Metro earns a C in evaluation of rail system operators

MACARTHUR PARK, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Metro received a grade of C in a new study which evaluated how transit rail stations encourage ridership and impact the quality of life in surrounding neighborhoods.

The analysis was issued by Next 10, a nonprofit nonpartisan group, and prepared by the UC Berkeley School of Law's Center for Law, Energy and the Environment.

The letter grades were based on 11 factors, including transit use by residents and workers, the number of jobs or homes near a station, walkability, crime, change in real estate values between 2009-13, transit affordability and greenhouse gas emissions.

Compared to major Metro stations and cities throughout California, the Westlake/MacArthur Park Station, which is on the Red Line, earned an A for its diversity, destinations, walkability, access and affordability.

Researchers graded the 88 stations in the L.A. Metro area, and more than half of them received a grade of B or higher.

The Wardlow Station along Metro's Blue Line in Long Beach received the only F grade, scoring poorly in nearly all areas. The station is located near a major boulevard in an area dominated by vehicle traffic, little pedestrian activity and parking.

According to the study, the worst performing stations are located along Metro's Blue Line, which runs between Long Beach and downtown L.A.

The best overall grade went to the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, which received a B.

City News Service contributed to this report.