metro gold line eastside extension is 87% complete
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A press release issued today by the MTA sends exciting news on LA’s quest to expand its transit network.
Metro has finished installing twin tracks for the six-mile Metro Gold Line Eastside Extension from Downtown’s Union Station to Boyle Heights and East Los Angeles — a major milestone for the $899 million project set to bring reliable public transportation to an area of the city that may rely on it the most.
According to officials, the new rail extension — being named after the late public figure Edward R. Roybal — is ahead of schedule, under budget, and brags that 3.4 million hours of construction has been logged without any incidents of injury, a tremendous accomplishment for a major public works project (and Metro itself).
At 87% complete, the new tracks should be fully operational by next summer, and initial ridership projections for the first year are 13,800 boardings on an average weekday, growing to 22,983 by 2025. It will feature eight new stations including two underground: Little Tokyo/Arts District, Pico Aliso, Mariachi Plaza, Soto, Indiana, Maravilla, ELA Civic Center and Atlantic.
Pictured above, elevated metro rail over the 101 Freeway in Downtown.
12 comments
i have a feeling those ridership projections are WAY off. what a low ball figure. i cant even believe that we got funding with those numbers. anyways, great news that its 87% complete.
I think the figures MTA puts out are intentionally deflated. As I recall, they came in with the same low-ball figures for the Orange Line bus transitway and did some similar ridership revisions before the Gold Line opened to Pasadena. It’s likely they do this so that even a mildly good turn out can beat the “projections” and allow them to hype the success of the line. Still, whatever their reasons, I’m glad to see it open, too.
For rail history buffs, next year’s opening of the line brings true “through” service to Union Station for the first time in its 70-year history. Until then, all travel technically ended at its platforms. I’m sure there are proper railroad terms out there for this…maybe someone can help out here?
There is a proposal to add a full set of “Pass through tracks” to Union Station. Most likely if that happens it would be as a part of the High Speed Rail project if and when that happens.
I also learned recently that Union Station was originally designed to be a 2 level station, so there is the possibility of adding a second track level above the first.
Good. even better to reduce traffic is that these lines should be extended even further east.
Ahead of schedule, below budget and no injuries… that sounds really good. I hope they continue on with this track record and get the project finished early. This will be great for Downtown and East LA.
i can’t wait! rail rail rail. put it everywhere! so obviously the best way to get around cities.
Great to hear…man with measure R and the high-speed rail proposals both coming up for vote soon, we really have the opportunity to completely change the way we deal with LA, the way others see our city, the way we see our city…It will all change. Im am in 9th grade now, and by the time i graduate college i expect to be able to ride the subway to Westwood, then the 405 line up to the valley, then the north-south valley transitway to the Burbank HSR station, then take the train up to San Fran, all in under 3 hours…
Remember Tornadoes28, rail never reduces auto traffic. It provides convenient options for people and allows further development. You’ve never seen a reduction in traffic in New York, London, Chicago, Hollywood (Red Line), etc… but it allowed for greater high density development. So, if you’re hedging on a reduction of traffic, I can guarantee that will not happen.
Why isn’t there a yellow line stop closer to LAC+USC? So many doctors at the medical center live in Pasadena and obviously the community would benefit from better access to the Hospital.
great news…the closest stop for me in Montebello will be the Atlantic station about 2.5 miles from my place. It would be awesome if they could open it buy Summer 2009 instead of Late 2009.
And that estimate is a low baller, should be more like 24,000 to 28,000.
For most people (not all- I still have friends that have 3 cars) in the Eastside its a need not just a want for this type of public transportation.
LAC+USC already has an El Monte Busway stop that has buses that go non-stop to Union Station.
This is a great example when things are done right and with political and neighborhood support. Compare this to the Expo Line that got stopped 10 years ago so that a political detour could be introduced to delay or kill the line. With out this political tactic the line would now be completed to Santa Monica for about the same cost it will now only take it to Culver City. Now a neighborhood (would be politician) is trying to gain notice and power has “demanded” that a grade separation be built at a minor crossing that does not even rate a traffic signal that is adjacent to High School. It is OK for the East LA Gold Line to have many schools adjacent to the line without any ridiculous demands were made for this line, but not for the Expo Line. This is why the East LA Gold Line is almost complete, ahead of schedule and under budget. Congratulations are in order to the people and leaders of East Los Angeles in supporting this line and its construction. It will soon be open and the East Los Angeles residents will have the advantage of this service that the residents of West LA and Santa Monica will not have for many years and at an ever elevating cost.