A long-awaited light-rail train from downtown to the beach will become reality May 20, Metro CEO Phil Washington announced today.
The Expo Line will extend 6.6 miles from Venice and Robertson boulevards in Culver City to Colorado Avenue and Fourth Street a few blocks from the coast in Santa Monica.
"It's official," Los Angeles Mayor and Metro vice chair Eric Garcetti said on Facebook this afternoon. "Railway to the sea opens to the public on May 20!"
The mayor later said, "For the first time in 60 years, Angelenos will have a railway to the sea — taking us from 'Grand to the sand' just in time for summer. The Expo Line connects and crosses through some of our most traffic-ridden corridors, from our booming downtown to the Westside. This is a huge step forward in our work to ease congestion."*
It will be the first rail line to the "far Westside" since 1953, Metro says.
The extension was largely covered by Measure R, a half-cent sales tax approved by voters in 2008.
The transportation agency says you can get from its Seventh/Metro Center downtown to the last stop in Santa Monica in 46 minutes, which will give a drive down the 10 freeway a run for its money.
Speaking of money, the cost of a one-way ride is Metro's standard fare of $1.75, but it will include two hours of free transfers.
The extension will add the following Westside stops, with trains scheduled to run every 12 minutes from 4 a.m. to midnight on weekdays:
-Palms, at Palms Boulevard and Motor Avenue.
-Westwood/Rancho Park at Westwood Boulevard.
-Expo/Sepulveda on Sepulveda Boulevard just south of Pico Boulevard.
-Expo/Bundy on Bundy just south of Olympic Boulevard.
-26th/Bergamot adjacent to the Bergamot Station arts complex at Olympic Boulevard.
-17th Street/SMC at Colorado and 17th Street near Santa Monica College.
-Downtown Santa Monica at Colorado Avenue and Fourth Street.
Source:laweekly.com
Photo:flickr.com