Inglewood breaks ground on transit connector project

By Emilie St. John

Contributing Writer

INGLEWOOD — The ambitious Inglewood Transit Connector and the rebuild of the city’s downtown corridor kicked off with a groundbreaking ceremony Oct. 21.

The project will build three mobility hubs, a pedestrian bridge to the K Line and a rebuilt downtown streetscape that will keep the city moving on event days and every day.

City leaders, joined by state, regional and community partners, gathered in the parking lot of the soon-to-be-built Market & Florence Mobility Hub, just south of the K Line Downtown Inglewood Station with gold shovels to break ground on the quarter-billion-dollar first phase of the Inglewood Transit Connector.

“Eight years ago, the Inglewood Transit Connector was an idea on paper,” Mayor James T. Butts Jr. said. “Today, it is a shovel in the ground, and by the spring of 2028, it will be streets full of people. When the world arrives in 2028, Inglewood will be ready. But more importantly, long after the cameras leave, the infrastructure easing congestion and bringing downtown back to life will still be here for our families, our businesses and our children.”

Butts was joined by Assemblywoman Tina McKinnor; California State Transportation Agency Secretary Toks Omishakin; Inglewood City Council members Eloy Morales Jr., Dionne Faulk, Gloria Gray and Alex Padilla; South Bay Cities Council of Governments Chair Bill Uphoff; Plenary Executive Chairman Dale Bonner; and Eddie Escotó Alvarez of the Los Angeles/Orange Counties Building and Construction Trades Council.

“For generations, residents have dreamed of bringing Market Street back,” McKinnor said. “Today, we stop talking about it and start building it. The Olympics are the deadline, but Inglewood residents are the reason. They deserve clean, safe streets, reliable transit, and a downtown they’re proud of. Not someday. Every day.”

The project is largely funded by state grants.

“This is exactly what the Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program is for — connecting communities to the regional rail network with real, lasting benefits,” said Omishakin of the California State Transportation Agency.

Councilman Eloy Morales Jr., the longest-serving member of the City Council, vividly recalled the now-shuttered Inglewood Shopping Plaza, which will make way for the mobility hub that will add more than 1,000 parking spaces and create designated spaces for ride share pick-up and drop-off, plus bike and pedicab access.

“Today we win, let’s do it!” Morales said.

The Market & Florence hub will also include transit-oriented retail and a 10-bay bus plaza. A pedestrian bridge over Florence Avenue will connect downtown directly to the K Line. Market Street, Manchester Boulevard and Queen Street will get new sidewalks, landscaping, lighting and wayfinding.

“We’re making a city to drive to, not drive through,” Councilman Alex Padilla said.

Business owner Odest Riley, who is a longtime Inglewood resident, said the project will bring jobs and address residents’ concerns about traffic congestion on event days.

“This project is going to help people move around easier and cut down on congestion,” Riley said.

The Inglewood Sports and Entertainment District, which houses the Intuit Dome, Kia Forum, SoFi Stadium and YouTube Theatre, hosts roughly 400 events per year, making traffic a growing concern for residents.

“I am happy that the city came up with a solution that will bring relief to the traffic problems,” said Tony Sanchez.

Construction begins in November and will continue through spring 2028.

Emilie St. John is a freelance journalist covering the areas of Carson, Compton, Inglewood and Willowbrook. Send tips to her at emiliesaintjohn@gmail.com.