I haven’t run across it. What I have learned from my research on Magic Johnson Park and the Wetlands Park, authorities are less stronger on ground pollution for recreational areas. They just don’t want homes or school on contaminated properties. Likely because you won’t spend as much time at a park. But I’ll look more into this!

[@seventhfirestephanie8740]

I pass along Slauson once a week and there's a Warning sign indicating contaminated soil: Lead. And that's crazy because they're were homeless encampments that sprung up on that dirt. 😬 The encampments have been cleared out since MTA put fencing along the stretch.

[@anthonythomas5998]

Manny, contact the EPA !

[@nephnelson3994]

My guess would be , that project was meant for the neighborhoods "near future residents..."🤔

[@Brenduh03]

Im here because I can feel my home shaking and wondering if there is underground work going in

[@SouthLARecap]

Right now they’re laying concrete for the sidewalk. I wouldn’t be surprised if they were landscaping and digging up tough soil at the moment!

[@NHExperienceTV]

They should’ve built a light rail line along Slauson instead

[@ElisaPadilla-WebDesign]

According to The Mothership, my parents house, the area (mainly 1 block north of Slauson) is getting hit heavy with agents advertising that people should sell their homes before they lose them to the city for this project. Not sure if the agents know more or if this is just a scare tactic for the residents to sell their homes. So far my parents aren't going anywhere...

[@lollmao9199]

It’s time for an update video? Progress

[@JAWS8000]

Lol just put a metro link line there

[@SouthLARecap]

You would think it would be an easy transition, but I guess there’s a lot more to building trains than meets the eye lol

[@nryanxron7563]

👍🔥

[@Officialcutelittebonnie]

They fixing it into something

[@gilbertanguiano2145]

Those railroad tracks have been there since the late 1800s . It's the old bnsf harbor subdivision.

[@SouthLARecap]

That’s really interesting! Do you know about when (and why) the tracks were put out of commission?

[@gilbertanguiano2145]

@@SouthLARecap 1996 was the last they where used

[@markgorney4268]

@@gilbertanguiano2145 What a damn shame.

[@mannyn5460]

@@SouthLARecap with the completion of the Alameda corridor BNSF now has a more direct route to the port of LA and Long Beach. Also many of the customers along the old Harbor Division left.

[@skaterholic13]

@@gilbertanguiano2145 that's false. I been living around the area since 1996. Stopped hearing them around 2007

[@Bettyboop82-82]

2022 and they are not started yet 🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️

[@SouthLARecap]

It’s not planned to open until 2024. Total price is $140 million. Hopefully it will be worth the wait!

[@jamalgibson8139]

@@SouthLARecap $140 million for a bike path!? Please tell me there's something else, like a busway going there...

[@paulcastillo9323]

I see that

[@mybocks3]

A bike path? Smh. Light rail would've been perfect. I thought L.A. had gotten the message.

[@SouthLARecap]

I wholeheartedly agree. So many stops on the way, but between environmental reports (thinking about the homes right behind the track) and funding, the bike path seemed like an easier win. Whatever the case is, it’s better than abandoned tracks on the ground

[@mma3314]

At this point, I’d rather see a rail line from DTLA to connect to the K Line at the trench east of Fairview Heights.

[@seventhfirestephanie8740]

This new project will need good lighting and security cams along the way. And who's going to ensure that homeless encampments won't start popping up?

[@hufair2215]

Gentrification

[@paulcastillo9323]

It metro line

[@carlosgamas1843]

Yeah...I'd much rather see a light rail built. We got plenty of parks to exercise on. Hopefully, someone comes to their senses. Or at least builds the walkway with a strong concrete foundation in case they eventually decide to. Also, who the hell 'jogs' in south LA? This the hood man. You either walk or run with caution in these streets, with your head on a swivel, always. Sheesh.