On Friday, four new A Line stations in the San Gabriel Valley will open to the public, bringing the total length of the light rail to nearly 60 miles as it now extends into Pomona.
Where are the new stations: The new stations will be located in Glendora, San Dimas, La Verne and Pomona. The addition brings the total number of stations on the A Line to 48.
Why it matters: The A Line is one of the most popular L.A. Metro rail lines, with an estimated 2 million boardings per month. The new stations are located around several college campuses and the L.A. County Fairplex.
Read on … for more details on the uncertainty of planned future extensions.
Four new A Line stations in the San Gabriel Valley opened to the public on Friday, bringing the total length of the light rail to nearly 60 miles as it now extends into Pomona.
The extension brings the line to within just a few miles of the original goal of building out to Montclair, which wasn’t possible due to budget shortfalls and might never come to fruition after the county-level body overseeing transportation in San Bernardino decided earlier this month not to support the project.
Still, Habib Balian, the CEO of the Foothill Gold Line Construction Authority, which has overseen the expansion of the A-line, said the $1.5 billion extension to Pomona has been a long time coming.
“It's probably 20 years overdue,” Balian told LAist. “But we're happy to bring it into fruition at this point.”
Metro’s CEO, Stephanie Wiggins, called the extension a major accomplishment.
“An executive heading to her job downtown, a student on the way to class, or a family going to a Dodgers game, Metro serves all of us,” Wiggins said. “We are part of shared communities, and those communities are interconnected here in the San Gabriel Valley.”
What to know about the extension
The new stations are located in Glendora, San Dimas, La Verne and Pomona. The addition brings the total number of stations on the A Line to 48.
The north-south segment of the train runs from Long Beach through downtown, Northeast L.A. and Pasadena. The four new stations extend the eastern segment, moving the terminus from Azusa to Pomona.
The Glendora, San Dimas and Pomona stations connect with the Foothill Transit bus network. You can also catch the San Bernardino Metrolink at the Pomona station.
There will be more trains running along the A Line now that it’s extended, according to Balian.
Metro says trains will run every 8 minutes during peak weekday hours. During off-peak weekday and daytime weekend hours, trains will run every 10 minutes. In the later hours, the frequency dips to a train every 20 minutes.
Metro estimates a trip from Union Station in downtown L.A. to Pomona will take just over an hour.
The A Line is one of the most popular L.A. Metro rail lines with around 1.8 million boardings per month since the beginning of last year.
The Glendora to Pomona segment of the A Line will open to the public on Sept. 19.
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The significance of the extension
There are 19 college campuses along the route from Azusa to Pomona.
“This particular line is sometimes called the brain train,” Ed Reece, chairman of the construction authority board, said.
Lucas LeVieux, an urban planning student at Cal Poly Pomona, said the A Line extension will be a “game-changer” that will help the school progress toward its climate and enrollment goals.
"Cal Poly Pomona students are really thirsty for quality public transit on campus,” said LeVieux, who serves as a student representative on the university’s Alternative Transportation Committee. “Even with over 14,000 parking spots, I hear students constantly complain about parking availability — to say nothing of the congestion, cost, safety risk and environmental impact of all those cars.”
University of La Verne President Risa Dickson said the expanded Metro rail opens more opportunities for students. Students at junior colleges, for example, need access to housing, she said.
“If they can get on a line at one place and get off at our campus, they can live in our dorms at a much lower rate it will cost them to rent in the community,” Dickson said. “It also enables them to have access to the dining services, have access to the campus community, and it makes it much easier for them to think about their future in a four-year degree format.”
Given the breadth of areas the A Line serves, Reece said the four new stations will help with mobility during the 2028 L.A. Olympics.
“There's very much an opportunity for riders, enthusiasts [and] visitors to jump on and be able to attend some of these events at some of these venues,” he said.
The L.A. County Fairplex, where the annual fair is held and where cricket will be played during the 2028 Games, is a short distance from the new La Verne stop.
Five years and $1.5 billion later
The Foothill Gold Line Construction Authority has overseen the planning, design and construction of A Line extensions since the state created the independent agency in 1998.
The A Line was formerly known as the Gold Line, hence the name of the agency.
The independent agency began major construction on the 9.1 mile-long extension in 2020. It turned the project over to Metro earlier this year for continued testing and future operation.
