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ChineseL.A. waits for its opening(s)
Portland’s TriMet added its new Green Line to its light rail network. It opened Saturday.
Photo by Adron B. Hall / Transit Sleuth
It was never easier being green that this weekend. Two cities opened two new light rail lines — both of them happen to be their respective systems’ Green Lines — on the same day. Portland and Dallas both opened extensions this past weekend. And earlier in the summer, Seattle opened the first leg of its Link light rail line.
So when does L.A. get to join in on the party? For the Gold Line extension to East L.A., we don’t know. The construction is complete, but the line south of Union Station must first go through “stress tests,” then six weeks of simulated revenue service without passengers. We are already in September, and the chances are dwindling that the Gold Line extension may still open by the end of the year.
That’s not even the bad news. The bad news is for Expo Line riders. The line, already 50 weeks behind schedule, now will not open until 2011, the Los Angeles Times reports. Only part of it was because of the grade-crossing controversy near Foshay Middle School and Dorsey High. The other problems stem from sewer repair at La Brea Avenue and bridge work near National Boulevard and Ballona Creek.
It’ll be a long while before we could report on light rail parties like the ones in Portland and Dallas. Here’s selected blog coverage from Portland’s Green Line opening festivities:
- Seattle Transit Blog: Portland’s Green Line: The 5th [sic] line in the saga
- Transit Sleuth: The Green Line arrives in Portland
- The Transport Politic: Portland’s new light rail line is welcome news, but it’s not routed as it should be
And Dallas:
- Pegasus News: DART’s Green Line signals a new era for possibilities
- The Transport Politic: First phase of new Green Line expands service to south Dallas
Discussion
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[...] Portland and Dallas Open New Light Rails Extensions, L.A. Waits (Metro Rider) [...]
Awesome post. Thx for the track back. I’ll have to give those other links a read!
Got my fingers crossed for LA!
it’s unfortunate that the Eastside Extension hasn’t opened yet:
1) summer in Little Tokyo, with Nisei Week and Obon, is perfect for light rail with the big crowds and parking problems that these festivals bring.
2) winter in Little Tokyo is comparatively quiet. Oshogatsu just doesn’t cut it.
3) they have already started community meetings for the Regional Connector. it would be easier to convince people that light rail will help the community if the Little Tokyo station were open already.
Don’t forget Vancouver’s Canada Line opened three months ahead of schedule. It seems when it comes to public transportation in LA, we run at a snail’s pace; even the Orange Line, originally was supposed to be opened in summer 2005, didn’t see revenue service until late October/early November 2005. Somehow, I don’t feel too optimistic with Metro’s timeline, the Purple Line to Westwood may not make it before the first half of this century; we can’t even get Wilshire bus lanes put in faster than other countries putting in rail lines.
I’m really curious as to how much ridership GLEE is going to get. I’d imagine most riders from E LA are trying to get Downtown or out to Pico, not Union Station or Pasadena. They already have a one seat ride with the 30 and Montebello 40. Taking GLEE would require a transfer for them at Temple/Alameda to the 30/31/730 or Union Station to the subway. But once the Regional Connector opens, it will be awesome.
Metro should just be honest. the Eastside extension really wont start until Spring 2010. What a fool I was to believe the Metro false advertising plastered on numerous buses saying “Coming mid 2009 !”. I called Metro last month to ask when the eastside extension is opening and I was told “At the end of summer.” Silly me, I didnt realize they meant the end of summer 2010. But hey, its Metros fault for bragging and boasting about it coming this year. They raised the publics hopes falsely, not the other way around. By the way, I go to East LA College and was hoping to use the new Gold Line to go to school. Oh well, Ill just keep polluting LA with my car. All those new stations make excellent bird refuges in the meantime.