22 thoughts on “Expo Line regular service begins Monday morning between downtown L.A. and La Cienega/Jefferson station”

1. Pingback: Expo line begins regular schedule, full fares on Monday morning | LA News Talk Radio

2. @Steve

   The nearest corner where I live is Centinela/Inglewood. I need to get to Culver City which is the current terminus of the Expo Line. I tested out the Expo Line this weekend excited to know that I may have an alternative to the car now. So I went to the train station so that I know what to do when the Culver City Station opens in the summer.

   Metro Trip Planner’s suggestion was to take Metro Bus 110 from to Centinela/La Tijera, which is $1.50 for only 2 miles of transit. Then I transfer from there to the Metro Bus 439 to La Cienega/Jefferson train station which is about 4 miles of transit. That’s another $1.50 right there. Then I take the Expo Line from La Cienega/Jefferson to the Culver City terminus, which is another $1.50 for that one station ride. The total distance covered is less than 10 miles, but it’s going to cost me $4.50 each way. Sounds like I’d be better off getting a $75 monthly pass, but considering that my travel distance is a little under 10 miles in each direction, I’m not getting that much of a good deal as opposed to driving, let alone how many transfers I have to make and the additional time waiting for the bus and the train.

   Unless Metro gives me something cheaper, I’m leaning towards selling one of my cars and and getting a motorcycle. Seeing lots more people doing that these days.

3. Eduardo

   If I were you I would consider walking from Centinela/Inglewood to Centinela/La Brea and catch the 212/312 to the Expo/La Brea Station, preferably the 312 if you can time it well with Next-trip. That should reduce the number of transfers you had to make each way by one making the trip more bearable

   FYI I find Google map’s transit option to be more effective than Metro’s trip planner.

4. @Eduardo

   For less than 10 miles, it’s not worth it to get by with public transit as there are cheaper alternatives. In this case, you’re better off with a scooter.

   From Google Maps, going from Centinela/Inglewood to Culver City Expo Line Terminus can be done on surface roads of 5.3 miles. Figuring an average of 80 MPG for an average scooter with a gas price of $5.00 / gal:

   5.3 mi x 2 = 10.6 mi per day as a roundtrip distance
   10.6 mi x 30 days = 318 mi total driving distance per month
   (318 mi / 80 MPG) x ($5.00 / gal) = $19.88 per month for gas for an 80 MPG scooter.

   You can get by with less than $20.00 in gas per month and that’s even at $5/gal gas. Factor in $10/month for motorcycle insurance, that still is $45 cheaper than Metro’s $75 30 day pass. The gas pump price would have to reach close to $19/gal before you end paying the same price as Metro’s monthly pass. And considering that you don’t need to commute all out of the 30 days, your gas tab will be cheaper still.

   If you don’t have a motorcycle endorsement on your driver’s license, you can get one by via the California Motorcyclist Safety Program http://www.ca-msp.org. The cost of $250 for the Basic Riders Course teaches you the basics of riding a motorcycle, teaches you all the safety rules to pass the written test at the DMV, and by taking this course will also exempts you from the motorcycle driving test at the DMV.

   If I were you, I’d advise to just sell one of your cars and use the cash to do all the necessary things to get your first motorcycle. Heck, depending on the selling price of your car, you may still have cash left over even after spending $250 for the Basic Riders Course, $30 for a M1 endorsement on your driver’s license, a decent motorcycle helmet, a leather jacket, a pair of nice gloves, and perhaps even the scooter itself!

   After all these one time costs are done, the rest is just smooth sailing. You’d be saving lots more gas than driving a car and public transit on a ridiculous flat rate model for years to come. And the best part of it is, you still have the freedom to go where you want whenever you want, door-stop to door-stop, instead of spending time waiting for the bus.

5. Yeah, that’s sort of what I was thinking. Unless Metro starts providing something cheaper for those like me who have shorter commutes, I don’t think public transit is going to work out for me.

   I can sell one of my cars for $8,000. That should be more than enough to get all the things needed to start commuting with a motorcycle.

6. Hi Eduardo;

   Because you live west of the current first phase of Expo Line, I suspect it would be quicker to get to Culver City by taking the bus. Google Maps tells me a combo of the CC #2 and #7 bus would do the trick. Otherwise, you have to travel east and then ping-pong back west on the train.

   Steve Hymon
   Editor, The Source

7. @Steve

   The Centinela/Inglewood I’m talking about is the one between La Cienega and La Brea on Centinela where the Metro 110 bus stops, not the Centinela/Inglewood near Marina del Rey which is nowhere near where I live.

8. Hey Eduardo;

   My bad! In terms of bus routes, it appears to me the 212/312 NB on La Brea to Expo Line is your best bet. For whatever reasons, Google Maps doesn’t show this. I know it’s not ideal, but transit-wise it’s what we have at this time. The monthly pass is the best deal, particularly for those who use transit most workdays (or everyday). Otherwise, a day pass is $5 and usually equals the cost of a gallon of gas, parking, wear-and-tear on car and depreciation of said car. Scooters and motorcycles are always an option, too, but they aren’t perfect. Both have safety concerns and both usually pollute more than many cars even though they get better mileage (due to lack of smog controls on motorcycles/scooters).

   Steve Hymon
   Editor, The Source

9. @Steve @Mospaeda
   Thank you for letting me know about the 212/312 option. Yes, it seems to be that this is another option that I can take, but considering that walking from my home to Centinela/Inglewood was already quite long, I don’t think I can spend more time walking to Centinela/La Brea, especially considering the neighborhood. However, I think this would be a good option should I have the need to get to Downtown LA.

   In the end, I have to choose what’s best for me financially. Saving the environment is nice and all, but it’s what in my wallet that counts in this lousy economy. From what Y Fukuzawa said, at my commuting distance, riding an 80 MPG scooter would end up being $45 cheaper than a monthly pass for my commute even at $5/gal and insurance included, which amounts to a savings of over $540 per year and every year after that. That’s a lot to put into savings to feed my family.

   For shorter distances, it seems like motorcycles and scooters with their better fuel economy gives me a much better deal than public transit. Which is a shame as the point of public transit was to be a cheaper alternative to cars which is true for longer distances, yet it for shorter distances, there seems to be an even cheaper alternative.

   If Metro can figure out a way to make those who have shorter commutes to be cheaper than $75 monthly pass and cheaper than the cost to drive motorcycle or scooters, I will take another look at it.

   @Y Fukuzawa
   After giving much though and discussing with my wife, we decided to sell one of our cars this weekend. The dealer said they’ll buy it for $9,000 which is actually a lot more than I expected! They said they’re pretty desperate for used vehicles with lack of parts from Japan due to the earthquake last year.

   We took your advice we both signed up for the motorcycle safety course. Wow, I didn’t realize how popular these motorcycle safety courses are these days! Seems like a lot more people want to learn how to drive a motorcycle. I couldn’t find any openings until three weeks ahead. But we’re looking forward to it as it’ll be a fun experience to learn something new!

10. Is there a reason why the Expo Timetable is not listed on Metro’s timetable’s site? Or am I blind?
    http://www.metro.net/around/timetables/

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