This extension was originally conceived to include an additional two stations in Claremont and Montclair. But due to budget issues, the plan was changed in 2019 to complete the extension in two phases, with the first bringing the A Line to Pomona.
“It was determined that it was more important to get the project built as far as we could,” Balian said.
The $1.5 billion extension was primarily funded through Measure M, the half-cent sales tax for transportation and mobility projects that L.A. County voters approved in 2016. Unused funding from the Pasadena to Azusa extension, as well as state and local government dollars also supported the project.
Uncertainty for future extension
Whether the train makes it to Montclair is unclear.
The San Bernardino County Transportation Authority announced earlier in September that without a seat on the governing board of the Construction Authority, which would build the project, it was pulling funding from the Montclair extension.
“This decision was not made hastily,” the agency said in a statement. “It comes after nearly a decade of deliberation about the ever-escalating timelines and costs associated with the extension, coupled with the Board’s frustration over the absence of local control in decision-making.”
Balian said the dispute and ensuing decision over the governing structure was “unfortunate.”
“ Although it's worked in every other city along the way over the last 25 miles, it was not something that they were interested in doing or felt comfortable doing,” Balian said.
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The agency is still looking to build at least one additional station in Claremont. Balian said the Construction Authority is hoping to award a design contract for that extension in November, followed by a construction contract in two years.
“ In the intervening years, we'll look to San Bernardino to come up with an alternative,” Balian said.
Across from an auto shop on Venice Boulevard and Albany Street sits a narrow, sunken strip of land lined with overgrown shrubs and cacti. It’s mostly filled with trash — from plastic bags and cups to containers, straws, chip bags and aluminum foil.
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Marina Peña
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Topline:
Bioswales — narrow, sunken strip of land along some L.A. streets — are meant to capture and filter storm water runoff, helping reduce flooding and keep pollutants from flowing into the ocean. But citywide, there are about 23 bioswales that appear abandoned.
Why it matters: The sidewalk features were installed during former Mayor Eric Garcetti’s Complete Streets program around 2018. The initiative aimed to improve streets, add greenery and better manage stormwater along key corridors across the city. But residents, like some in Pico Union, say that bioswales have become dumping grounds. In some cases, the concrete structures were installed but left without vegetation for years, presenting safety concerns.
What's being done about them? Steve Kang, president of the city’s Board of Public Works, said his office is now working to create a program similar to “Adopt-a-Median” that would allow community members and organizations to formally maintain bioswales. Under the proposal, participants would enter into agreements with the city, with support from the Office of Community Beautification, which can provide tools like gloves, trash bags and gardening supplies.
Across from an auto shop on Venice Boulevard and Albany Street sits a narrow, sunken strip of land lined with overgrown shrubs and cacti. It’s mostly filled with trash — from plastic bags and cups to containers, straws, chip bags and aluminum foil.
It’s original purpose was to capture and filter storm water runoff, helping reduce flooding and keep pollutants from flowing into the ocean. But neighbors in Pico Union say that this bioswale and many others across the city have become dumping grounds.
The sidewalk features were installed during former Mayor Eric Garcetti’s Complete Streets program around 2018. The initiative aimed to improve streets, add greenery and better manage stormwater along key corridors across the city.
Local resident Aurora Corona — a longtime Pico Union community organizer involved in local environmental and cleanup efforts — said in some instances it looks like the bioswales were not fully installed.
Citywide, there are about 23 bioswales that appear abandoned, Corona said. Many are located in central and South Los Angeles and spread across at least eight council districts.
In some cases, the concrete structures were installed but left without vegetation for years, Corona said, raising concerns that they were never able to function as intended.
Heberto Portobanco, owner of the Nicaraguan restaurant Portobanco in Pico Union, first noticed the bioswale outside his business about eight years ago, but it became hard to ignore about two years ago when it became a hazard.
“We had an accident, one of the people who does maintenance for us came and fell into it,” he said.
The bioswale was deeper and not fully finished, Portobanco said. After multiple people reported what happened to the city, Portobanco said the city added more soil to level it out.
“The idea might be nice, but if it’s not maintained, it’s a problem,” Portobanco said.
The biggest concern for Portobanco remains safety, especially as he said that people continue to use the space improperly or fail to notice it altogether.
He would be willing to help maintain the bioswale outside his restaurant if the city created a formal program to do so.
For him, keeping the space clean is also about pride and perception.
“I don’t want people to think that Latinos are careless and that we don’t take care of our surroundings,” he said, adding that a well-kept space could encourage others to take better care of the neighborhood.
