Talk about a wake up call.

Last week Joe Linton from Streetsblog LA stopped by the North Hollywood Red Line Station to give a progress report on the currently in construction western portal.

I was shocked to see a nearly completed entrance way that almost looks ready to go.

The western entrance looks ready to accept TAP cards.

The biggest revelation to me though was that there was any work done at all.

I go through this station almost daily and work has moved at such an eternal pace that my brain removed the curious lobe that would have checked for any progress.

A lot of us yokels from the western side of Lankershim will be really excited once this entrance open because it’ll save a couple minutes of our commute which can be the difference in catching a train.

 This construction has turned parts of Lankershim into scramble crossings.

It should also help getting out of the station, as there is normally a logjam at the escalator with this being the end of the line.

You can also make the argument that it’ll make people safer as they’ll no longer have to expose themselves to drivers while crossing the street.

At the same time, this street does need bike lanes and calming measures, so making Lankershim safe for everyone should still be a priority.

Will the refurbished North Hollywood Train Depot need to get refurbished again by the time it opens?

The landmarked and recently refurbished North Hollywood Train Depot has looked ready to go for the last year and a half, but it looks like we’ll have to wait for it’s opening along with a Metro Bike Hub until the portal is up and running.

When will that happen? I don’t know. I’ll just wait for Joe Linton to post again.