Up in the Air: Urban Design for Light Rail Transit Stations in Highway Medians

Good urban design is essential if transit stations are to successfully connect to the communities that surround them. Increasingly, transit agencies in the US are constructing light rail systems in and above freeway medians to reduce land acquisition costs, minimize traffic conflicts and increase train speeds. Elevated stations, however, are difficult to physically link to surrounding communities, resulting in lost opportunities for transit-oriented development (TOD). This study examines all 14 elevated and freeway-median light rail stations along the Green and Gold lines in Los Angeles and documents the challenges of integrating them to the surrounding urban fabric. It suggests remedies based on a review of good urban design practices and interventions for different contexts that have been successful in improving station access. The study tests some of these interventions using as case studies four elevated Green Line stations.