Corona, the local organizer, has experienced similar issues to the ones Portobanco described.
She lives near two bioswales, including the one near Portobanco’s restaurant.
She first encountered them while organizing a cleanup around 2024 and said she didn’t initially know what they were. What she did know was that they were not being taken care of.
“I was tired of seeing this being a dumping ground, they would just throw trash here all the time,” she said.
That frustration pushed her to take action. She thought of what she had already done with other public spaces in her community.
In 2024, she helped transform a neglected dirt space on Venice Boulevard and Union Avenue into a small community green area — also known as a median — using local grant funding. With the help of volunteers, they removed contaminated soil and planted drought-tolerant greenery.
“It’s only been here since November and it’s grown a lot,” she said about the green belt, pointing to plants that started as small pots and are now taking root.
Corona continues to organize cleanups and, through the city’s “Adopt-a-Median” program, works with neighbors to maintain the space. She said she’d like to see a similar model applied to bioswales — essentially an “Adopt-a-Bioswale” program that would allow residents to take ownership of the ones near them.
“I think people would step up if they were given the chance and the support,” she said.
Across from an auto shop on Venice Boulevard and Albany Street sits a narrow, sunken strip of land lined with overgrown shrubs and cacti. It’s mostly filled with trash — from plastic bags and cups to containers, straws, chip bags and aluminum foil.
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Marina Peña
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The LA Local
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The program for the bioswales, as she envisions it, would involve planting California natives such as dudleya edulis, dudleya pulverulenta and other species that can withstand the weather. It would also call for improving their visibility by painting the bioswale borders in colors that reflect the neighborhood.
That idea has already been discussed at the city level.
Steve Kang, president of the city’s Board of Public Works, agrees that many bioswales now sit “barren” and are treated as “more of a trash repository.”
He said his office is now working to create a program similar to “Adopt-a-Median” that would allow community members and organizations to formally maintain bioswales.
“My intention is to make the process as seamless and easy as possible,” Kang said, adding that the goal is to launch the program sometime in 2026.
Under the proposal, participants would enter into agreements with the city, with support from the Office of Community Beautification, which can provide tools like gloves, trash bags and gardening supplies.
For residents like Corona and business owners like Portobanco, that kind of partnership could turn what are now neglected strips of land into something more useful.
“If we take care of these spaces, they can become something people are proud of,” Corona said. “It changes how people see the neighborhood and how they treat it.”
Makenna Cramer
leads LAist’s unofficial Big Bear bald eagle beat and has been covering Jackie and Shadow for several seasons.
Published April 3, 2026 11:48 AM
The first pip, or crack, was confirmed in one of the eggs around 10 a.m. Friday, according to Friends of Big Bear Valley.
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Big Bear’s famous bald eagles — Jackie and Shadow — appear to be welcoming a new chick into the world.
Why now: The first pip, or crack, was spotted in one of the feathered duo’s two eggs around 10 a.m. Friday, according to Friends of Big Bear Valley, the nonprofit that runs a popular YouTube livestream of the nest overlooking Big Bear Lake.
Why it matters: More than 26,000 people were watching the livestream shortly shortly after the organization confirmed a pip had been spotted, which signals that an eaglet is starting to poke its way out of the egg shell.
The backstory: As of Friday, the first egg is around 38 days old and the second egg is about 35 days old. Jackie and Shadow's usual incubation timeline is around 38 to 40 days, according to the nonprofit.
Big Bear’s famous bald eagles — Jackie and Shadow — appear to be welcoming a new chick into the world.
The first pip, or crack, was spotted in one of the feathered duo’s two eggs around 10 a.m. Friday, according to Friends of Big Bear Valley, the nonprofit that runs a popular YouTube livestream of the nest overlooking Big Bear Lake.
More than 26,000 people were watching the livestream shortly after the organization confirmed a pip had been spotted, which signals that an eaglet is starting to poke its way out of the egg shell.
“Yesterday afternoon, evening and throughout the night we heard little chirps coming from the chick,” Friends of Big Bear Valley wrote on Facebook to more than a million followers. “This indicates that the chick was able to break the internal membrane and took its first breath of air.”
As of Friday, the first egg is around 38 days old and the second egg is about 35 days old. Jackie and Shadow's usual incubation timeline is around 38 to 40 days, according to the nonprofit.
