Los Angeles County Metro Rail

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Los Angeles County Metro Rail
Locale	Los Angeles County, California
Transit type	Rapid transit and light rail
Began operation	1990 (light rail) 1993 (rapid transit)
System length	17.4 mi (28 km) (rapid transit) 73.1 mi (117.6 km) (total)
Number of lines	5
Number of stations	16 (rapid transit) 62 (total)
Daily ridership	258,710
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8½ in) (standard gauge)
Operator(s)	Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA)

The Los Angeles County Metro Rail is the mass transit rail system of Los Angeles County. It is run by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority and is the indirect descendant of the Pacific Electric Red Car system and Los Angeles Railway Yellow Car lines, which operated in the area from the early to middle twentieth century. Currently, Metro Rail operates three light rail lines and two rapid transit subway lines, altogether totaling 73.1 miles of rail, 62 stations, and approximately 250,000 daily weekday boardings as of February 2008.^[1]

[edit] System

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) runs five rail lines throughout Los Angeles County.

• The Blue Line (opened in 1990) is a light rail line running between 7th Street/Metro Center station in Downtown Los Angeles and Transit Mall station in Downtown Long Beach. It is the first of the MTA's modern rail lines since the 1961 demise of the Pacific Electric Railway's Red Car system.

• The Red Line is a subway line running between Union Station in Downtown Los Angeles and North Hollywood station in North Hollywood. The first leg opened to Westlake / MacArthur Park in 1993, to Hollywood in 1999, and to North Hollywood in 2000.

• The Green Line (opened in 1995) is a light rail line running between Marine/Redondo station in the South Bay region of Los Angeles and the Norwalk station in Norwalk. The line operates mostly in the median of the Century Freeway (Interstate 105). It offers indirect access to Los Angeles International Airport via a shuttle bus from the Aviation/LAX station. It is the region's only above-ground light rail line that is completely grade separated.

Map of the Metro Rail and Metro Transitways system.

• The Gold Line (opened in 2003) is a light rail line that runs between Union Station in Downtown Los Angeles and Sierra Madre Villa station in Pasadena and runs through Highland Park and South Pasadena. Portions run elevated, below ground, in city streets, and in the median of a freeway.

• The Purple Line (named 2006; first leg to Westlake/MacArthur Park opened in 1993; to Koreatown in 1996) is a subway line running between Union Station in Downtown Los Angeles and Wilshire/Western station in the Koreatown neighborhood of Los Angeles Mid-Wilshire district. It was considered a branch of the Red Line prior to 2006.

[edit] Metro Liner and Combined Transitway services

While assigned colors and appearing on the Metro Rail system map, the lines of the Metro Transitway system are not rail lines but bus rapid transit (BRT) systems. Bus rapid transit systems are designed with characteristics similar to an urban light rail system such as a dedicated right-of-way (or a right-of-way shared with other high-occupancy vehicles) and dedicated stations, usually spaced approximately one mile apart, featuring amenities such as public art, park-and-ride lots, and ticket vending machines.

Metro Liner: The Metro Orange Line is a dedicated busway running on a former Southern Pacific right-of-way, using 60-foot buses. This is described by proponents as "light rail on rubber tires."

Combined Transitway Services: The two transitway lines are the El Monte Busway, and Harbor Transitway, denoted by Silver and Bronze, respectively.

[edit] Subway

LA subway at Wilshire/Vermont

The Los Angeles Subway is the rapid transit system of the city of Los Angeles, California. As described below, all Los Angeles streetcar lines had been closed down by 1963 in favor of using automobiles on an extensive freeway system. With 14 million people in the greater metropolitan area, those automobiles soon created one of the most traffic-congested cities in the country. In the 1980s, Los Angeles County voters approved a half-cent sales tax increase to build a network of metro and light rail lines.

Although the first rail line, the Blue Line, opened in 1990, its route ran less than one mile underground, the remainder on surface streets or above-ground, separated right-of-way. The first fully underground subway, the Red Line, opened in 1993 after seven years of construction. Originally designated as one line with two branches, the subway was later re-designated as two lines, the Red Line; now running from downtown Los Angeles westwards to Hollywood and North Hollywood after the US$1.5 billion, 4.8km twin tunnel extension in 2000^[2], and the Purple Line; running along Wilshire Boulevard to Koreatown. As of the fourth quarter of 2007, the combined Red and Purple lines averaged a weekday ridership of 128,400,^[3], which makes it the ninth busiest heavy rail system in the United States. Taking overall track length into consideration, Metro Rail's subway system ranks sixth in the nation in terms of ridership per mile, between Washington D.C.'s MetroRail and Chicago's 'L' Trains.

All of the underground stations differ aesthetically, as 0.5% of the total construction budget of the stations was reserved for public art. Due to the city's proximity to fault lines, tunnels had to be built to resist earthquakes of up to magnitude 7.5. Both lines utilize an electrified third rail to provide power to the trains, making subway trains incompatible with the other three rail lines.

