Expo Line (Los Angeles Metro)

Expo Line (Los Angeles Metro)

Metro Expo Line
   

Future Los Angeles Metro rapid transit line
Image of USC/Expo Park station.
Rendering of the Expo Line USC/Expo Park station between USC and Exposition Park.
Overview
System Metro Rail
Operated by LAMetroLogo.svg Metro (LACMTA)
Line number 806
Type light-rail
Status Phase 1: testing, Phase 2: under construction
Expected
opening
To La Cienega: November 2011
(Farmdale Station: March 2012)
To Culver City: March 2012
To 4th/Colorado: Early 2015
(expected)
Daily ridership Phase 1: 43,600 (estimated 2020)[1]
Phase 2: 36,412 (estimated 2030)[2]
Website Expo Authority
Route
Character Mostly at-grade in private right-of-way, with some street-running, elevated and trench sections.
Termini 7th St/Metro Center
4th/Colorado
Stations 19
Line length 15.3 mi (24.6 km)
Technical
No. of tracks 2
Track gauge standard: 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 12 in)
Electrification 750 V DC overhead catenary
Rolling stock Nippon Sharyo P865
Train length
(typical)
three cars
Yard Pre-Phase 2: Division 11 (Long Beach)
Post-Phase 2: New division TBD.
Route map
Legend
Urban tunnel straight track
Red & Purple Lines
Urban tunnel station on track + Hub
Urban head station in tunnel + Hub
0.0 mi/0.0 min 7th St/Metro Center (Blue, Red, & Purple Lines)
Urban tunnel straight track Urban tunnel straight track
Tunnel under 7th, 8th, & 9th Streets, Olympic Blvd, & 11th St
Exit urban tunnel
Flower St tunnel portal
Urban station on track
0.7/1.8 Pico (Blue Line)
Unknown BSicon "uAKRZu"
I-10 (CA).svg Interstate 10
Unknown BSicon "uxABZlf"
Blue Line
Unknown BSicon "uexBHF"
1.6/3.9 23rd Street
Unknown BSicon "uexAKRZo"
I-110 (CA).svg Interstate 110
Unknown BSicon "uexBHF"
2.1/5.4 Jefferson/USC
Unknown BSicon "uexTUNNELa"
Flower St trench portal
Unused urban tunnel straight track
Flower St, Exposition Blvd, Figueroa St, & Pardee Way
Unknown BSicon "uexTUNNELe"
Exposition Blvd trench portal
Unknown BSicon "uexBHF"
2.7/7.1 Expo Park/USC
Unknown BSicon "uexBHF"
3.1/8.5 Vermont
Unknown BSicon "uexBHF"
4.1/10.7 Western
Unknown BSicon "uexBUE"
Arlington Avenue
Unknown BSicon "uexBUE"
7th Avenue
Unknown BSicon "uexBUE"
11th Avenue/Degnan Boulevard
Unknown BSicon "uexBHF"
5.6/13.6 Crenshaw
Unknown BSicon "uexBUE"
Buckingham Road
Unknown BSicon "uexBHF+BUE"
6.2/15.3 Farmdale
Unknown BSicon "uexBRÜCKEa"
Unknown BSicon "uexhBHF"
6.8/16.9 La Brea
Unknown BSicon "uexBRÜCKEe"
Unknown BSicon "uexBUE"
Hauser Boulevard
Unknown BSicon "uexBRÜCKEa"
Unknown BSicon "uexhBHF"
7.7/19.0 La Cienega
Unknown BSicon "uexhSTR"
Jefferson Boulevard
Unknown BSicon "uexhWSTR"
Ballona Creek
Unknown BSicon "uexBRÜCKEe"
Unknown BSicon "uexBRÜCKEa"
National & Washington Blvds
Unknown BSicon "uexhBHF"
8.7/21.2 Culver City
Unknown BSicon "uexBRÜCKEe"
Venice Boulevard
Unknown BSicon "uexBUE"
Bagley Avenue
Unknown BSicon "uexBRÜCKE"
National Boulevard
Unknown BSicon "uexBHF"
9.6/23.3 National/Palms
Unknown BSicon "uexBRÜCKE"
Motor Avenue
Unknown BSicon "uexAKRZu"
I-10 (CA).svg Interstate 10
Unknown BSicon "uexBUE"
Overland Avenue
Unknown BSicon "uexBHF"
11.0/26.0 Westwood
Unknown BSicon "uexBUE"
Westwood Boulevard
Unknown BSicon "uexBUE"
Military Avenue
Unknown BSicon "uexBRÜCKEa"
Unknown BSicon "uexhBHF"
11.5/27.6 Sepulveda
Unknown BSicon "uexAKRZu"
I-405 (CA).svg Interstate 405
Unknown BSicon "uexBRÜCKEe"
Sawtelle, Pico, Gateway Boulevards
Unknown BSicon "uexBUE"
Barrington Avenue
Unknown BSicon "uexBRÜCKEa"
Unknown BSicon "uexhBHF"
12.6/29.9 Bundy
Unknown BSicon "uexBRÜCKEe"
Centinela Ave
Unused waterway with junction to left Unused waterway turning from right
Unused straight waterway Unknown BSicon "uexDST"
Expo Line maintenance facility
Unknown BSicon "uexABZrg" Unused waterway turning right
Unknown BSicon "uexBUE"
Stewart Street
Unknown BSicon "uexBHF"
13.6/32.1 Bergamot
Unknown BSicon "uexBUE"
26th Street
Unknown BSicon "uexBRÜCKE"
Cloverfield & Olympic Boulevards
Unknown BSicon "uexBUE"
20th Street
Unknown BSicon "uexBUE"
19th Street
Unknown BSicon "uexBHF"
14.3/33.9 17th/Colorado
Unknown BSicon "uexKBHFe"
15.3/36.2 4th/Colorado

