extended red line hours take effect next month
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After winning approval last month, Metro has announced it will begin operating extended Red Line hours on November 21 as part of a Holiday program aimed at making travel more convenient for shoppers, residents and tourists who want to take advantage of Downtown’s growing nightlife options.
Under the plan, subway trains will run until 3:00am on Friday and Saturday nights through the end of the year — a move that should prove very popular to weekend partiers and businesses that cater to them.
The program adds two additional hours of service beyond the current time of 1:00am, scheduling two-car trains every twenty minutes for passengers traveling between North Hollywood and Union Station.
According to Metro estimates, a mere $4,500 per day is needed to fund the extended schedule and several business and organizations in Hollywood and Downtown have stepped up to sponsor the program, no doubt hoping this might become a permanent move.
This is just one more step in turning Downtown into the 24-hour destination we all know it can be. Would you consider taking a Red Line train in the wee hours of the morning? Let us know you think about this move by Metro!
-catch last call and take the red line home, maybe
-Red Line Nights Set to Launch November 21 (blogdowntown)
19 comments
This is definitely a good move and will likely be a huge boon to Hollywood and Downtown. If anything, it will highlight how useful transit can be and how much our system needs to be expanded to other popular shopping and nightlife destinations, especially those on the westside.
I am extremely satisfied with this move by the MTA and business owners alike. Back in May, I went to an MTA meeting in West Hollywood and suggested that the subway be 24 hours on weekends due to safety and careless driving. If anyone walks on Hollywood Blvd on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights, it looks more like the 405 during rush hours. I usually walk faster and this is why it’s a definite no-brainer to extend hours.
This is an extremely smart move and hopefully everyone leaves their car at home and opts to take the subway instead since it will be running after last call. I will DEFINITELY be one of those riding at 2am after the bars have closed.
Awesome!
Wow! This is a great move. Between this and the holiday events at LA Live - downtown will be heading into ‘09 the right way.
this is awesome news. no more cab rides home from hollywood! however, this should not be a trial program. this needs to be a permanent thing. plus, it will probably take at least a dozen drunk drivers off the road every friday and saturday night. and it costs only $9,000 per weekend? is Metro on drugs? Why is this not happening EVERY WEEKEND.
I am mighty happy to hear that this has moved forward. Although it is but a trial period, we at The Bus bench will be there to support it starting day one with a bar-hopping party. No concrete details yet as we have to map it out, but when we get sober for a moment and see what pubs are where, we will announce it.
In the meantime, let me be the first to state this revolutionary idea: let the Los Angeles constabulary agencies that are forever whinging with their self-righteous diatribes about the need for sobriety checkpoints, et al, to pony up the paltry $9K required to keep a few drunk drivers off the road every weekend. The resultant taxes from favourably affected businesses (liquor taxes in CA are considerable) will surely make up for it before too long.
After all, is not one life saved worth a measly $9,000.00?
Americans have a strong ‘anti-tax’ sentiment, so finding $9K in government money is not easy. Isn’t it funny people want tax cuts, but yet want more services? We need to provide more money to governments to allow more services. That’s the truth.
The MTA is not paying for this. Private business is. But the MTA IS did pay more than $100,000 for the Dodger shuttle. That’s prejudice.
The proposal has only gotten through Metro’s Operations committee and must still be approved by the full Board on Thursday … plus the business community funding has not been confirmed by Metro staff yet.
And there is one major flaw in the concept. None of the usual connecting Metro Rail services will be extended. No Blue Line connection to Long Beach, no Gold Line connection to Pasadena, not even additional Orange Line busway service in the Valley or additional Rapid service on Wilshire Blvd.
I am skeptical that this will be anything near the resounding success that it could have been if it hadn’t been proposed by a bunch of business owners who have no concept of how the network of service, not just one line, is essential.
Oh, and Bert: LADOT funded the Dodger shuttle on their own. No Metro funds involved. (I know because I was at the City Council transportation committee meeting where the funding was identified.)
Bert - Yes, Kymberleigh is right, the Dodger Shuttle was funded by LADOT not Metro. Even that, I criticized that why couldn’t the travelers pony up a $1/ride to help cover the cost. Why do we always expect free things?
And, yes, I know 100% that the funding for Metro late-night is through private funding. But, when I read other comments (and Kymberleigh’s) who say why isn’t the other rails working ‘til 3 am or why isn’t that everything? Well, simple answer. We have very limited government funding. If we had a better tax structure where people are willing to pay more for services, we would have more service.
