catch last call and take the red line home, maybe
A proposal unanimously passed by City Council today would allow for Metro’s Red Line to operate extended hours this winter holiday season.
The plan, which still has be approved by the Metro Board of Directors, would keep subway trains running until 3:00am on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from November 1, 2008 through January 3, 2009 — aimed at making travel more convenient for shoppers, residents and tourists who want to take advantage of Downtown’s growing nightlife options.
Metro estimates it would cost an additional $4,500 per day to run trains past its current time of 1:00am, leading some Downtown and Hollywood businesses poised to benefit from the plan to already commit $50,000 towards the effort, about half its total estimated cost.
Councilman Jose Huizar, whose council district 14 includes a large portion Downtown, co-authored the program.
-Proposal Extends Metro Red Line To 3 A.M. (KNBC)
Photo via flickr user Burns!
18 comments
I know I’m not alone on this…
Doesn’t it tick you off when you see some promotion of downtown events that offer freeway directions, parking information (much less parking validation), road/frwy maps, etc. and SQUAT about MetroRail or MetroLink station information to the event?
I’m just saying this because any effort on the part of Metro has to be matched by support from those who advertise and promote downtown events.
Per blogdowntown, I think Thursday nights have been scrapped from the proposal. Looks like the cost and maintenance schedule will hinder a possible late-night Thursday…(uh)…night train.
I send firm letters or emails to any business, especially large ones, that do not mention transit options. Recently I was invited to a meeting in a building on 5th & Flower and the invite made parking suggestions, but no mention of transit. I really gave them a hard time about that, especially considering that the meeting was about the arts and the environment.
In addition, don’t just demand they mention transit, provide them with the exact info they would need to post, because many people simply do not know.
where’s the paypal link? i’ll kick in so much damn money. i wish we had a la carte income taxes..
Bert: They figure it’s much easier to get people to buy a Prius and forget about it than to take transit, move closer to work, etc.
WTF it only costs $5k a day to extend the hours? We should be doing this all years, think of all the lives and DUIs it would save.
Bert: To your knowledge is Metro putting pressure on downtown event planners – or any event convenient to MetroRail?
I just came across a “kids club at 7+FIG” event in the Downtown News…The ad offers “three hours FREE parking with validation.” No mention of the Metro Station across the street. But, in their defense, their site includes Metro and Dash info. So I guess we’re all over the map on this issue.
Metro does not put pressure on anyone to mention transit, but they do offer organizations the opportunity to have their events featured on their “Take the Metro to…” campaign.
Rich, as for the 5th & Flower people, when I told them I would be walking there from 5th & Main they were shocked. It is not about a Prius and walking, it was a really clueless mindset that would actually encourage someone to drive from 5 blocks away.
@Dave Bullock { 09.17.08 at 7:05 pm }
I’ve been saying this for years. I can’t even begin to imagine how many people reading this blog at some point or another have gotten a ride from someone who was of questionable sobriety because the trains weren’t running. It’s terrible to do and it is sadly avoidable by having transit options that don’t stop running at 10 pm.
I know that I for one will GLADLY take the train home on Fridays and Saturdays now.
$5k is raised in about 10 seconds by calling local businesses and asking them to kick in for ad boards in the stations. Metro really lacks creativity and foresight. It’s sad really.
Is this for the Purple Line too? I want my late night Korean bbq.
I also wish they’d extend the hours of all services, especially the other rail lines. While this is a start, it doesn’t benefit hardly anybody not living in Downtown or Hollywood.
Extending the hours would be awesome, even if it is only for 3 months–I’ll take it. They need to live up to their posted hours though. I took the Red Line a few months ago to meet my sister the Biltmore jazz bar. I went to take it home to City West (Pershing Square to 7th St. Metro, 1 stop) and I waited in the station from about 12:15 a.m. to almost 1:00 before I gave up–no west/northbound train ever came! This was on a Friday night. I walked, not cool.
Take the train when it happens, talk up the service to everyone else on there, and don’t forget to send a letter or an e-mail to Metro, and to Councilman Huizar, thanking them for getting this going!
If there’s enough noise and support, maybe, maybe, maybe, one day it will become a permanent thing.
this is great news! i will be on it drunk all the time
Metro needs to run ALL THE LINES late. Having only the Red line run will only serve people who live in Downtown or Holllywood. The connecting lines need to run just as late.
It’s about time. They should have been doing this years ago. We’re the second largest city in the country, yet our subway doesn’t run past 12:30? Sad.
Yes!!!!! I will use it. Make L.A. a 24-hour city. Fantastic.
Do these extended hours include the purple line?
We need some bathrooms at these stations. Where are all us drunks gonna pee.