The Gold Line is a light rail running from Pasadena through downtown East Los Angeles, Los Angeles which also serves several tourist attractions, including Little Tokyo, Union Station, Southwest Museum, Chinatown, and the shops of Old Town Pasadena. The line, which is one of five in the Metro Rail system, entered service in 2003 and is operated by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro).
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Beginning in East Los Angeles, the Gold Line initially runs west toward Downtown Los Angeles. From its southern terminus at Atlantic, the line travels west along Third Street to Indiana Street, where it turns north for two blocks to First Street. From here, the line continues west to Little Tokyo, partly through a tunnel under Boyle Heights with two underground stations. At Alameda Street in Little Tokyo, the line turns north and crosses over the Hollywood Freeway, and stops at Union Station on tracks 1 and 2. At Union Station, riders can connect with the Metro Red and Metro Purple Lines.
From Union Station, the Gold Line proceeds north on elevated rail to Chinatown, and then crosses the Los Angeles River adjacent to the Golden State Freeway (Interstate 5). From here, the route continues north/northeast, serving the hillside communities north of downtown, including Lincoln Heights, Mount Washington, and Highland Park. Through this stretch, the Gold Line operates primarily at grade, except for a short underpass below Figueroa Street.
North of Highland Park, the route crosses over the Pasadena Freeway (Interstate 110). The route continues through South Pasadena and then downtown Pasadena, primarily at-grade. In Old Town Pasadena, the line travels underground for almost half a mile long, passing under Pasadena's main thoroughfare, Colorado Boulevard. (Memorial Park station, just north of Colorado Boulevard, is below grade.) Finally, the Gold Line enters the median of the Foothill Freeway (Interstate 210) and continues east to Sierra Madre Villa station, in Pasadena just west of the Sierra Madre city limit.
Following the extension to East Los Angeles, the line's ridership increased to more than 34,000 daily boardings.[1] Gold Line ridership has been below projections, which has resulted in cuts in service midday and at night. Service previously operated every 15 minutes during the day with limited stop service during rush hour, which was long by Los Angeles standards but is similar to other light rail lines in the United States such as the San Diego Trolley and UTA TRAX. This Express service was eliminated as of December 16, 2007 (see below).
The Gold Line takes 54 minutes [2] to travel its 19.7-mile (31.7 km) length.[3] This means the Gold Line averages 21.9 mph (35 km/h) over its length, making the Gold Line the slowest of all of Metro Rail's lines. In particular, the Gold Line is slow through the Highland Park area, where trains reach speeds of only 20 mph (32 km/h), and through the curves, where trains travel at about 25 mph (40 km/h).
The Gold Line's initial route was formerly the right-of-way of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway, where passenger trains like the Southwest Chief and the Desert Wind once operated, until Amtrak service was re-routed along the Southern Transcon to San Bernardino via Fullerton.
A line through Pasadena was proposed in the early 1980s as a part of a more extensive regional urban rail network, however it would not come to fruition until almost two decades later. Initial planning and construction was done by the LACMTA. After the project was halted due to a lack of funding the "Los Angeles Pasadena Blue Line Construction Authority" was established by State legislation to reactivate and complete the then 11% completed project.
The Gold Line was originally planned as a part of the Blue Line. Making that connection as originally planned would require a new "Regional Connector" to connect Metro Center with Union Station. Because this light rail line did not connect to the Blue Line, to avoid confusion the line was given a different color. The Rose Line was a strong contender because of Pasadena's Rose Bowl and Rose Parade. However, because future planned extensions would go beyond Pasadena, the LACMTA board voted to name the line the "Gold Line."
The original Gold Line, between Union Station and Sierra Madre Villa, opened in July 2003.
Between February 13, 2006 and December 16, 2007, the Gold Line was the first in the Metro Rail system to implement both local and express limited stop service during rush hours in both direction calling on at Union Station, Highland Park, Mission, Del Mar, and Sierra Madre Villa, eliminating five minutes of travel time from end-to-end.
Since October 29, 2006 end to end travel time were reduced by five minutes, resulting in 30% less waiting time at stations. Ridership hit an all time high of 21,000 boardings in September 2006.[4]
A noise barrier was constructed along the route in South Pasadena between the Mission and Fillmore stations to address noise complaints from South Pasadena residents between April 2007 and July 2007 during the construction one track out of service.
In December 2007, Express Service was discontinued and (local) trains now run more frequently, at 8 minute intervals. Service was increased to every 6 minutes in June 2011 as a result of increased ridership.[5]
In November 2009, Metro opened the first phase of the Gold Line Eastside Extension. The project extended the Gold Line from Union Station to Atlantic Blvd. near Monterey Park. The extended route now serves Little Tokyo, Boyle Heights and East Los Angeles. The project added eight stations.
