With the opening of the Eastside Gold Line, I’ve noticed some confusion in the media about a related project: the downtown regional connector. One story in a prominent newspaper whose name I shall not speak said the connector would still require passengers from East L.A. to transfer to reach the [continue reading]
As more people are getting the chance to ride the Eastside Gold Line, a couple of questions keep popping up: Question #1: Why does the train go so slow over the bridge over the Hollywood Freeway? Answer: The train is restricted to a 15 mph speed limit because of two [continue reading]
Yesterday Metro installed a Gold Line “Now Boarding” billboard on the parking garage of the Sierra Madre Villa Station at the northern terminus of the light rail line. The parking garage is on the northern side of the 210 freeway and the large billboard faces the thousands of motorists who [continue reading]
Six years ago when the Gold Line to Pasadena opened there was no Twitter. Today on the first day of revenue service for the new Gold Line Eastside Extension, L.A.’s first light rail to open since then, Twitter has become a global phenomenon. Angelenos are taking advantage of the technology [continue reading]
After two days of pomp, the new Eastside Gold Line began regular weekday service earlier this morning. There was a sprinkling of riders on the train at 4:10 a.m. at Mariachi Plaza, with more passengers jumping on the train as the morning proceeded. Several riders said they had switched from [continue reading]
Metro Communications staff put together this nicely shot but strangely silent video compilation of festivities from todays Gold Line Eastside Extension opening. A throw back to the silent movie era or a chance to play your own music while you watch? I’ll let you decide.
As of 4:45 p.m. Metro officials estimate a total of 50,000 boardings on the Gold Line Eastside Extension today. With the lines I saw at Union Station, that seems about right.
Steve and I rode the line, battled the crowds, and joined in the festivities of the Eastside Extension’s opening day. When we started our day at about 9:00 a.m., crowds were relatively light and the lines were short, but around 11:00 a.m. there was a notable increase in the crowds. [continue reading]
At this point, it’s obvious that there will be substantial lines the rest of the afternoon on the Eastside Gold Line. We probably won’t get a true feel for commuters’ perspectives on how the train functions until revenue service begins Monday. My colleague Fred and I chatted with many passengers [continue reading]
Source reader Tim Adams of the local volunteer organization Transit People (they take kids on transit field trips… awesome!) sent us some gorgeous shots of the Gold Line riding through East L.A. on its inaugural day. All photos were taken in the wee hours of the morning well before we [continue reading]
