WEEKLY WHINE

Get on the bus, or the train, or the monorail

There now follows a ranking of the top enhancements to the Los Angeles Metro system, in order of priority.

1. Purple Line Extension: The Purple Line subway is being extended from its current terminus at Wilshire Av and Western Av. The extension is in three phases: the first phase, to Wilshire and La Cienega Bl, adds three stations and is due to complete in 2023. The second phase, two more stations to Century City, is due to complete in 2025, and the third phase, another two stations to Westwood, is due to complete in 2026. The third phase finally connects UCLA to a rapid transit system; it is quite frankly appalling that we have gone this long with a university campus of this size disconnected from rapid transit.
2. Crenshaw/​LAX Line: The Crenshaw/​LAX Line is a light rail line that connects the Expo Line to the Green Line in Inglewood and Westchester. Due to complete next year, it meets the Green Line at the current Aviation/​LAX station and provides another station closer to LAX at Aviation Bl and Century Bl. It then continues along Florence Bl through Inglewood to Crenshaw Bl, where it proceeds northward to Expo Bl. This is a desperately needed service in the Inglewood and Hyde Park areas, although the station at Aviation/​Century does not make it much easier to get to LAX.
3. Aviation/​96th St Station: Taking advantage of the fact that LAX is finally getting up off its ass and building an automated train to Aviation Bl, LA Metro has proposed adding a new station on the Crenshaw/​LAX Line at 96th St. It would be expected to open concurrently with the automated train, currently planned for 2023 – which can’t come soon enough.
4. Regional Connector: The Regional Connector extends the Blue and Expo lines from their current terminus at 7th St/​Metro Center to the Gold Line stop at Little Tokyo/​Arts District, adding two below ground stations in downtown Los Angeles. The extension, due to complete in 2021, also remaps the current configurations of the Blue, Expo, and Gold Lines. The northern extension of the Gold Line, from Little Tokyo to Azusa, becomes part of the Blue Line, and the Expo Line becomes part of the Gold Line. This leaves two lines: the Blue Line from Long Beach through downtown to Azusa, and the Gold Line from Santa Monica through downtown to East LA. This activity finally joins the Blue and Gold Lines together, putting an end to the absurd need to connect via the Red or Purple Lines.
5. Sepulveda Transit Corridor: LA Metro is investigating adding a service in the Sepulveda Pass, which would connect the Orange Line to the Purple Line extension and the Expo Line. The target date is 2035, but it should be accelerated in order to complete in time for the 2028 Summer Olympics.
6. West Santa Ana Branch Transit Corridor: LA Metro is investigating adding a service in southeastern LA County that would pass through South Gate, Paramount, Bellflower, and Cerritos. This area has high population and employment densities, so there is a large population of commuters who would make use of this service. Construction is expected to begin in 2022.
7. East San Fernando Valley Transit Corridor: LA Metro is investigating adding a service that extends northward from the Orange Line along Van Nuys Bl to San Fernando. This would provide sorely needed service on Van Nuys Bl, where travellers are forced to use buses that are always stuck in traffic. LA Metro, however, has not yet tabled an opening date, or even a date for the start of construction.
8. Eastside Transit Corridor: The Eastside Transit Corridor would extend the eastern extension of the Gold Line into either South El Monte or Whittier. It is currently evaluating both options, but construction would not even begin until 2029 at the earliest.
9. Green Line South Bay Extension: An extension to the Green Line from Redondo Beach to Torrance would service the South Bay Galleria mall and a new transit centre in Torrance. This is an interesting idea, but what is really needed in the South Bay is some sort of rapid transit service to the Stubhub Center in Carson.