Metro and the Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension Construction Authority plan to extend the Gold Line beyond Pasadena into the northeastern part of the county. The Gold Line Foothill Extension project will extend the Gold Line through the foothill region to Montclair, California. The Construction Authority is also working to extend the line even further, to Ontario, California.
Metro is considering a new extension of the Metro Gold Line in the Eastside. This second phase of the Eastside Corridor would extend the Gold Line's southern leg eastward, from its current terminus at Atlantic station to the San Gabriel River.
As of August 2010, Metro has completed the Alternatives Analysis phase. The next step for Metro is to conduct an initial environmental study, leading to publication and approval of a Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR).[6]
The two alignments to be studied in the DEIR are:
The following table lists the current stations of the Gold Line, from south to north.
| Station | Major Connections | Date Opened | City |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atlantic | Metro Rapid: 762 | November 15, 2009 | East Los Angeles |
| East L.A. Civic Center | November 15, 2009 | ||
| Maravilla | November 15, 2009 | ||
| Indiana | November 15, 2009 | Los Angeles | |
| Soto | Metro Rapid: 751 | November 15, 2009 | |
| Mariachi Plaza | November 15, 2009 | ||
| Pico/Aliso | November 15, 2009 | ||
| Little Tokyo/Arts District | Metro Rapid: 730 | November 15, 2009 | |
| Union Station | Red Line Purple Line Silver Line El Monte Busway Metro Rapid: 704, 728, 733, 740, 745, 770 Foothill Transit: Silver Streak Amtrak Metrolink |
July 26, 2003 | |
| Chinatown | July 26, 2003 | ||
| Lincoln/Cypress | Metro Rapid: 751 | July 26, 2003 | |
| Heritage Square | July 26, 2003 | ||
| Southwest Museum | July 26, 2003 | ||
| Highland Park | July 26, 2003 | ||
| Mission | July 26, 2003 | South Pasadena | |
| Fillmore | July 26, 2003 | Pasadena | |
| Del Mar | Metro Rapid: 762 | July 26, 2003 | |
| Memorial Park | Metro Rapid: 780 | July 26, 2003 | |
| Lake | July 26, 2003 | ||
| Allen | July 26, 2003 | ||
| Sierra Madre Villa | July 26, 2003 |
The Gold Line is operated out of the Division 21 Yard (Los Angeles River Yard) located on Elysian Park Drive overlooking the Los Angeles River. This yard stores the fleet used on the Gold Line. It is also where maintenance is done on the fleet. Trains access this yard via a single track junction near North Broadway. Northbound Trains may enter without difficulty, while soutbound trains must transfer onto a side track then reverse into the yard.
Gold Line trains are typically two-car trains, except in evenings and weekend mornings when they consist of single cars. On New Year's Day, the Gold Line uses three-car trains for service to the Tournament of Roses Parade and the Rose Bowl Game. Service operates from approximately 4 a.m. to 1 a.m., with service approximately every 6 minutes during peak hours, 12 minutes middays, 12–15 minutes on weekends, and 20 minutes until the close of service.
Trains are composed of articulated light rail vehicles (LRVs) which are compatible with Metro's light rail systems. As of September 2010, the Gold Line uses two types of LRV: Siemens P2000 LRVs and AnsaldoBreda P2550 LRVs. As of January 2010, the Metro Gold Line has 53 active cars (227-242, 244-250, 301, 302, 704-742).
The Metro Gold Line has approximately 31 AnsaldoBreda P2550 cars (701-750) in use. Currently, cars 704-742 are in service. P2550s have been featured in many television ads by Metro. Metro plans to transfer the Gold Line's Siemens P2000 trains to the Blue Line to transfer some overhauled Nippon Sharyo P850 (100-153) cars to Expo Phase 1 while the Ansaldobreda P2550 cars will replace the Siemens P2000 trains on the Gold Line. Five Ansaldobreda P2550 cars will also be assigned to the Blue Line.
On December 21, 2007, Metro introduced cars 233 and 235, which are the special commemorative trains for the 119th Tournament of Roses Parade and the 94th Rose Bowl Game. These are known as the 2008 "Tournament Train." [7]
On October 3, 2007, Metro Gold Line trains began having advertisement banners on the sides of trains, like on the Metro Green Line. On February 13, 2008, Metro removed the banner ads on all Metro Gold Line trains. But in mid-June 2008, banners promoting the Long Range Transportation Plan was added on car 246. On July 14, 2008, banner ads were added on cars 229, 235, 236, 238, 239, 244, 250, and 302.
The following noteworthy incidents have occurred on the Gold Line since opening.
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