Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
The Expo Line Will Open In Santa Monica On May 20th
Its official. The Expo Line to Santa Monica will be opening on Friday, May 20th, 2016. You can expect a trip between Santa Monica and downtown Los Angeles to take 46 minutes by rail. No stress, no driving, and certainly no 10 freeway.
The happy news was announced around noon on Thursday, at the conclusion of Metro's monthly board meeting. StreetsblogLA and transit reporter Laura Nelson of the L.A. Times were there to report:
Metro press event about to start - Press release distributed says Expo will open Friday May 20
— StreetsblogLA (@StreetsblogLA) February 25, 2016
Just in: The $1.5-billion, 6.6-mile Expo Line extension to Santa Monica will begin passenger service on May 20, per @metrolosangeles.
— Laura J. Nelson 🦅 (@laura_nelson) February 25, 2016
Support for LAist comes from
The Expo Line's completion marks the first time since 1953 a train has connected Los Angeles' Westside to downtown L.A. The extension from Culver City adds seven shiny new rail stations—moving west from the Culver City station are Palms, Westwood/Rancho Park, Expo/Sepulveda, Expo/Bundy, 26th Street/Bergamont, 17th Street/SMC, and Downtown Santa Monica:
Three of the stations—SMC, Bundy, and Sepulveda specifically—were built with large accompanying parking structures. The intention is to encourage folks who might otherwise commute by car from the Westside to downtown (or elsewhere) to skip the traffic-clogged drive and ride the train, maybe reading a book or something, instead.
Regardless, this is a pretty big deal, and represents a significant landmark for Los Angeles' push to develop a comprehensive transit system. While Metro has been busily building train-lines all over the county for the greater part of the past decade, most haven't quite opened up yet. Expo Phase II is one of the first tangible products of Measure R, a sales-tax increase L.A. Voters approved back in 2008 to fund the construction of transit all across L.A. County.
Five large rail projects are simultaneously under construction around L.A. County. Along with the Expo-Line the Gold Line extension to Azuza is very close to opening. Metro's also hard at work extending the Purple Line to Westwood, building the Crenshaw Line to the LAX, and adding the regional connector in downtown L.A.
Bonus picture of an old Pacific Electric Red-Car in Palms, incidentally running along the same alignment the Expo Line was built on:
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
With less to prove than LA, the city is becoming a center of impressive culinary creativity. -
Nearly 470 sections of guardrailing were stolen in the last fiscal year in L.A. and Ventura counties.
-
Monarch butterflies are on a path to extinction, but there is a way to support them — and maybe see them in your own yard — by planting milkweed.
-
With California voters facing a decision on redistricting this November, Surf City is poised to join the brewing battle over Congressional voting districts.
-
The drug dealer, the last of five defendants to plead guilty to federal charges linked to the 'Friends' actor’s death, will face a maximum sentence of 65 years in prison.
-
The weather’s been a little different lately, with humidity, isolated rain and wind gusts throughout much of Southern California. What’s causing the late-summer bout of gray?
Best of LAist