The Metro Gold Line Extension is coming to East Los Angeles
With the upcoming opening of the Gold Line Extension soon approaching, I wanted to provide a quick preview of the route and its proposed stops.
The Metro’s Gold Line Extension features include:
- Six miles of new rail, which allows those residents better access for public transportation
- Connections directly to the existing Metro Gold Line to Pasadena, without the need for a transfer
- 8 totally new stations (2 underground at Soto and Mariachi Plaza)
- Metro’s continued dedication for public artworks at its stations
- Twin tunnels underneath Boyle Heights
- An initial $898 million investment for the East Los Angeles residents
- The culmination of Metro’s construction dating from 2004
- It’s opening by the end of 2009
- An estimated travel time between Union Station and Atlantic Station of only 17 minutes
- The use of electrical grids powered overhead the rails by catenary wires
A Map of the New Metro Gold Line Extension for East Los Angeles
View LA Metro Gold Line Eastside Extension in a larger map
At the eastern gateway of the new route, the Atlantic station uses bold entry pavilions and dynamic, illuminated platform canopies. The canopies will provide shade to the estimated 13,000 riders who will use this Extension daily. It’s architecturally stunning, blends into the neighborhood, and more importantly, it’s for the benefit of the oft neglected community residents.
The East LA Civic Center stop features the parallel and linear field of California Golden poppies side by side to the new rails—providing a visual and vibrant tribute to nature in the midst of the latest transportation technology and inner city living.
At the Maravilla Station, the arched canopies match the architecture, color, and texture of the nearby, “Our Lady of Lourdes Church.”
By the way, a warning about this station–King Taco is across the street so be aware of your travel times and don’t forget to bring dinner home!
From the Honorable Mayor of Los Angeles, Antonio Villaraigos, on Metro Safety:
Pay careful attention to your surroundings
Obey all traffic signals and warning devices.
Always look both ways and listen for the train before crossing the tracks.
Never run to catch a train.
Never jaywalk, use the crosswalks.
Do not run red lights or make illegal U turns.
Always wait behind the limit lines.
Be safe! Source: Metro.net
I’ll leave you with this section from Metro’s East LA Civic Center stop–words to live by:
Travelin’ Local salutes the Metro, the great citizens of East L.A. and Los Angeles, Los Angeles Mayor, Antonio Villaraigosa, and those that try and make our lives and city a better place, a little bit at a time, and every single day—it’s not easy but then again it shouldn’t be.
Excellent news–I wonder how many more people now have access to transportation–or convenient public transportation–when they didn’t before–from looking at the map, I’m guessing at least a million.
Excellent coverage and photos.
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LisaNewton Reply:
August 4th, 2009 at 6:09 am
@David, It’s great to see the Metro expanding, especially because gas prices are on the rise again.
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my house is located closed to Metro Gold line, and I want to go to Korea town. I have to purchase two tickets because, i was told that, they are different lines. would this ever going to change? can it be made such a way that it would be a transfer from one train to next?
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Erasure25 Reply:
August 26th, 2009 at 10:25 am
@joe, You can buy a day pass. It’s $5, which is the same cost as buying 4 boarding passes (2 lines, roundtrip). But you save time.
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LisaNewton Reply:
August 26th, 2009 at 12:01 pm
@joe, Erasure25 is right. You can get a day pass, or better yet, a monthly pass for unlimited Metro access.
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Argueably there are the standard safety features in place. However, having lived in Boyle Heights for 21 years, i can tell you there will be numerous incidents involving peds and cars in the near future once this is open. It is unfortunate, but the reality is, alot of people in the area will not adjust to the traffic changes, new signs and their penchant of jaywalking will assure an accident or two. It will take a couple years. Then the money they should have spent for more safety will be given up. Reluctantly perhaps.
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LisaNewton Reply:
October 26th, 2009 at 8:06 pm
@RICHARD, With so many test runs, I hope people get used to the new route quickly. I have confidence that they will. I don’t think it will take too long. People will get used to the route sooner rather than later.
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Test runs are one thing. Trains full of people and real deadlines are another. I can give you a spot where you might as well set up a camera and record the number of TA’s that will happen. The corner of Indiana and First, where the trains make a sharp right. People will get stuck on the other side of the gate and try to make a run for clearance. The trains always have the right of way and they will no doubt see the green light and proceed at regular speed. They may not even see the car until it squirts out from the corner and onto the tracks. Lets hope it is sooner rather than later,that they learn from these mistakes. On both sides. I share your frail optimism.
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LisaNewton Reply:
November 5th, 2009 at 5:23 pm
@Richard, As the time gets closer to the opening of the new line, I’m becoming more confident that everything will be fine.
I realize that test runs are one thing, but they serve to educate everyone. There is always a possibility of an accident, however, the more people see the trains, the better everyone will be.
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It does not offer a conection to LAC+USC. I thought I was able to get ride it, since I live in Monrovia and travel to LAC+USC to work. I was planing to drive to Pasadena an take the train all the way to work. It’s not possible, so no Goldline in the San Gabriel Valley and too far away from my place of employement. Who’s idea was to have this train so far away from County Hospital? It makes no sense.
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LisaNewton Reply:
November 5th, 2009 at 5:19 pm
@Nayade, If I understand where you live and where you want to go, you can take the train almost all the way. In fact, you can board in Pasadena, take the old Gold Line which connects to the new Gold Line and get off at the Soto station.
From there, you can either walk the 1.4 miles to LA County Hospital or take the 751, which stops at the corner of Marengo and State.
Here’s a picture:
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