I’m not sure if y’all read the paper today, but it looks like there could be serious Metro service cuts coming soon due to the AIG bailout. Looks like Metro will need somebody else to buy back all the rails car/buses and lease ‘em back. Do we need Measure R now?
I was under the impression that at least one night of funding for the late-night Red Line trial run was confirmed, and that the sponsors for that first night are:
213 Ventures; LA Live; Staples Center; Bringing Back Broadway; Los Angeles City Councilmembers Eric Garcetti, Jose’ Huizar, Wendy Greuel and Jan Perry; The Orpheum Theatre; The Los Angeles Theatre; Historic Downtown Business Improvement District; Club Nokia; and NBC Universal.
Additional sponsorship was provided by Millennium Partners/Argent Ventures, Redwood Bar & Grill, La Cita, Selma Hotel, Deluxe Restaurant - Adolfo Suaya, Newport Capital Advisors, Fox Theater and The Ivar - 6506 Hollywood Associates, L.T. Properties - Dr. Alan Konce and Vytas Juskys and the Pantages Theatre.
As for measure R, I was against it before the news of Metro’s AIG connection hit, and I am now firmly dead set against it. The mismanagement of Metro monies was bad enough, but this development proves that Metro executives—as well as its apologists—need a serious overhaul (and keelhauling, to boot), NOT more money to pay for past mistakes.
Fingers crossed that this works. A lot of this ijust perception, among low information civilians (people from out of town, and, sad to say, even some of our own residents) that LA is no longer a town that rolls up the sidewalks at 10 pm, and we are now closer to being more like Chicago and New York in terms of our nightlife, than we are to Salt Lake City and Toronto. And Downtown and Hollywood, tied by the Red Line, are the twin pillars.
Kymberleigh Richards is incorrect. This pilot program is most definitrly approved by the Metro board, not just a committee - in fact, once it went through Los Angeles City Council, it went directly to the board via a motion instead of committee due to the tight timing.
The proposal was approved by the Metro Board at its September meeting, with the stipulation that the funding (all private dollars) must be to Metro to run the program by October 17 to put it into effect, and the funding was delivered and received by that deadline. So the program is ON, for sure.
I think everyone agrees, it would be great to have all the other lines open 24-hours a day, but the fact of the matter is businesses on the Red Line put this are paying for this, so if people on other lines want to see their lines open too, then they need to find the private dollars to pay for it. until then at least we have the red line going.
The best thing anyone can do to help make this a PERMANENT program is to RIDE IT. Use the service. Arrange your plans around it so you can use it even if you otherwise would not, and get your friends and family to do the same. Unless Metro is fully convinced there is BIG demand for this service - the kind of demand that makes it feasible in very tough economic times, then they will never make it permanent.
BIG PROPS need to go out to the businesses (almost all of which are DOWNTOWN) who put their dollars where their mouths are and are paying for this, and let’s not forget the pretty impressive work done by Councilman Huizar to get this in place in a totally short timeline.
I’ll be riding it, that much I know for sure.
BusTard…if there is service cuts…what are you going to do? Complain about poor execution of services? Do nothing about it? Measure R is our one big chance to inject greater Metro services and expansion around LA county. Without it, without major fare increases (besides the one scheduled in ‘09), Metro is screwed. By the way, if Measure R passes, the ‘09 fare increases are delayed until June 2010.
“And there is one major flaw in the concept. None of the usual connecting Metro Rail services will be extended. No Blue Line connection to Long Beach, no Gold Line connection to Pasadena, not even additional Orange Line busway service in the Valley or additional Rapid service on Wilshire Blvd.”
I agree with this to a point, but most of the late night ridership would come from the red line alone. There would be diminishing returns for the connecting lines. I’m hopeful that they can get this to work, but you’re correct that there is an obstacle built into it.
I’m for Measure R, but I’ve heard that polling shows it going down in flames. Hopefully that’s either wrong or that turns around in the next couple of weeks.
to double dot:
The September vote was a vote to move forward with exploring the idea. As you referenced, item #52 from the September agenda has within it the phrase “conditioned upon securing legally binding commitments to fund the marginal operating costs through private donations or other non-MTA sources of funds by October 17.”
