Tag Archives: Metro Blue Line

Limited service on Blue Line from Willowbrook to Long Beach on Friday, May 17

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Willowbrook-LBTM (30 Mins)

Due to urgent track switch maintenance that must be completed on the Metro Blue Line, there will be limited train service between Willowbrook Station and Long Beach Transit Mall this Friday, May 17.

Starting at 9 p.m. until close of service, trains will only run every 30 minutes between Willowbrook Station and Long Beach Transit Mall. Announcements will be made at Blue Line stations, you can also follow real time alerts on Twitter or check Metro’s Service Advisories page. Please plan ahead and expect extended wait times if you need to travel that segment Friday night.

Regular Friday evening service will run between 7th/Metro and Willowbrook.

Meet Me @Metro IV: Bringing it Home to Watts

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The fourth annual Meet Me @Metro, an event that combines public transit with theatre, will be heading back to the Metro Blue Line on Saturday, May 25 and Sunday, May 26. Join the Watts Village Theater Company for theatrical presentations of original poetry exploring the subjective theme of “home” with musical accompaniment.

“Scattered Joy” will be performed at 103rd Street Station and “Under the 105” will be performed at Willowbrook Station. Both shows will take place simultaneously at 12 p.m. and 1 p.m., allowing audiences to see both performance pieces. The shows will range in length from 25 to 30 minutes, and there will be a 30-minute window afterward to allow for travel between venues. Guests can hop on the Blue Line or walk between stations. Audiodescription and interpretation will be provided for the Sunday performances.

Tickets are $25 for the performances on Saturday and pay-what-you-will on Sunday. Children of all ages are welcome to attend. To find more routes and connections to the event, use Trip Planner.

New substations being installed on the Blue Line

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The pictures show Metro’s traction power crew pulling new high-voltage cables and installing new substations for the Metro Blue Line. This is an ARRA-funded project to replace all 20 Blue Line traction power substations, which power the trains through overhead wires with modern, energy efficient substations.

So far, Metro has replaced 16 substations. The pictures are from the 17th substation at Pacific Coast Highway substation in Long Beach, meaning the project is now approximately 85% complete. Metro has perfected the site work so that the removal and replacement of each substation does not create any major disruptions to Blue Line service.

Work crews to perform track work at rail junction at Washington/Flower in downtown L.A. this weekend

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Junction

Work crews on Friday night are set to begin making repairs to the rail junction at Washington and Flower in downtown Los Angeles. The work will require all trains to be replaced with shuttle buses for Expo Line and Blue Line riders traveling between 7th/Metro Center, Pico, 23rd Street and Grand Stations over the entire weekend (the service alert is posted after the jump). Normal train service on both lines in this area is scheduled to resume at the opening of service on Monday morning, Feb. 18.

Exposition Construction Authority crews will be adjusting the track gauge to improve the movement of Blue Line trains turning from Flower to Washington. When completed, the work is expected to correct excessive wear on some train parts and improve the overall maintainability of the track components at this location.

Up to this point, the condition has required frequent monitoring and inspections until a permanent solution could be designed and implemented. At no time has safety been compromised. Likewise, after the work this weekend, monitoring will continue and trains will continue to travel through the junction at  reduced speeds until Metro, the California Public Utilities Commission and the Expo Line Construction Authority are certain the track adjustments have corrected the problem.

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Blue Line service delays in Long Beach area

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Metro Blue Line is currently experiencing some delays due to a southbound train track incident at Long Beach Transit Mall Station. No injuries or damage have been reported. Trains are delayed up to 30 minutes from Anaheim Station. Bus bridges are being set up at 1st Street, 5th Street, Anaheim,  Pacific and Transit Mall stations.

Up-to-the-minute updates will be available at metro.net and Metro’s Twitter feed.

Go Metro Weekends, February 10-12

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Lots of people are ready to get their Valentine’s Day on this weekend, but there are plenty of events happening that don’t require you to partake in that particular holiday.

No one minds a little PDA when it comes to cute ocean critters. Photo by K Chen, via Flickr Creative Commons

Art, music and fish collide at Aquarium of the Pacific’s Night Dive on Friday night. Night Dive features DJs, musical performances and live art, as well as guest speakers who will talk about bizarre animal mating rituals. The soiree is for those 18 and up and starts at 7 p.m. Tickets are $14.95. However, everyone is welcome free of charge to visit the food trucks that will be outside the Aquarium. Food trucks that have already RSVP’d include the Grilled Cheese Truck and Tornado Potato, and they will start cooking at 4 p.m. (Metro Blue Line or Metro Bus Line 232 to Transit Mall Station.)

Saturday morning, head outdoors and do some bird watching with the San Fernando Valley Audubon Society. Their monthly Bird Walk starts at the southeast entrance of the Wildlife Area in Woodley Park. Go by yourself, in pairs or with your family and get back to nature. A bird expert will be guiding the walk and imparting knowledge about the feathered residents in the area. The walk starts at 9 a.m. and lasts about two hours. (Metro Orange Line to Woodley Station, Metro Bus Line 164, 236 to Woodley/Victory.)