[edit] Light Rail

A Gold Line train in Pasadena, the line's current northeast terminus

Los Angeles' first modern light rail, the LACMTA Blue Line, opened in 1990, 27 years after streetcar service ended^{[citation needed]}. Of the five Metro Rail lines, three (Blue, Green, and Gold) are configured as light rail lines. These lines utilize overhead catenary cables to provide electric power to the trains, making light rail trains incompatible with the two subway lines. As a result, the Blue Line terminates at 7th St/Metro Center rather than continuing on to Union Station, and riders wishing to transfer between the Blue Line and the myriad of other rail services at Union Station must first transfer to the Red or Purple Line subway for an intermediate trip of a little over a mile and a half.

The Blue and Gold Lines run mostly at grade, with some street-running, elevated, and underground stretches in more densely populated areas. The Green Line is entirely grade separated, running in the median of I-105 and then turning southward along an elevated route.

Metro's light rail system is the third busiest LRT system in the United States by ridership, with 127,300 average weekday boardings during the fourth quarter of 2007.^[4] Additionally, the Blue Line is the second largest light rail line by ridership in North America with an average weekday ridership of 72,295, after the Boston Green Line's daily ridership of 235,300, though the Boston Green Line has four outbound termini, so that its 25 miles of track service a larger lateral area than the Blue Line's 22 miles, but a shorter length.^[5]

[edit] Hours of operation

All Metro Rail lines run regularly between 5:00AM and midnight seven days a week. Limited service on particular segments is provided after midnight and before 5:00AM. There is no rail service between 2:00AM and 3:30AM. Exact times vary from route to route; see individual route articles for more information.

[edit] Fares

All fare collection is based on a proof of payment system. At least two fare machines are outside each station. Fare inspectors and deputy sheriffs police the system and cite individuals without fares. The standard Metro base fare applies for all trips.

On February 28, 2008, Metro announced the approval to install ticket barriers. It is estimated that Metro loses 5.5 Million US dollars a year because of the honor system method. These barriers will also improve security at all the stations, provide better ridership statistics and create the ability to have zone fares. The barriers will be installed at all subway stations, select LRT stations and all stations opening in the future. The installation will take 12 to 18 months.

[edit] Current projects

Metro system map including future extensions and expansions.

• The Gold Line Eastside Extension is a 6.0 mile extension of the Gold Line to East Los Angeles. It is currently under construction and is scheduled to be completed in late 2009. Due to the narrowness of First Street, a 1.8 mile section of the extension in the working-class neighborhood of Boyle Heights containing two stations will be underground.

• The Expo Line (official name: "Metro Rail Mid-City/Exposition Transit Project") will be a light-rail line from Downtown L.A. to Santa Monica via the Exposition Boulevard corridor in northern South Los Angeles. Construction of the first phase (9.0 miles) from the 7th Street/Metro Center station in downtown to Washington and National in Culver City, began in September 2006. On May 30, 2006, surveying activities began along the line, with construction completion slated for 2010. No color identifying the line has yet been chosen due to a conflict among the MTA Board members on this issue. No funding has yet been identified for the second phase of the Expo Line, which aims to bring the line from Culver City to Santa Monica, a short distance from the Pacific Ocean.

[edit] Expansion proposals

[edit] Official

Westside metro rail lines. Current lines and those under construction are shown in solid lines and those under consideration are shown in dashed lines with alignments and stations as published in LACMTA alternatives studies in May 2008

• Purple Line: This unfunded proposal championed by Los Angeles mayor and former MTA chair Antonio Villaraigosa would extend the Purple Line from its current terminus at Wilshire and Western Avenue in the Koreatown district of Los Angeles to the City of Santa Monica. The extension was a part of the originally planned Red Line, but Congressional Representative Henry Waxman initiated a federal ban on tunnel construction in the Miracle Mile District, due to lingering concerns over large pockets of methane gas underneath it. The ban was overturned in July 2007. Also under consideration is a spur that would link the Hollywood/Highland station of the Red Line to the Purple Line somewhere in the Fairfax District, running through West Hollywood along Santa Monica Boulevard.

• Regional Connector: Plans in the 1970s and 1980s called for a light rail line from Long Beach to Pasadena along a former right-of-way. This is why the Gold Line was at one time known as the "Pasadena Blue Line." Today, the Gold Line and Blue Line do not connect. Some citizens and planners have called for a connection through Downtown Los Angeles of approximately two miles (known as the "Downtown Connector" or "Regional Connector") that would connect the 7th St/Metro Center station to the future Eastside Gold Line Extension at First and Alameda. This would allow the Blue and Expo Lines to reach Union Station, Pasadena and the Eastside, and vice versa. In September 2005, the MTA board publicly indicated its desire to take up this project again, a call heartily endorsed by the editorial page of the Los Angeles Times.

