Initially proposed in March of 2023, the Long Beach transit mall renovation took an inch toward reality this week. Thanks to an environmental clearance secured by the city‚ as first reported by Urbanize LA, a much more park-like, pedestrian-friendly 1st Street could come quicker than expected.
And yes, it includes the adaptive re-use of an old Blue Line rail car—which is awesome.
What are the plans for the Long Beach transit mall renovation?
Dubbed “Section 1,” this part of the renovation goes from Pacific Avenue east to Long Beach Boulevard on 1st Street. It is a space reserved solely for Metro A Line and public transit buses. It is the least dramatic part of the upgrades, largely sticking to sidewalk and crosswalk improvements. New planters. Large, colorful crossways at each intersection. (This mimics what the Arts Council did at 15 Street and Chestnut Avenue, one of the city’s most dangerous intersections.) Far more greenery and shade components. New furnishings and lighting. Some artwork.
It is an important, albeit minor, update to the stretch that doesn’t quite compare to the second portion of the renovation project.
And what about the plans for the second portion of the renovation?
Dubbed “Section 2,” this part of the Long Beach transit mall renovation goes from Long Beach Boulevard east to Elm Avenue on 1st Street. It is a space slicing through multiple parking structures and feels, frankly put, deeply empty from a pedestrian and bicyclist angle. And thankfully, it is receiving the most dramatic of updates.
Thanks to a donation from Metro in April 2021, the original Blue Line Rail Car #100 belongs to Long Beach. Plans have long been in discussion as to how to use the rail car. Thanks to a $1.5M donation from the LA County 4th Supervisorial District Office, the rail car will be used as commercial space.
While the City estimated the project would begin to move forward this spring, we are clearly looking at a later date. Either late this year or early next, we can begin to see the changes implemented on 1st Street.
I wish they would use the red double-decker buses that came here from England around the time of the Queen Mary. They were really neat, plus they had the upstairs outside seating.