For the last couple years, I've ridden LA metro's C and A lines pretty regularly, a few times per week most of the time. Willowbrook Rosa Parks station provides a direct transfer between them, and I've spent a lot of time waiting there. The space is dominated by the 105 freeway viaduct, which forms a ceiling over the older A line platform and bus plaza, and surrounds the elevated C line platform with noise and particulate pollution. It's hard to ignore this overbearing and oppressive structure, but despite it there's a lot to appreciate about this station, even when you're just transferring through.
Willowbrook is a grade separated perpendicular transfer station. The A line (blue) station was opened in 1990 as Imperial/Wilmington station. The freeway viaduct was already in place above it, as seen in this lovely archival footage even before the 105 and the green line would open in '95. Since then, the station has stayed the same in function - passengers transfer between blue and green via stairs and elevators through a small mezzanine, between blue and the bus plaza via a grade crossing, and between green and the bus plaza via direct elevators and escalators.
The two lines connect outside of regular service, too. There's a central siding on the green line that descends down a steep grade, then curves sharply to connect to the blue line. This "non-revenue connector" allows track maintenance vehicles and light rail trains to move between the two lines and their operating divisions.
More recently, the station has also gained a Metro customer service center and a bike hub just south of the bus plaza. Like most green line stations, it has a small park and ride lot next to it, but unlike most green line stations it's directly adjecent to a large shopping plaza, setting it apart from other freeway stations in general "feel".
Although not the only grade separated perpendicular transfer station on the LA Metro system, and only the second (or maybe third or fourth, depending on how you count North Hollywood and/or Union station) busiest, Willowbrook is unique in being entirely above ground level. It has a dynamic flow comparable to Metro Center, but you can see the sun, sky and surrounding cityscape from the platforms. To me, that's very special and creates moments of beauty, some of which even translate well to cell phone photos! Despite the overwhelming freeway noise, I enjoy this station, its form, its function and its history.
ok thats the end of the post