One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
This archival content was originally written for and published on KPCC.org. Keep in mind that links and images may no longer work — and references may be outdated.
Ram Jam for crowded Expo Line trains on game days will continue
A view of the home opening NFL game as the Los Angeles Rams play the Seattle Seahawks at Los Angeles Coliseum on Sept. 18, 2016.
(
Harry How/Getty Images
)
Listen
0:44
Ram Jam for crowded Expo Line trains on game days will continue
More than 20,000 fans hopped aboard Metro buses and trains Sunday to get to the Rams game at the Coliseum, most of them taking the Expo Line.
That’s about double what Metro expected based on preseason ridership, and a full quarter of all the attendees at the game — so it wasn't just the Rams who had a good day with their win over the Seattle Seahawks.
Expo trains to the Coliseum started filling up nearly three hours before kickoff and the lines to board after the game were almost 90 minutes long.
Metro officials said that was due in part to a power issue on the tracks and they have no plans to increase capacity in the future. The trains are already running at double frequency every six minutes on game days, so get used to lining up.
Still, it's probably less painful than paying for parking near the stadium, which shot up in price, ranging from around $150 to as much as $1,000 per spot on Sunday.
The Rams will play at the Coliseum through the 2018 season when they'll move to a new stadium in Inglewood. The new location could present more transportation challenges with only 12,500 planned parking spots.
The Crenshaw LAX light rail will eventually open a station in Inglewood, but it won't be operational until 2019, a year after the Rams move, and it will be a mile and a half away from the stadium.
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