• Gold Line: Using former Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway trackage and right-of-way in the San Gabriel Valley, The Metro Gold Line Foothill Construction Authority is working to extend the northern branch of the Gold Line eastward, from its current terminus in Pasadena to the city of Montclair in San Bernardino County, or even possibly to L.A./Ontario International Airport. As the population density is lower in this portion of the county and projected ridership is lower, other projects have been given a higher priority than this extension. The 24-mile (39 km) Foothill Extension (so named because the route is just to the south of a mountain range) does enjoy popular support from all of the 23 cities along its route. The San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments recently obtained federal funding for environmental studies, however at this time there are still no funds to construct this extension. Construction of the first segment to Azusa may be complete by 2010, however as of April 2008 construction has yet to begin. The agency hopes the second segment can be completed by 2014. That the extension has been seriously considered at all is due in large part to the advocacy of former Azusa city manager Rick Cole, a vocal smart growth proponent. With the completion of the Foothill and Eastside extensions by 2014, the Gold Line would become the longest Metro Line, and possibly the longest light rail line in North America, surpassing the 22-mile (35 km) Blue Line with over 50 miles (80 km) of rail.

• Green Line: The long-delayed reconstruction of Los Angeles International Airport may include a Green Line spur to the new terminal. Los Angeles City Council member Bill Rosendahl has called for this spur to be extended to Marina Del Rey or even Venice along Lincoln Boulevard, citing MTA white papers indicating the feasibility of such an extension. The extension would fix the Green Line's issue of being a route that goes "from nowhere to nowhere." The MTA has also in the past listed on its list of possible projects an extension at the Green Line's eastern end, linking the Green Line to the Metrolink station in Norwalk, possibly with a short underground segment.

• Crenshaw Corridor: This funded line has no color designation, but with the 2008 long range plan, it is clear that this new line is of high priority. Much like the successful Blue Line, the city views the area as one with high ridership potential. Currently, its northern terminus will be located at the Crenshaw Station along the Expo Line, though once the Purple Line's extension finds funding, this line will likely begin at a Purple Line station. The southern terminus is yet to be determined, but there is strong support for it to veer southwest and end at LAX, or the Aviation Station on the Green Line. In any case, this line will either be a light rail transport running mainly on the streets like the Blue Line, or in a bus transitway like the Orange Line.

• Long Range Plans: In the 2008 LACMTA Long Range Plan, it designated the Strategic Unfunded section, outlining more possible future subway and LRT lines. This section is split into two tiers. The first being all lines that already have extensive studies completed and potential budgets laid out. Under this tier includes the Metro Purple Line Subway extension to Santa Monica. Other lines that have yet to gain any media coverage include an LRT line from the Union Station to Burbank, and the Harbor Subdivision line running from Union Station to LAX. The second tier of the Strategic Unfunded plan includes a Vermont Corridor Subway, the Silver Line, a BRT from NoHo to Pasadena, an LRT Yellow Line from NoHo to the regional connector and a Green Line extension from LAX to Santa Monica.

[edit] Citizens' advocacy

Rail advocates have proposed the following lines:

• The Silver Line is another light-rail proposal which would operate from El Monte to Hollywood, passing through the western San Gabriel Valley, University of Southern California Health Sciences Campus & Los Angeles County Hospital, Union Station, Downtown L.A., Echo Park, and Silver Lake along the way. It would use existing rail between El Monte and Union Station in downtown Los Angeles. (This is unrelated to the Foothill Transit "Silver Streak" bus service, which also serves the San Gabriel Valley as of March 19, 2007, and uses buses similar to those of the Metro Orange Line.) The Silver line website is no longer online. An archived version of the Silver Line website can be found from the The Transit Coalition website. Since there is no active website for this proposal, discussions about the silver line have moved to the The Transit Coalition's Discussion Board. As of March 2008, the Silver Line has appeared on the LACMTA's Draft long range transportation plan which outlines future projects for the Los angeles County region.

• The Harbor Line would serve residents of the Harbor Area, by connecting it to the rest of Los Angeles by linking it to the MTA's existing light rail system. The line would serve as a convenient way for people to visit San Pedro, which is currently undergoing a state of rapid redevelopment (with the Port's Bridge to Breakwater proposal and other condo projects). This route would use the long-abandoned right-of-way known as the Harbor Subdivision, which MTA currently owns.^[6] Part of this route would also form the basis of the proposed LAX Express.

• The Get L.A. Moving Plan is a proposal lead by author Damien Goodmon which primarily combines already built lines, and extensions that have been thoroughly studied by the MTA and predecessor agencies to illustrate the type of rail transit system that would exist if they came to fruition. The Get L.A. Moving Plan includes cost estimates, suggested construction schedules, construction methods and financing, and cites rail construction systems around the world including Madrid, Washington D.C. and several Asian countries as precedents.

[edit] See also

• List of rapid transit systems
• List of United States rapid transit systems by ridership

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Official Metro website
• Gold Line Foothill Extension website
• Official Gold Line Eastside Extension website
• History of the Metro Rail System
• Citizens For A Harbor Line website
• The Transit Coalition