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Metro Blue Line Service Disrupted

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Service Update as of 2:50 p.m.  Power has been restored.  Replacement bus service has been cancelled.  Normal train operation is resuming in both directions.

Service Update as of 2:30 p.m. Service on the Metro Blue Line has been disrupted due to a traction power problem between Slauson and Firestone stations. Service has been disrupted in both directions.  Replacement bus service between these stations has been requested.  Service delays of 15-30 minutes can be expected at this time.  Updates to follow.

 

Destination Discounts: Start 2012 by saving some $s while having fun

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Feeling some post-holiday blues? Don’t worry – with the new year finally underway, there are plenty of things to look forward to in 2012. Let Metro take you to these destinations and save yourself some money as part of the agency’s Destination Discounts program.

For those of you who want to keep celebrating the new year, head to L.A.’s Chinatown for the Lunar New Year Festival. The Year of the Dragon kicks off the weekend of January 28-29 with the 113th Annual Golden Dragon Parade on Saturday. Cultural performances will abound and there will be plenty of food, including 1,000 cupcakes from Food Network’s “Cupcake Wars” TV show.

Photo by julialat34, via Flickr

Although the festival is free, those who get there by Metro and can prove it will receive a free gift at the Chinatown BID event info booth. Take the Gold Line and hop off at Chinatown Station to get into the middle of the action, or jump on the Metro Local Bus 76 or Metro Rapid 794.

If you’ve decided that 2012 is the year you’re going to see the world, you’ll want to hit up the Los Angeles Times Travel Show from January 27 to 29 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. A slew of celebrity speakers and exhibitors will clue you in on the best travel destinations and attractions. The Travel Show also has three new areas, so whether you want to travel in luxury, go on wild adventures or schedule some family fun, you’re sure to find something to suit your desires. Go Metro and avoid paying for parking, then show your valid Metro pass or ticket and save $3 on each admission ticket purchased at the box office on the day of the event.

The Convention Center can be reached by several Metro buses, including the Metro Rapid 720 and Rapid 728, and the Blue Line. Visit Trip Planner at Metro.net to find the easiest way to get there.

For a destination that’s a little closer to home, take the Blue Line or Metro Local Bus 232 to the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, a short walk from Metro Rail’s Transit Mall Station.

Photo by Mustafa Sayed, via Flickr

Learn about over 10,000 animals and have a close encounter at Shark Lagoon. Show your valid Metro pass or ticket and get $2 off adult admission and $1 off child admission.  With trains on the Blue Line running every ten minutes in the evenings, getting home by rail after a long day of exploring should be a snap.

Bikestation redux

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Photo via Bikestation Washington D.C.

After our Thursday post on the new Bikestation Long Beach, someone commented that the Washington D.C. Bikestation is a beauty so we rounded up a couple of images. As you can see, he was correct.

Several of you also asked when the next Bikestation would open in our area. Among your suggestions were Century City, Westwood, Compton, Hollywood/Vine and downtown L.A.

Bikestation Long Beach CEO Andrea White-Kjoss tells us that several are in the works — although nothing is firm enough to announce. But a likely spot for the next will be somewhere in downtown L.A. Note to David Murphy who suggested it: She didn’t say Union Station is up next but she did say it was a top contender and a great idea because of its proximity to transit.

To encourage building of a Bikestation near you, White-Kjoss said it’s best to send ideas to local entities with funding capabilities. For example, the Long Beach Bikestation is supported in part by the Long Beach Redevelopment Agency. And if you have questions or comments, send them to info@bikestation.com or head for their website.

And yes, IT Guy in Irvine, Bikestation Long Beach will gladly park electric bikes. But leave those Harleys at home.

Bikestation Washington D.C., via Flickr

Grand 'ol opening for Long Beach Bikestation

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Bikestation Long Beach exterior at night.

This morning was the grand opening of Bikestation Long Beach, which has moved to fashionable new digs just a block from the Metro Blue Line Transit Mall Station. The new state-of-the-art public bicycling center, 223 East 1st St., is an interesting modern structure of glass and vertical beams with surrounding ramps for easiest possible bicycle access.

The First Street building is another incarnation of Bikestation Long Beach, which opened in 1996 — the first in the U.S. There now are others in Southern California in Claremont, Covina and Santa Barbara.

Bikestation Long Beach interior ramp.

The new building has amenities that include 24-hour indoor bike parking, bike rentals and repairs, free air for tires, a retail bike shop, plus lots more space and cool amenities for members, such as shower and changing room facilities. Bike riders know how important that can be.

Bikestation will be good for Long Beach residents who commute into L.A. and would prefer to leave their cars at home and ride their bikes to the Blue Line. And located so near the Blue Line and the prettyLong Beach coast with its tourist hot spots and dedicated bike paths, it’s kind of the perfect weekend destination, don’t you think?