This route map: view · talk · edit

The Expo Line is a new Metro Rail light-rail line under construction between Downtown Los Angeles and Santa Monica. Expo phase 1, from Downtown Los Angeles to Culver City is due to open in late 2011. Construction of Expo phase 2 (from Culver City into downtown Santa Monica) started in September 2011 with a completion date of in 'early 2015'. The east-west route follows primarily along Exposition Boulevard with a terminus station at 4th/Colorado Santa Monica about ten-minute (half-mile) walking distance of the Pacific Ocean. It will be operated by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

It will reuse the right-of-way of the Los Angeles and Independence Railroad / Santa Monica Air Line which was closed in 1953 and will be the first passenger rail line to serve the Los Angeles Westside since the abandonment of the Pacific Electric Railway.

Contents

Planned service

Route

When both construction phases are completed, the Expo Line will provide service between Downtown Los Angeles and Downtown Santa Monica, along a mostly east-west route that generally follows the Exposition Boulevard right-of-way.

Route of the Expo Line
  • Phase 1 service will connect Downtown L.A. to Culver City with an estimated travel time of under 30 minutes. The route runs from 7th/Flower Streets (Metro Center) following Flower Street South, sharing tracks with the Blue Line until Washington Boulevard where the Expo Line continues South on Flower Street to Exposition Boulevard, turns West and follows Exposition Boulevard to Culver Junction at the intersection of Venice, Robertson, and Exposition Boulevards. It is then only a short walking distance into Downtown Culver City).[3]
  • Phase 2 service will extend the line West from Culver City into Downtown Santa Monica with an estimated travel time of under 20 minutes. From Culver City the route will cross Venice Boulevard, then run parallel to Interstate 10, cross under and continue West through a canyon in Rancho Park, under Interstate 405 Freeway and cross Pico Blvd. It will remain on the Exposition right-of-way through West Los Angeles until 17th Street and Colorado Avenue where it will merge into the center median of Colorado Avenue and continue to its final Western terminus in Downtown Santa Monica at Colorado Avenue and 4th Street.[2]

Operating hours

The Expo Line will have hours similar to other Metro Rail lines: from about 4 AM to 12:30 AM daily. Maximum speed on the route will be 55 mph (90 km/h). Headways could be as low every five minutes during peak times, and Metro may choose to operate express skip-stop service should the need arise.

