The closure of the Little Tokyo/Arts District Station until March 21 is set to begin this Friday night at 9 p.m. for major track relocation and tunneling work for the Regional Connector project. The Gold Line tracks are being moved to the north side of 1st Street in order to build a new tunnel entrance in the middle of 1st Street.

During the closure:

From Friday, Jan. 8 starting at 9 p.m. through March 2016: bus shuttles will replace Gold Line train service between Union Station and Pico/Aliso Station. Bus shuttles will operate every six minutes during weekday peak periods and every 10 minutes midday, evening, nights and weekends.

• The Little Tokyo/Arts District shuttle will run directly between Union Station and Judge John Aiso/1st.
• The Pico/Aliso Station shuttle will run directly between Union Station and Utah/1st.
• The shuttles will stop at Union Station at Patsaouras Plaza Bus Bay 7 (drop off at Bay 9).

The trip between Union Station and Pico/Aliso Station is expected to take about 15 minutes. There will be Metro staff on hand to help customers navigate the shuttle in addition to signage at all stations.

Throughout the closure, Gold Line trains (between Pasadena and Union Station, and Pico/Aliso and Atlantic) are slated to run every 10 minutes during the day, and every 20 minutes late-night/early morning.

The shuttle bus will run from Patsaouras Bus Plaza at Union Station to 1st/Judge John Aliso and then to the Pico/Aliso Station.

An alternative option is Metro Local Bus 30, which runs between the Gold Line’s Indiana Station in Boyle Heights and downtown Los Angeles (and continues west to Mid-City and Beverly Hills).

Gold Line service will operate between Pico/Aliso Station and Atlantic Station in East L.A. every 10 minutes during peak hours. Service between Union Station and Sierra Madre Villa in Pasadena will continue to run its regular schedule.

Metro and the project contractor are also planning weekend closures of the 1^st Street and Alameda intersection to facilitate construction. The closures are scheduled for Friday, January 8 at 9 p.m. through Monday January 11 at 4 a.m. Subsequent weekend closure are scheduled for February 12 through February 15, February 19 through February 22 and February 26 through February 29.

Weekday Traffic Impacts

Thru traffic will be maintained on Alameda Street between Temple Street and 2^nd Street with one lane open in each direction. Westbound 1^st Street will be closed between Alameda Street and Vignes Street 24-hours a day from January 8, 2016 through March 2016. One thru lane on eastbound 1^st Street will be maintained between Alameda Street and Vignes Street. Full closure of 1^st Street between Central Avenue and Alameda Street will also take place intermittently.

Weekday Detours

Westbound 1^st Street traffic will be detoured right on Vignes Street, left on Temple Street, left on Judge Aiso Street, back to 1^st Street. Eastbound 1^st Street traffic will be detoured left on Judge Aiso Street, right on Temple Street, right on Vignes Street back to 1^st Street.

Weekend Detours

No thru traffic on Alameda between Temple and 2^nd street. First Street will be closed to all but local traffic.

Metro will provide a free Little Tokyo/Arts District Shuttle to circulate through the shopping district during the closure and a Little Tokyo Validation Parking Program at three area parking lots: Mangrove Parking Lot at 428 E. Temple Street; St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church Parking Lot, 222 South Hewitt Street, enter on 3^rd Street, and; the Sho Tokyo Parking Lot/Joe’s Parking Lot, 350 E. 2^nd Street. To receive parking validation from a Little Tokyo business, ask for a “Metro Validation” and present it to the parking attendant when ready to depart.

For more, here’s the full press release from Metro, and here’s the construction notice.

The Regional Connector is a 1.9-mile underground light rail line that will connect the Blue, Expo and Gold Lines in downtown Los Angeles. The project includes three new stations at 1st/Central, 2nd/Broadway and 2nd/Hope. The project will allow more one-seat rides to and through downtown L.A. and save many riders from the need to transfer to reach their destinations.