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Metro is one step closer to speeding up service on both the Red and Purple lines, thanks to a $69 million grant from the state. The grant money, which was awarded to the transit agency on Tuesday, will go towards installing a more efficient process for turning Red and Purple line trains around at Union Station, Curbed LA reports. Right now, the trains must change direction while stopped at the platforms. Metro intends to change this so that trains keep going past Union Station and turn around in a maintenance yard. Using this method, 30 trains could pass through the station in an hour, meaning trains could arrive every four minutes during peak hours. This would significantly decrease rider wait time; currently, trains come about every ten minutes during peak hours.
With this grant, Metro now has about half of the $163 million they need for the project. The projected completion date is sometime in 2023. According to a release from the California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA), the grant is made possible through the state’s Cap and Trade auction proceeds. Fourteen projects were selected out of 41 applications from across the state.
Metro recently opened a new pedestrian bridge connecting the North Hollywood Red Line Station with the plaza of the Metro Orange Line Station, shaving off about four or five minutes for commuters who are transferring between lines.
