West Carson is poised to become a regional transportation hub near the Harbor-UCLA Medical Center now that the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved a state grant to develop a plan aimed at improving transportation, sustainability and increase housing in the area.
The Los Angeles County Department of Regional Planning will receive $491,770 to create a master plan that will help reduce greenhouse gas emissions by developing a sustainable community project within a ½ mile radius of the West Carson Metro station.
The plan is funded through voter-approved Proposition 84, which was passed in 2006 and authorizes the legislature to appropriate funds to support urban greening projects and sustainable community planning.
Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, one of the county’s leaders in creating and supporting biomed technology, is expected to serve as a crucial partner in the plan as a significant employer and community hub. From 2001 to 2010, the biosciences industry in Los Angeles County grew nearly 12 percent, outpacing the national bioscience industry by 6 percent.
“The West Carson regional transportation plan will bring environmentally friendly growth and innovation that will benefit the community and the county as a whole,” said Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas. “With Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, one of the county’s leading biomed institutions next door, West Carson is destined to become a prime location for biotechnology.”