Tunnel Visionaries

Joel C. Leyva recalled that, when he first walked inside the Metro Red Line North Hollywood station two months ago, he could not believe his eyes.

The murals depicting folkloric dancers, North Hollywood streets and local residents caught his eye, he said, and his job as a security guard became a little more personal.

“I would not want anybody to come in here and damage the murals,” said Leyva, 67. “They are so pretty.”

Just being part of the huge subway operation makes him feel proud, he said. He has worked at video stores and other small businesses, but “never a construction this big,” he said.

“This is going to be a big part of the community and for commuters,” Leyva said. “I did not do work like the construction workers. That’s hard work, but I can say I was part of it.”

Leyva wears the navy blazer of his employer, Elite Security Services. He carries pepper spray and a baton--”just in case, but I hope not to use it,” he said--and heads three times a week to the North Hollywood station.

He sets up a small table and a chair inside the entrance. He puts down a piece of paper and sits, waiting for visitors to the construction site.

Usually he can spot construction workers, but when a person shows up without identification or real purpose, he won’t let them in.

“That’s what I am here for, to protect the place,” he said.

At the end of the day he takes a last look at the murals and hands the paper, pen and seat to his colleague. He will come back, if not as a security guard, at least as a passenger, he said.

“My other jobs were a little boring,” he said. “Not this one.”