By Kaylee Davis

Sentinal Intern

A commission’s approval of a street-level crossing for a light rail next to Dorsey High School has left some residents up in arms, while some officials are generally pleased.

The California Public Utilities Commission’s (CPUC) unanimous approval last week allows for an amended plan of the crossing to become reality, and will include the construction of a station on Farmdale Avenue that will have safety enhancements. Some community members are still concerned about the at-grade crossing, seeing it as unsafe for students in the area.

“With the station comes additional safety enhancements, and that’s how we are addressing concerns,” said Gabriela Collins, a spokesperson with the Exposition Construction Authority, which is behind the Expo Line project.

The Farmdale station is designed to provide increased mobility to Dorsey faculty, staff, students and other community members. 

The enhancements will include security cameras, bells and flashers, vehicle and pedestrian crossings with quad and pedestrian gates and more. Also, after coming to a full stop at the station, the train won’t go more than 15 miles per hour while crossing.

“It’s safer for pedestrians and vehicles,” Collins said.

Los Angeles City Councilman Bernard Parks shared similar sentiments.

“I am pleased the California Public Utilities Commission has given the green light for the Farmdale station, removing the final hurdle in the approval process for Phase 1 of the Expo Line,” Parks said in an e-mailed statement. “With the added improvements to ensure pedestrian safety, residents can look forward to a new, state-of-the-art light rail train that is both quick and efficient for passengers, as well as safe for pedestrians.”

The community group who began the Fix Expo Campaign remains dissatisfied with the station’s construction, doubtful of the safety enhancements.

“We have never been opposed to the rail line; we’ve been opposed to the way it’s being built,” explained Damien Goodmon, executive director of the United Community Associations Inc., which seeks to bring together the community and focuses on issues such as traffic, safety and environmental inequalities.

Fix Expo has demanded that the same safety measures be provided in South L.A. as is provided in Culver City. Some members believe the rail line in Culver City is built to a “certain standard” — when the line enters the Culver City, it is above-grade.

This new light rail line, which will travel along Exposition Boulevard, features stops in downtown Los AngelesCulver City. It will eventually reach Santa Monica. and

The first phase of the project is expected to be completed in summer 2011. The construction of the second phase hasn’t begun yet, but it could start next year and be completed in 2015, said Samantha Bricker, chief operating officer of the Expo Authority.

A main concern for some involves the crossings near schools and numerous youth.

Steve Bagby, president of the Dorsey High School Alumni Association and a member of the United Community Association, said he knows the area surrounding the Farmdale station well, which is swarming with what he says are many irrational teenagers.

He worries the students will not make the safest decisions when crossing near the rail line, and that the results may be “catastrophic.”

Bagby has attended a few Dorsey High School meetings where many had been concerned about dangers they believed the station would pose to the area.

Lester Hollins, a retired Metro light rail operator, has attested to some of the dangers of street-level crossings.

While operating a train on the Blue Line, Hollins was involved in an accident with an ambulance.

“The professionals can’t co-exist with the trains. So, how can we expect the kids to?” Hollins said.

He remembers accidents during his train-operating days, including one involving a death, lamenting, “at night, I toss and turn.”

Hollins does not want the same fate for the children and residents near Dorsey High School, where his son plays football.

Hollins added, “We want a safe train system. That’s all we want.”

The CPUC conducted a study and determined that, at the Farmdale station and the surrounding area, underground and aerial crossings are not feasible, Collins said.

She stressed that the appropriate solution is the station with safety features.

Goodmon feels “the community has been abandoned,” and he wants justice.

City Councilman Herb Wesson responded to the decision in a prepared statement: “In terms of improving safety and moving the project forward, the Commission’s decision is significant. As a community, we want to reap the benefits. But we also want to avoid problems. So, monitoring the project in all respects will continue to be a priority.”