There’s still time for the second egg to show signs of hatching, and a pip could be confirmed in the coming days.
What we know
Jenny Voisard, the organization’s media manager, told LAist earlier this week that hatching is an arduous process for chicks that takes some time.
For example, last season, the first chick hatched more than a day after the initial pip was confirmed, according to Friends of Big Bear Valley records. The second chick hatched about a day after pipping as well, and the third chick worked its way out into the world about two days after the first crack was confirmed.
In March 2025, Jackie and Shadow welcomed two eaglet chicks with one remaining egg in their nest.
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Jackie and Shadow's three chicks on March 7, 2025. One of the chicks later died, while Sunny and Gizmo successfully fledged a few months later.
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Jackie and Shadow's eaglets during a feeding of fish in April 2025.
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Sunny and Gizmo in Big Bear's famous bald eagle nest on Friday, April 18, 2025.
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Viewers watched as the surviving eaglets, Sunny and Gizmo, grew from a few ounces to several pounds in a matter of months before fledging, or taking their first flight away from the nest, last June.
But any chicks arriving this season will have to learn how to feed before they can fly.
The initial meals may be a bit awkward while the chicks learn to sit up straight. Jackie and Shadow could start feeding the chicks the same day they hatch, typically tearing off pieces of fish or raw meat and holding it up to their beaks.
Bald eagles don’t regurgitate food for their young, unlike other birds. But the feathered parents do pass along a "substantial amount of saliva” full of electrolytes and antibodies to their chicks during feedings, according to the nonprofit.
Voisard said new life coming to the nest is a reminder “why it’s so important to conserve their lands.”
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Matt Dangelantonio
has always been fascinated by sports teams' jersey and logo designs, and loves a good alternate jersey.
Published April 3, 2026 10:54 AM
Shohei Ohtani wearing the Dodgers new blue road jerseys, which the team debuted Friday, April 3 against the Washington Nationals.
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The Dodgers debuted a brand new blue road jersey for its game against the Washington Nationals. The new blues will now be part of the team's regular season jersey rotation for away games.
Why it matters: The team says it's a first for the Dodgers, who have traditionally only worn their gray jerseys for away games. The Dodgers now have three road options — two gray jerseys, one that says "Los Angeles" across the front and another that says "Dodgers," along with the new blues.
Dodger Blue.
For the first time in history, the Dodgers will be wearing a blue jersey as part of their regular uniform rotation on the road. pic.twitter.com/ce3EVFVJTd
The backstory: You've probably seen the Dodgers wearing similar blue jerseys during spring training, but up until now they've not been an everyday option for regular season games. It won't be the first time the team wears a blue jersey during the regular season, though. In 2021, the Dodgers debuted blue "City Connect" jerseys, seen below, for that season.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts wearing the team's 2021 City Connect uniform.
Elly Yu
reports on early childhood. From housing to health, she covers issues facing the youngest Angelenos and their families.
Published April 3, 2026 5:00 AM
Under a new law that went into effect this year, childcare providers are barred from asking about a child's or family member’s immigration status.
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Under a new law that went into effect this year, childcare providers are barred from asking about a child's or family member’s immigration status.
What’s new: California Attorney General Rob Bonta provided guidance this week to childcare providers on new legal requirements to protect children and their families from immigration enforcement activities.
The backstory: Lawmakers passed AB 495 last year aimed at helping and protecting families in light of immigration enforcement, including allowing a broader definition of relatives to step in as a caregiver if a parent is detained.
The details: Under the new requirements, childcare centers have to regularly update a child’s emergency contact to make sure someone can be reached in the case of a parent being detained.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta provided guidance this week to childcare providers on new legal requirements to protect children and their families from immigration enforcement activities.
Under a new law that went into effect this year, childcare providers are not allowed to collect information about a child's or family member’s immigration status, unless necessary under state or federal law. Bonta’s office says there currently is no such requirement, though that could change with federal programs like Head Start.
“Childcare and preschool facilities should be safe and secure spaces so children can grow, learn and simply be children,” Bonta said in a statement.
His office says daycare centers also should not keep information about a formerly enrolled child longer than is required by state law.
The new law also requires facilities to inform the attorney general’s office and the state’s licensing agency if they get any requests for information from law enforcement related to immigration enforcement.
Facilities also must ask families to regularly update a child’s emergency contact information to make sure someone can be reached in case a parent is detained by federal immigration officials.
