Calling All Angelenos! You Can Help Name The Metro Line Connecting Artesia To Downtown

The Metro light rail project that will connect Artesia to downtown L.A. will have a new name by next year — and Angelenos get to vote on it.

The project has long been called the West Santa Ana Branch, named after a historic rail corridor used by Pacific Electric until the mid-1950s — but it’s caused some confusion.

“Every time we've gone to pitch this project, it just feels like the majority of the time we're explaining why it's called the West Santa Ana Branch, and how that has absolutely nothing to do with where it will run, the people it will serve,” says LA County Supervisor and Metro Board member Janice Hahn.

Why does it need to be renamed

Supervisor Hahn represents much of the area the new line will serve. She’s been trying to get the project renamed for years.

“I was told by staff at Metro that that was not going to happen, because it would jeopardize a future funding request, but I think it's been just the opposite. I think we have lost funding because of this weird name that nobody can pinpoint where it is in Los Angeles County,” Hahn says.

The new name is going to remedy that. A panel of judges — made up of city leaders from along the route — sorted through 12,000 submissions and came up with 12 finalists. Some submissions came from contestants as young as 13.

The Metro light rail line that Angelenos can vote to rename.

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Courtesy of the office of L.A. County Supervisor Janice Hahn

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“It was very heartening to me to see how people really have connected to the history of this territory,” Supervisor Hahn says. “They suggested names that were women-empowering… There were names that related to our Native American history. There were many Spanish names that the translations were everything from “hope,” to “rivers,” to “safe route.” It was just amazing how creative everybody was.”

The name will follow the project until its completion, which is currently estimated for 2035 then, the line will receive its designated letter and color. But Hahn is optimistic that this new name won’t just stick around, it’ll accelerate the project as a whole.

“I think the enthusiasm and energy that naming this train will create, in all my heart, I believe it will help with funding, it will help speed up the project, and I believe it will connect those who live in these cities now as well as way into the future for generations to come. I think the naming of this train will be a story that we tell for a long time.”

The finalists

Here is a list of the 12 final names and their descriptions, courtesy of Supervisor Hahn’s office:

• Calafia: The mythical queen after which California, first thought to be the “Island of California," is named.
  
• Esperanza: “Hope” in Spanish. This project represents the aspirations of 1.4 million residents for improved mobility, better opportunities, and an enhanced quality of life.
  
• Gateway Cities: This line will serve most of the Gateway Cities, making these communities more accessible to the rest of L.A. County and helping unify a regional identity.
  
• Los Angeles Gateway: The Gateway Cities region will finally have a direct transit connection to the heart of Los Angeles.
  
• Los Rios: This line will run along and cross our major rivers, including the San Gabriel River, the Los Angeles River and its Rio Hondo tributary.
  
• Pioneer: Pioneer Blvd. runs through the heart of Artesia, the line’s terminus. This project also represents a new frontier for the communities it will serve.
  
• Pórtico: A portico is a door, a gateway to something new. This line will offer the Gateway Cities a portal to a brighter future.
  
• Ruta Segura: “Safe Route” in Spanish. This project will give many new public transit users the confidence to travel on the Metro system.
  
• Southeast: This line will serve not only Southeast Los Angeles but also most of Southeast Los Angeles County. Check the compass at Union Station; this line goes due Southeast.
  
• Southeast Gateway: The communities of SELA and the Southeast LA County region, also known as the Gateway Cities, will have a gateway to DTLA.
  
• The Heartland Connection: This line will provide a connection to the heart of the Metro system for the millions of residents of the Southeast Los Angeles County communities.
  
• Tongva: The Tongva, whose name means “People of the Earth," are the original inhabitants of the land that today is Southeast Los Angeles County.
  

How to vote

Voting will run until Dec. 17. The new name will be announced in January 2024.