Good morning! Our friends at the National Weather Service are predicting mostly sunny skies and a high of 68 degrees in Santa Monica on Saturday, pretty much perfect weather for our second day of free rides and community parties at these stations: Downtown Santa Monica, 17th St/SMC, 26th/Bergamot, Expo/Bundy, Palms and Culver City. More here.
We’ll put our coverage of the day here. We’re expecting big crowds given that a lot of people had to work Friday and the interest in the new rail extension from residents and media alike. Our Friday coverage is here. And here’s a post about all-things-Expo-Line.
5:20 p.m. — Great piece by LAT’s architecture and planning critic Christopher Hawthorne on the Expo Line and what it means for our region. One excerpt:
It’s possible that the Expo Line’s stop in downtown Santa Monica has as much city-operated parking within walking distance as any light-rail station in the country.
Yet there is apparently no shortage of Angelenos ready to fault Metro for not building more, or who expect that all the parking near the new stations be free or very cheap, as a kind of regional subsidy for the continuing fiction that there are no public costs associated with driving.
Yep.
5:15 p.m. Sunday — If you’re commuting Monday on Expo and new to the system, these eight tips may be helpful.
5:10 p.m. Sunday — Big crowds today, too, even with fares now in effect.
https://twitter.com/PlannerPrescott/status/734508647578009600
And just managed to see this…
The Metro Expo Line Phase Two to Santa Monica finally opened #GogoMetro #ExpoLine @metrolosangeles #LAMetro #GoSaMo pic.twitter.com/STVv6dUKua
— Natasía Gascón (@NatasiaGascon) May 21, 2016
11:30 a.m. Sunday — Metro estimates about 30,000 people got on or exited trains at Downtown Santa Monica Station on Friday and about 70,000 on Saturday.
9:45 p.m. — And that’s a wrap for us. Free rides continue until the end of service tonight at about 2 a.m. On Sunday, the new Expo timetable begins with service every 12 minutes throughout most of the day. And — not to sound like party poopers — regular fares are in effect beginning tomorrow. Don’t forget to tap your TAP card at the validator before boarding trains. If you need a TAP card, they can be purchased for a $1 at TAP vending machines at every station. Fare info here. Thanks for riding, everyone!
9:20 p.m. — Photo dump!
Dance squad at Palms Station party.
26th St/Bergamot.
Party at 26th/Bergamot.
Westwood/Rancho Park.
Half Past Six playing at Expo/Bundy Station party. The band is from Wildwood School.
Pretty balloons at Expo/Bundy.
Next big opening — Metro Bike Share in DTLA coming this summer!
Things got weird at 26th/Bergamot.
Anna Chen worked so hard this week her hair turned blue.
9:13 p.m. — With weariness comes cleverness.
If anyone got a good full moon over Expo Line photograph, please share. #expoopening
— LA Metro (@metrolosangeles) May 22, 2016
We originally requested a comet for opening weekend but due to a procurement error only got a full moon. #expoopening #bureaucracy
— LA Metro (@metrolosangeles) May 22, 2016
9:00 p.m. — More feedback.
https://twitter.com/celeighchapman/status/734205667880271873
Thank you LA Metro! This is truly my dream come true. #ExpoLine pic.twitter.com/jVskvAwvdf
— andrea lee davis (@andrealeedavis1) May 22, 2016
Just took @metrolosangeles to the beach. #nobigdeal #actuallythisishuge #expoline pic.twitter.com/jyHTt4Hb0Y
— Lameese Elqura Chang (@LAMisoSoup) May 21, 2016
5:25 p.m. — uberPOOL is offering a $5 discount to Expo Line riders traveling to/from the seven new stations and Culver City. Details here.
5:20 p.m. — Line has really swelled in past hour at DTSM Station. Line is long, but it is moving. The trains can carry a lot of people (about 400 is the max for a three-car train).
EXPO LINE: long line at DTSM. Please allow extra time. To avoid return line, consider BBB or rideshare options pic.twitter.com/xGY1V1TMjb
— LA Metro (@metrolosangeles) May 22, 2016
Not a huge surprise there are lines to go back east, given the number of people traveling west earlier this afternoon….
5:05 p.m. — Huge crowds as expected. Downtown Santa Monica — already heavily peopled on weekends — feels even more peopled. Some social media that has landed since we last touched base…
Nice day to be out riding @metrolosangeles . Palms Station Celebration is in full force! #ExpoLine #goMetro pic.twitter.com/zDvm969tI7
— Lameese Elqura Chang (@LAMisoSoup) May 21, 2016
Eeee #ExpoLine! #transitnerds #moretoexplore pic.twitter.com/JkcNuAtu4w
— Albert Lin (@albuhhh) May 21, 2016
https://twitter.com/billdaras/status/734169245253173251
https://twitter.com/KPCCofframp/status/734067930346983425
2 p.m. — entertainment at the party at Palms Station.
11:45 a.m. — Great weather, moderate to heavy crowds on trains thus far — more people headed west than east.
And first wave of pics…
Petting zoo at Palms Station.
More petting zoo action.
Getting a kid and train in the right place was not super easy.
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti at the Palms party.
KPCC’s John Rabe filing a report while on an eastbound train. KPCC has been all over the Expo opening — lots of great reportage, btw.
Traveling sisters.
11:50 a.m. —
The Expo Line to the beach is amazing and this guy just sealed it for me. pic.twitter.com/B1oQxZ7o0I
— Carter Rubin (@CarterRubin) May 21, 2016
11:55 a.m. — No pig hunting on trains please. Last seen at Culver City Station.
7:13 a.m. — Here are a few tweets that landed while we were getting some shut-eye.
So excited for my first ride on the #ExpoLine today! https://t.co/BMwnCEV1Pg
— Anna Chien (@sirbird) May 21, 2016
https://twitter.com/KPCCofframp/status/734020506865672192
Wow! We are admiring Metro's new Expo Line extension here in Eugene, OR. Well done, L.A.!
— C.Tay (@cakedoodle) May 21, 2016
Joined the club today. @metrolosangeles #IdTAPthat #metro #lightrail pic.twitter.com/1GOoqxN7it
— ⒜⒧⒧⒴ (@allyistweeting) May 21, 2016
Categories: Go Metro, Policy & Funding, Projects
Very late post, but I just want commend Metro for their planning of the opening day runs. Compared to my experiences on the Blue and Gold Line openings I think things went very well.
As expected, many trains were SRO but surprisingly some were not. The line for eastbound travelers from DTSM was long but moved very quickly; once the extra ‘free rider’ trains are removed departures should go much smoother.
Never did get to meet the blue haired cutie, dammit :-).
Now, if we could only beat some sense into the City of L.A. to give trains traffic light priority …..