L.A. Metro, Inglewood enter Master Cooperative Agreement for Ingelwood Transit Connector
The Inglewood Transit Connector (ITC) Project, a three-stop, 1.6-mile people mover, advanced last week with the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (L.A. Metro) Board of Directors approving a Master Cooperative Agreement (MCA) with the city of Inglewood for the project.
The people mover would connect L.A. Metro’s K Line to housing and commercial centers along an elevated guideway. The route will use Market Street, Manchester Boulevard and Prairie Avenue. The people mover will improve transit access and mobility for residents and visitors to Inglewood, which is the fastest growing city in L.A. County, and connect popular venues to the L.A. Metro Rail system.
“The Inglewood Transit Connector project will make it easy to reach popular destinations via transit – which is especially important as more world-class events are held in Inglewood – including the 2028 Summer Olympics and Paralympic games,” said City of Glendale Council Member and L.A. Metro Chair Board Ara J. Najarian. “The project will help reduce gridlock experienced during major events and provide a great alternative to the hassles of driving and parking. This is a win-win situation for all of us.”
L.A. Metro and the city of Inglewood have established – via a Joint Powers Authority – a collaborative and cooperative single-purpose entity dedicated to overseeing the design, construction, financing, operations and maintenance of the project. Riders will be able to transfer between the lines, using a pedestrian bridge between the K Line’s Downtown Inglewood Station and the ITC’s Market Street/Florence Avenue station.
“The Inglewood Transit Connector is one of regional significance and is a critical component of the city of Inglewood’s incredible transformation,” said Inglewood Mayor and L.A. Metro Board Member James T. Butts. “Besides improving transit access and mobility for residents, the project will galvanize the revitalization and historic transformation of downtown Inglewood and create a seamless connection to the city’s premier sports and entertainment venues, as well as housing and commercial centers, destinations that are putting thousands of Angelenos to work and attracting millions of visitors from across the county, nation and globe.”
The project is expected to break ground in 2024, with completion expected in 2028.
At present, L.A. Metro runs a bus shuttle between the C Line’s Hawthorne/Lennox Station and SoFi Stadium for NFL games and a few other events. A bus shuttle is also planned to run between SoFi and the K Line. The people mover project will make it possible to move more people faster and reach more destinations.
The project will allow trains to travel in both directions, so several trains could run at once, moving up to 11,000 passengers an hour.
“The Inglewood Transit Connector will provide a valuable first/last mile connection to the K Line and give L.A. Metro customers a fast and easy way to get from our expansive rail network to some of our region’s premier sports and live entertainment destinations,” said L.A. Metro CEO Stephanie Wiggins.