History

Origins

The alignment of the Expo line began as the Los Angeles and Independence Railroad, a steam line built in 1875 with the intention of moving mining ore and passengers between Santa Monica Harbor and Independence, California. The project never advanced beyond downtown Los Angeles and the line was absorbed by Southern Pacific in 1877 and by 1891 was heavily used to move freight to and from ships in Santa Monica harbor.

With Santa Monica Harbor closed to shipping traffic in 1908, Southern Pacific leased the railroad line to Los Angeles Pacific (a forerunner to Pacific Electric Railway) which electrified part of the line. The remainder of the line was electrified by 1911 when various electric railroads merged under the Pacific Electric name.

By 1920 the line was known as the Santa Monica Air Line[4] providing electric powered freight and passenger service between Los Angeles and Santa Monica.

With sparse population and limited deliveries along the route, regular Air line service was discontinued in 1953. While de-electrified, it continued to be used sporadically for diesel powered freight deliveries to warehouses along the route. The last freight train travelled the rails about 1989.

From 1989 Southern Pacific maintained ownership of the right-of-way, but no longer used or continued maintenance on the rails. Portions of the right-of-way were leased for use as storage facilities, parking lots, impound lots, and various businesses, however no permanent structures were built.

Purchase and planning

The abandonment of the line spurred concerns within the community to prevent the line from being sold off piecemeal, destroying one of the few remaining intact rail corridors within Los Angeles County. Advocacy groups including Friends 4 Expo Transit[5] had discussions within the newly formed Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority and supported the passage of the transit funding Proposition C in 1990, allowed the purchase of the entire right-of-way from Southern Pacific in 1990.

A planning study for the Exposition Right-Of-Way was completed in May 1992, which provided analysis of transit improvements on the ROW using several different transit modes, including trolleybus. A follow-up report in 1994 further clarified the costs and benefits of each alternative.

In 1998, the MTA was able to lobby the Federal Government successfully to use the remainder of Segment 3 Red Line funding for a different fixed-guideway project to Mid-City. That same year, the Los Angeles County voters approved Proposition A, another sales tax for transit, providing the MTA access to additional funds for transit projects. Eventually, in May 2000, the MTA released a Major Investment Study which compared BRT and LRT options along what was now known as the "Mid-City/Exposition Corridor".[6]

Construction of Phase 1 (Los Angeles to Culver City)

Expo is being built in two phases; the first phase (Expo Phase 1) will complete the section between Downtown Los Angeles and Culver City. The Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR) for Phase 1 was approved by the Metro Board in December 2005 and design and construction began shortly thereafter. Metro expects to begin operations of Expo Phase 1 by the end of 2011.

Construction of Phase 2 (Culver City to Santa Monica)

After beginning construction of the Phase 1 segment, Metro began work on the Expo Phase 2 which will run between Culver City and Downtown Santa Monica. The Final Environmental Impact Report for Phase 2 was approved by the Metro Board in January 2010. Design and construction commenced in September of 2011. Metro expects to begin operations of Expo Phase 2 in 2015.

Proposed developments

Regional connector

The planned Regional Connector, a subway project in Downtown Los Angeles that would connect the Expo Line, the Blue Line and Gold Line into a single system and allow Expo trains to pass through Downtown L.A. to East Los Angeles. This project is a Tier 1 project in Metro's Long Range Transportation Plan[7] with the estimated $1 billion cost being funded from Measure R.[8]

Station listing

The following is the complete list of planned stations, from east to west.

