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.
D Line will reopen Saturday as first phase of extension nears completion
A test train running through the soon-to-open Wilshire/La Brea D Line station.
(
L.A. Metro
)
Topline:
The D Line will resume service to its longtime terminus at Wilshire and Western at 4 a.m. Saturday after being closed for 70 days. Three stops farther west are expected to open in the fall on the subway formerly known as the Purple Line.
Why was it closed? Los Angeles Metro paused service on May 17. The temporary closure allowed crews to prepare the train for its forthcoming extension, including working on the systems that control underground air quality and ventilation.
Dip in June ridership: The temporary closure is one of the factors Metro said contributed to a 6% dip in ridership in June, compared with the same period last year. Other factors, including federal immigration enforcement and related protests, also likely contributed. You can read more about that here.
The opening of the extension: Metro said in a blog post that the first phase of the D Line extension is “98 percent complete.” The countywide transportation agency said that it anticipates opening the three new stations to the public in the fall.
Three new stations: The first phase of the extension spans nearly four miles west and includes three new stations:
- Wilshire and La Brea
- Wilshire and Fairfax
- Wilshire and La Cienega
Once complete, the D Line extension will take riders between downtown L.A. and Westwood. Stops at Wilshire and La Brea, Fairfax and La Cienega are expected to open in the fall.
(
L.A. Metro
)
Sponsored message
Testing trains: Metro said it has started to test D Line trains under Wilshire Boulevard. It’s using “water-filled containers on board to approximate the weight of real passengers,” according to the blog post.
Phase 2 and 3: The next two phases of the extension are expected to open in 2027 and 2028, respectively, according to Metro’s blog post. This is later than initially planned. Metro said in May that the extensions would open in the latter halves of 2026 and 2027. Those extensions will add four additional stations, connecting the D Line to Century City and Westwood.
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