At the Board Operations committee on Thursday, one day before that deadline, the staff report included the statement that the “funding has not been confirmed”. Absent some confirmation of your claim that the money was delivered and received, I don’t believe I am as “wrong” as you think. I am cautious to declare something to be true until facts come into evidence. Thus far, the only thing I have heard officially from Metro is that the day before this was to be a done deal, the people funding it hadn’t signed a binding commitment.
This will probably happen. And it will not be the resounding success everyone wishes for, because of the shortsightedness by the proponents to not include connectivity. And, unfortunately, if it fails because of the rush to get it running without taking everything into account, it will mean the impetus to make rail operate 24/7 will be slowed and it will take a lot longer for that to happen.
But at least Metro won’t have to pay for making the mistake.
LAofAnaheim,
I can assure you that Metro knew of the clause in the leaseback contract with AIG well before Measure R was announced. I believe that Measure R was drafted right round the time that AIG was seeking the muster to ask the feds for $85 million, and then allowed a fair amount of their execs to spend a fair amount of that cash playing in Vegas right round the time that Metro was doing their big push for Measure R. And I am certain that if Measure R passes, it will not go for any expansion, and most likely not for maintenance—it will be used to pay back monies lost for poor mismanagement. And if it is not passed, then Metro will be able to whinge about a lack of support and how they will not be able to execute all the grand schemes that they have gotten too many folk to believe they allegedly intended to carry out.
To sum it up: Measure R will do nothing either way.
There will be service cuts even if Measure R passes. In the meantime, you should be thankful that someone with my background is so willing to take the time to do what you are not—which is documenting how the fractured public transportation system of the second largest “city” in the United States remains foundering with any real oversight, without demanding compensation. I rely almost exclusively on Metro—I own no motor vehicle nor have I since 1996, and even then was often without one as far back as 1988—and I have a vested interest in Metro getting its act together.
When what I have stated above comes to fruition, lemme ask you: “What are YOU going to do?”
Sorry BusTard, I guess me going to the Transit Coalition meetings, donating cash to them, and attending the Public Service comment periods mean nothing then. I seriously don’t think Metro would pass a measure and not have some results. The problem with Metro you are still thinking about is the Red Line construction boondoogle of the ’90s. Look at the Gold Line eastside subsequent to that. Expo Line is moving along well (albeit some renegotiating pending on Farmdale). Oops, Metro made one mistake in the ’90s, got stuck in a ridiculous Consent Decree, and for eternity they are damned for public support.
LAofAnaheim,
I am curious why attending meetings overseen by a guy who calls Gloria Molina a “shrill, shrieking shrew” in print (LA Weekly, 24 July 2008: http://www.laweekly.com/2008-07-24/news/the-quot-temporary-quot-sales-tax-would-last-30-years-it-39-s-already-set-eastside-against-westside/) and as a rebuttal to a comment made at a public meeting hosted by So.Ca.Ta, called Recording Secretary Kymberleigh Richards a “bitch” has prompted you to imagine yourself more informed than we whom you do not know. (I have that on tape, as do a number of other folk recording the proceedings of 09 August 2008; if it were a joke, it was in extremely poor taste in a public venue filled with folk who were not in on the “joke” not to mention the great disruption that occurred immediately after Mr. Bart Reed’s outburst.)
As for Metro’s mistakes, they are great and many and ever-present. Perhaps you might read Tony V’s comments on Measure R during yesterday’s Mobility 21 conference and wonder why he neglected to mention certain words. Then go ask Roger Snoble exactly what Measure R will do. What I have heard so far is what will not be done if Measure R fails as well as observed the usual escape clauses: “*Specific mode and routing will be subject to approved plans developed in cooperation with local jurisdictions and affected communities.” “New Rail and/or Bus Rapid Transit Capital Projects - project definition depends on final environmental review process.” and so on. I am still combing the complete text for next week’s debate, but I am not confident of the results should Measure R be passed.
As I have stated previously, I have been a straphanger/bus-rider for a couple of decades now and I do wish Metro could get its act together. As it seems unable to do so, I have elected to document the financial train wreck that is Metro.
I do not wish to endure something such as the bus strike of 2000 (surely you remember that? or would you not call THAT a mistake?) and the sadly resultant glee of hearing busses returned to the streets as I did that early morning on Spring and 6th, when I was sleeping in my office owing to the impasse that caused the strike. I maintain that service cuts will occur even if Measure R passes, and no amount of meeting attendance—surely you do not think they allow the public to decide despite claims to do so?—will change Metro’s mind nor turn round the financial fiasco that is being brought to bear by yet another mistake: AIG.
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