Project Phase City Miles
(from DTLA)
Name Connections Opening date
Phase 1 Los Angeles 0.0 7th St/Metro Center Red Line  Purple Line  Blue Line  Silver Line  Harbor Transitway

Metro Local: 14, 16, 18, 20, 37, 51, 52, 53, 55, 60, 62, 66, 70, 71, 76, 78, 79, 81, 96, 316, 352, 355, 378; Metro Express: 439, 450X*, 460, 487, 489; Metro Rapid: 720, 760, 770; Harbor Transitway services Metro Liner: Silver Line

Other local and commuter services Antelope Valley Transit Authority: 785* City of Santa Clarita Transit: 799* Foothill Transit: 481*, 493*, 497*, 498*, 499*, 699*, Silver Streak LADOT Commuter Express*: 409, 422, 423, 430, 431, 437, 438, 448, 534 LADOT DASH: A, B, C (weekdays only), DD (weekends only), E, F Montebello Transit: 40, 50, 341*, 342*, 343* Orange County Transportation Authority: 701*, 721* Santa Monica Transit: 10 Torrance Transit: 1*, 2 * indicates commuter service that operates only during weekday rush hours.

1991
0.7 Pico Blue Line  Silver Line  Harbor Transitway

Metro Local: 30, 81; Metro Express: 439, 460; Metro Rapid: 728, 730; LADOT DASH: DD (weekends only), F (weekends only); LADOT Commuter Express: 419*, 422*, 423*, 438*, 448*; Orange County Transportation Authority: 701*, 721* Note: * indicates commuter service that operates only during weekday rush hours.

1990
1.6 23rd Street Silver Line  Harbor Transitway; Metro Local: 37, 81, 603; Metro Express: 442, 460 November 2011*
2.1 Jefferson/USC Silver Line  Harbor Transitway; Metro Local: 38, 81, 102, 200; Metro Express: 442, 460 November 2011*
2.7 Expo Park/USC Metro Local: 102; Metro Express: 550 November 2011*
3.1 Vermont/Expo Metro Local: 102, 204; Metro Express: 550; Metro Rapid: 754 November 2011*
4.1 Western/Expo Metro Local: 102, 207; Metro Express: 550; Metro Rapid: 757 November 2011*
5.6 Crenshaw/Expo Metro Local: 38, 102, 210, 305; Metro Rapid: 710, 740 (will terminate when Expo opens); future Crenshaw Corridor transfer point. November 2011*
6.2 Farmdale Metro Local: 38 March 2012*
6.8 La Brea/Expo Metro Local: 38, 212, 312 November 2011*
7.7 La Cienega/Jefferson Metro Local: 38, 105; Metro Express: 439; Metro Rapid: 705, 780 (if extended);
Culver City Bus: 4
November 2011*
Culver City 8.7 Culver City Metro Local: 33; Metro Rapid: 733;
Culver City Bus: 1
Big Blue Bus: 12
March 2012*
Phase 2 Los Angeles 9.6 National/Palms Culver City Bus: 3
Big Blue Bus: 12
Early 2015*
11.0 Westwood/Expo Culver City Bus: 3
Big Blue Bus: 8, 12
Early 2015*
11.5 Sepulveda/Expo

Culver City Bus: 6, Rapid 6
Big Blue Bus: 4, 7, Rapid 7

Early 2015*
12.6 Bundy/Expo

Big Blue Bus: 5, 10, 14

Early 2015*
Santa Monica 13.6 Bergamot

Big Blue Bus: 5

Early 2015*
14.3 17th/Colorado

Big Blue Bus: 5

Early 2015*
15.3 4th/Colorado Metro Rapid: 704, 720
Big Blue Bus: 2, 3, Rapid 3, 4, 5
Early 2015*

Notes:
* Opening date is projected.

Map of the Metro Expo Line.

Operation

Fleet and maintenance

The Expo Line will use standard Metro light rail vehicles (LRVs). These vehicles are 90 feet (27 m) long, 15 feet (4.6 m) tall, and 8.6 feet (2.6 m) wide, and take power from overhead catenary wire. Metro will likely use 23 overhauled Nippon Sharyo P865 vehicles, which will be transferred from the Metro Blue Line. The Blue Line will get 16 Siemens P2000 cars from the Metro Gold Line, as well as 5 Ansaldobreda P2550 cars.

