Thank you for your patience as we enter the home stretch of the New Blue Improvements Project. The Blue Line will fully reopen in late October 2019 with new digital screens, signage, tracks, system wiring, artwork and more. Construction along the northern segment is almost complete with train testing to follow. The northern section of the line had four times as much work done in comparison to the southern segment and requires more extensive system testing.
Metro would like to extend our sincerest thanks to our riders for their patience during the service closures and construction, which began in late January. The reopening of the line will include a community celebration and free rides! More details on that to come, so please stay tuned.
The New Blue Improvements Project is a part of Metro’s State of Good Repair initiative to keep our transit assets in good working order while substantially upgrading the overall transit system to provide more reliability and reduce breakdowns and mechanical issues. In addition to replacing tracks and upgrading train control and overhead power systems, the $350-million project includes four new crossover tracks/switches that will help reduce service interruptions for customers. The busy Willowbrook/Rosa Parks Station is also being completely renovated with new amenities.
Metro has spent the better part of 2019 upgrading the Blue Line’s infrastructure. The Blue Line is Metro’s oldest (it opened in 1990) and historically busiest light rail line. The New Blue Improvements Project is designed to keep the Blue Line running well for at least another three decades and will improve the customer experience.
For more information about the New Blue Improvements Project, please visit metro.net/newblue.
Categories: Projects
Why didn’t you take the opportunity to better secure ALL the entrance points so that only paying customers can board the train? Other major cities don’t have as many unpaid customers as LA. The entire entrance point needs to be completely fenced in so there’s no way to get past it. Until you secure entrance points and have increased enforcement at stations (physical security guards) riders will continue to feel unsafe. Constant rule-breaking, inconsiderate, Free riders are a major problem. As is the constant homeless riders issue. All of which still goes unaddressed. Not impressed sadly.
As long as the express shuttle remains in service, I’ll continue to use it. With no proper fare gate, this line attracts the worst riders boarding the system who don’t follow proper etiquette. The shuttle can be a long journey during rush hour, but I don’t have to worry about someone smoking weed, playing loud music, talking loudly, or getting into a fight.
From what I’ve heard, the shuttle will be on a 6 month trial with increased fare after the Blue Line opens. I don’t mind the fare, but this is good news to those who want a safer alternative between LB and DTLA.
Agree! Keep the express 860 bus. It’s safer, cleaner, and less disruptive. In fact, I think it’s better than the Blue Line train.
Why no mention that Blue Line service, along with Expo service, has been REDUCED? Some of the busiest light rail lines in the country, and Metro chooses to REDUCE service so trains only come every 8 minutes during the peak? In what world does this make sense, especially given ridership increases on Expo?
Wow, what a bunch complainers! Let’s have a pity party and blame Metro for all our problems! That will make everything better! 😀
Clear you have not been on this line breaking up fights. Metro does need to take responsibility for their business sorry you feel everyone is complaining. I believe accountability makes for changes not just allowing the government to spend taxpayers money without oversight.
What good are these improvements if the Blue Line is still unsafe to ride?
Anna, I don’t want to sound harsh, but it’s a little disrespectful for Metro to act as if a one-month delay didn’t exist. While I completely understand the desire to be positive and upbeat, this is kind of tone-deaf. It would be so much better for Metro’s reputation to be honest about the delay than to make a pretty transparent attempt at hiding an inconvenient fact. Thanks for your understanding.
Janice Hahn oversees the Board of Supervisors which oversees metro. Keep tweeting how she fails to care about riders. She refuses to meet with the public when requested even those in her district. Spread the word maybe we can elect someone who wants to do their job
I can tell you from experience with Board of Supervisor Janice Hahn’s office it has nothing to do with the public and now she is too busy to meet with the people she represents because she is to busy with the board that oversees Metro. Funny though her office says they can’t do anything about Metro. We need to vote these county supervisors out if office and send a message to politicians that don’t care about the public
[…] the Blue Line in “late September,” as the agency had announced in late 2018. Today, Metro announced that the re-opening is delayed by a month, and will now be “late […]
[…] En las noticias #1: Metro anunció hoy que la Blue Line se reabrirá totalmente a finales de octubre. Esta es la nota. […]
Why so few updates on Crenshaw Line? No pics, info, nada.
The month delay is absolutely shameful, and it’s a bit insulting that this news item fails to mention the substantial delay. 860 operational hours should be extended 7 days a week for the remainder of the closure to compensate. Seriously.
Should be thanking the operators who have had to put up with so much on the road, but Metro will never honor any of the real hard workers on the field. Sad, sad, sad.
The Blue Line will reopen a month late…everybody “celebrate”!
Hurray!!! I’m glad the Blue Line is reopening just in time for another delay of the new Crenshaw/Green Line opening. Shouldn’t we call it the A-Train? We’re not getting used to the new call-outs if we don’t use them. They actually should call it the B-Line.