Businesses in Union Station (photo by Brigham Yen)

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In many cities around the world, metro stations are built with small retail spaces that provide a variety of services to transit riders. Though these are most typically convenience stores or newspaper stands, a very diverse range of retailers can be seen at larger, busier stations. The convenience that in-station retail affords to riders effectively increases the value of public transportation. Furthermore, the rent paid by these businesses can provide substantial revenue for the maintenance of transit services and facilities. Not only do they enliven the stations they are in, shops also provide passive surveillance to improve passenger safety.

The integration of shops with transit has had already had some great success in Los Angeles; the new retail spaces that have opened inside Union Station in the past year (Famima, Wetzels Pretzels, etc.) have proven to be extremely popular with riders. There is great potential for expansion into other parts of Metro's sytem, albeit on a smaller scale. Many subway stops like Pershing Square, Civic Center, and Hollywood/Vine have large expanses of unused mezzanine space which could certainly be given over to several shops or kiosks.