To the extent it is feasible, the Expo Line has been designed to be technically and operationally compatible with the rest of Metro's light-rail network. The technical details of the system are available in the Final EIRs, for Phase 1[3] and Phase 2.[9]

Expo estimates that it will ultimately need 47 LRT vehicles to provide service, under the peak-hour assumption of 3-car trains running at 6-minute headways.[2]

When Phase 1 opens, Expo vehicles will be maintained at the Blue Line's maintenance facility in Long Beach. When Phase 2 comes on line, Expo will open its own yard in the vicinity of Bergamot Station in Santa Monica.

Issues

Objections to grade crossings

To avoid questionable decisions about grade crossings, Metro developed a policy that uses objective criteria to determine which crossings to grade-separate. The policy's primary criterion is impact on traffic.[10] Despite this, some members of the public have criticized the at-grade crossings included in the Expo Line, claiming that these at-grade crossings carry with them risks and impacts to the community.[11][12]

These objections include claims that at-grade crossings are inherently unsafe (especially near schools), and that they will cause traffic and noise. Other objections are directed at the grade-crossing policy itself, saying that the thresholds for requiring grade-separation are too high, and that the policy leads to results which unfairly impact low-income and minority communities.[13][14] Metro and other groups have disputed these claims.[5][15]

Three locations in particular have generated opposition due to at-grade crossings.

  • At USC, university president Steven Sample objected to the grade-crossings at Figueroa, Trousdale and Vermont, claiming that the crossings will separate USC from the surrounding community. The crossing at Figueroa was ultimately grade-separated. Dr. Sample has since retired.[16]
  • At Farmdale/Expo, the at-grade crossing was opposed by the LAUSD and local residents, who claim that an at-grade crossing would be dangerous for students at nearby Dorsey High School. A settlement has been approved, whereby a station will be built at the intersection, to ensure low train speeds near the school.[17]
  • In Rancho Park, at-grade crossings at Overland/Expo and Westwood/Expo have been opposed by some nearby residents, who believe the crossings are unsafe and will cause traffic. Legal action was pursued, but was ultimately dismissed by the Superior Court of the State of California on February 22, 2011.[18][19]

Name and color

In public and private documents, Metro refers to the line as the "Metro Expo Line". This name comes from Exposition Boulevard, along which it runs for much of its route. (Exposition Boulevard is, in turn, named after Exposition Park, which the Expo Line will serve.) The line has not yet been assigned a route number: the next available Metro Rail route number is 806.

The "Expo Line" is different from the other Metro Rail lines because it is not named after a color. Thus, two things will eventually have to be decided: (1) what color to use to show the line on maps, and (2) whether or not to change the name to reflect that color.

Although the Expo Line does not yet have an official color, the color "aqua" has been associated with the line for many years. The advocacy group Friends 4 Expo, which originally referred to the line as the "Expo Line", later campaigned for the name "Aqua Line" as the new name and color. (The name Aqua Line was also used by a guerilla-artists group called Heavy Trash which posted prank "Metro Aqua Line" future-station-location signs throughout the Westside during the 2000 Democratic National Convention, to provoke civic dialogue about the need for transportation funding.[20])

In August 2006, Metro staff recommended this name and color to the Metro board.[21] In their report, Metro staff said that there had been virtually no objections made to the color aqua, which had been used in all major public meetings for the line. The report did note that the offices of L.A. Councilmembers Parks, Wesson and Perry originally advocated dark gray, but then changed their preference to rose. Mr. Parks spoke publicly against use of aqua, saying that this color represents the beach communities only and does not represent the communities farther inland.[22]

In August 2006, the Metro Board debated the issue at its regular Board meeting. Councilmember Parks introduced a motion to use "rose" for both the name ("Rose Line") and color, but this was not passed. In the end, the board deferred a decision on changing the name or setting the color until sometime before the line goes into service.

In April 2011, the color "aqua" began appearing on new station pylons along the Expo Line,[23] although no color for the line has been officially declared at this time.

The issue of line color will likely be moot following the completion of the Regional Connector (see above). MTA's maps for the system, following the completion of the Connector, show the Blue Line annexing the portion of the Gold Line that is north of Little Tokyo Station, and the remainder of the Gold Line will then annex the Expo Line. Hence, essentially, the two lines will form a grand axes of Los Angeles: The Blue Line will be the north-south axis and and the Gold Line will be the east-west axis.

References

  1. ^ "Mid-City/Exposition LRT Project Final EIS/EIR: 2.0 Alternatives considered". Metro. http://www.metro.net/projects_studies/exposition/pdf/2005_feis/Chapter%202%20Alternatives%20Considered.pdf. 
  2. ^ a b c "Exposition Corridor Transit Project Phase 2 FEIR: 2. Project Alternatives". March 2011. http://backup.buildexpo.org/phase2/Phase%202%20FEIR%20Documents/02_ProjectAlternatives_FEIR.pdf. 
  3. ^ a b "Los Angeles Mid-City/Westside Transit Corridor - Executive Summary". Metro. http://www.metro.net/projects_studies/exposition/pdf/2005_feis/Executive%20Summary.pdf. 
  4. ^ "Santa Monica Air Line". Electric Railway Historical Association of Southern California. http://www.erha.org/pewal.htm. 
  5. ^ a b The Expo Line - Friends 4 Expo Transit Home Page
  6. ^ "Mid City Westside Transit Draft EIS/EIR: 1.0 History, purpose and need". Metro. http://www.metro.net/projects_studies/exposition/images/deis/page_1.0.pdf. 
  7. ^ "2008 Long Range Transportation Plan Draft". Metro. http://www.metro.net/projects_studies/images/2008_draft_lrtp.pdf. 
  8. ^ "Measure R". Metro. http://www.metro.net/projects/measurer/. 
  9. ^ "Exposition Corridor Transit Project Phase 2 FEIR: Executive summary". 2009. http://backup.buildexpo.org/phase2/Phase%202%20FEIR%20Documents/00_ExecutiveSummary_FEIR.pdf. 
  10. ^ "Grade Crossing Policy for Light Rail". Metro. http://www.metro.net/about_us/library/images/Grade%20Crossing%20for%20Light%20Rail%20Transit.pdf. 
  11. ^ "Exposition Transit Corridor, Phase 1 to Culver City". Metro. http://www.metro.net/projects/exposition/expoline_feis/. 
  12. ^ "Exposition corridor - Transit project phase II:Final environmental impact report". Metro. http://backup.buildexpo.org/phase2/Phase%202%20FEIR%20Documents/Volume%20II/ExpoFEIR_Vol-IIa_Intro-IndexTables.pdf. 
  13. ^ "Citizens' Campaign to Fix the Expo Rail Line". http://fixexpo.org/. 
  14. ^ "Neighbors for smart rail". http://smartrail.org/. 
  15. ^ "The National Transit Coalition". https://www.thetransitcoalition.us/nationaltc/index.html. 
  16. ^ "USC chief to step down". Los Angeles Times. http://articles.latimes.com/2009/nov/01/local/me-usc1. 
  17. ^ "Notice of ex parte communication". http://docs.cpuc.ca.gov/efile/EXP/111670.pdf. 
  18. ^ "Petition for petition of mandamus". http://la.streetsblog.org/wp-content/pdf/NFSRWritPetition.pdf. 
  19. ^ "Court dismisses Expo Line lawsuit". Metro. http://thesource.metro.net/2011/02/23/court-dismisses-expo-line-lawsuit/. 
  20. ^ "Aqua Line". Heavy Trash. http://heavytrash.blogspot.com/2005/04/aqua-line.html. 
  21. ^ "Approve color designations for metro lines and fixed guideways". Metro. http://metro.net/board/Items/2006/08_August/20060824RBMItem37.pdf. 
  22. ^ "Parks Aims to Derail `Aqua Line'". Los Angeles Times. http://articles.latimes.com/2006/jul/20/local/me-mta20. 
  23. ^ "Photo of cars on grade crossing". http://i388.photobucket.com/albums/oo325/esirgen/Expo%202011-04-14/IMG_2003.jpg. 

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