The E Line (formerly the Expo Line from 2012–2019) is a 22-mile (35 km)[2] light rail line in Los Angeles County, California. It is one of the six lines of the Los Angeles Metro Rail system, operated by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro). The E Line runs east-west and serves 29 stations between East Los Angeles and Santa Monica. It interlines and shares five stations with the A Line in Downtown Los Angeles. Service operates for 21 hours per day with headways of up to 8 minutes during peak hours. The E Line, the second-busiest light rail line in the system, saw an average of 41,902 passengers on weekdays in October 2023.
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 An LA Metro Kinki Sharyo P3010 train in service on the E Line | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Overview | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Other name(s) | Expo Line (2012–2019) Gold Line/L Line (east of Little Tokyo/Arts District) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Owner | Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Line number | 804 (formerly 806) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Termini | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Stations | 29 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Website | metro | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Service | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Type | Light rail | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| System | Los Angeles Metro Rail | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Depot(s) | Division 14 (Santa Monica) Division 21 (Elysian Park) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rolling stock | Kinki Sharyo P3010 running in 2 or 3 car consists | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Daily ridership | 48,913 (weekday, May 2024)  [1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ridership | 12,831,640 (2023) 16.6% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Technical | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Line length | 22 mi (35 km)[2] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number of tracks | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Character | Mostly at-grade in private right of way, with some underground, street-running, elevated, and trench sections | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Electrification | Overhead line, 750 V DC | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Operating speed | 55 mph (89 km/h) (max.) 19 mph (31 km/h) (avg.) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The majority of the E Line’s western section from Downtown Los Angeles to Santa Monica follows the original right of way of the Los Angeles and Independence Railroad steam railroad, built in 1875. Regular service on those railroad tracks ended in 1988 and was bought by Metro in the 1990s. Formal studies to convert the old line into light rail began in 2000, and construction on its first phase from Downtown Los Angeles to Culver City opened in 2012 as the Expo Line. The segment to Santa Monica opened later in 2016. The line was named the Expo Line since most of it follows or runs in the median of Exposition Boulevard.[3][4] It was renamed the E Line in late 2019 while retaining the aqua-colored line and icons used to designate it on maps.
After the Regional Connector opened in June 2023, the E Line underwent significant expansion. The E Line was extended to East Los Angeles using a portion of the L Line light rail line. The project connected the existing E Line tracks in Downtown Los Angeles to the L Line tracks via a new tunnel underneath Downtown Los Angeles. With this change, the L Line service ended and was replaced with the E Line. The line's color designation changed to gold to reflect its expanded route and integration with the L Line tracks.
Service description
editHours and frequency
editE Line service hours are from approximately 4:30 a.m. and 11:45 p.m daily. Trains operate every 8 minutes during peak hours, Monday to Friday. Trains run every 10 minutes, during midday on weekdays and weekends, from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Night and early morning service is approximately every 20 minutes every day.[5]
| Time | 4A | 5A | 6-7A | 8A | 9A–1P | 2–6P | 7P | 8P–12A |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weekdays | 20 | 8–20 | 8 | 8–10 | 10 | 8 | 10 | 20 |
| Weekends/Holidays | 20 | 12–20 | 10 | 10–15 | 20 | |||
Speed
editShort segments of the E Line are certified for speeds of up to 55 miles per hour (89 km/h), but service speeds are much slower.[6] All trips on the 22-mile (35 km) line[2] are scheduled at 69 minutes end-to-end,[7] an average speed of 19 miles per hour (31 km/h).
The E Line has drawn criticism for its slow speed, especially on the Downtown LA and South LA portions of its western segment. To improve reliability, the Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT) continues to work with Metro to adjust traffic signals on Exposition Boulevard in favor of trains, and proposals have been made to reconstruct the junction of the A Line and E Line to speed up trains.[8]
Station listing
editThe following is the complete list of stations, from west to east:
Ridership
editThe E Line had an annual ridership of 11,586,541 in 2023 and averaged 41,902 weekday riders that October. In 2012, the line averaged 19,092 weekday riders when the line opened from Downtown Los Angeles to Culver City. Its ridership increased gradually over the next four years, with an average of 33,264 weekday riders in 2015. When the E Line was extended to Santa Monica in May 2016, ridership dramatically rose, carrying an average of 54,073 weekday riders that December. Weekend ridership also increased from an average of 11,000 riders in 2012 to around 30,000 in 2016. The E Line's average weekday ridership peaked at 61,024 in 2018; it started to fall in 2019 due to service reductions and the COVID-19 pandemic, with a low of 24,930 average weekday riders in 2020.[1][11]
| Year | Ridership | %± |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 4,141,440 | — |
| 2013 | 8,659,229 | +109.1% |
| 2014 | 9,818,027 | +13.4% |
| 2015 | 9,834,541 | +0.2% |
| 2016 | 13,376,428 | +36.0% |
| 2017 | 19,030,229 | +42.3% |
| 2018 | 19,413,884 | +2.0% |
| 2019 | 18,269,068 | −5.9% |
| 2020 | 8,308,144 | −54.5% |
| 2021 | 7,939,241 | −4.4% |
| 2022 | 11,004,310 | +38.6% |
| 2023 | 12,831,640 | +16.6% |
| Source: Metro[12] | ||
Graphs are unavailable due to technical issues. There is more info on Phabricator and on MediaWiki.org. |
History
editGold Line Eastside Extension
edit
The oldest portion of today's E Line is the Gold Line Eastside Extension, the southern branch of the former Gold Line, and the first phase of the Eastside Transit Corridor. The Eastside Extension runs from Union Station east to Atlantic station in East Los Angeles, in a new right of way following 1st Street and 3rd Street.[13]
Construction on the extension began in 2004 and service started on November 15, 2009, with Gold Line trains running through Union Station northeast to Pasadena.[14] This service was in effect through 2020, extending to Azusa in 2016. The Gold Line was renamed the L Line in 2020 and split into two segments to prepare for construction of the Regional Connector. The Eastside Extension portion of the L Line (east of Pico/Aliso station) then operated as an independent line until 2023, when it was merged into the E Line.[15][16]
Air Line becomes the Expo Line
edit
The E Line's western section largely follows the right of way used by the Los Angeles and Independence Railroad steam railroad, built in 1875.[17] The Pacific Electric company converted it to electric traction. It operated the line as the Santa Monica Air Line by 1920, with both freight and passenger services.[18] Passenger service ended in 1953, and freight service stopped in 1988.[19]
Local advocacy groups, including Friends 4 Expo Transit[20] supported the successful passage of Proposition C in 1990, which allowed the purchase of the entire right of way from Southern Pacific by Metro. In 2000, an urban art group called Heavy Trash placed signs advertising a fictional "Aqua Line." The signs, with the text "Coming Soon," showed a subway route extending along Wilshire Boulevard to the Pacific Ocean, with ten stations. Although the campaign was a hoax, it demonstrated newfound support and revealed the frustrations surrounding the lack of rail service connecting Santa Monica and the Westside with Downtown Los Angeles.[21][22] Metro released a Major Investment Study in 2000 which compared bus rapid transit and light rail transit options along what was later known as the "Mid-City/Exposition Corridor."[23]
A joint powers authority, the Exposition Metro Line Construction Authority, was formed by the California State Legislature in 2003 to plan, design, and construct the line. The authority was governed by appointees from Metro, Los Angeles County, and the cities of Los Angeles, Santa Monica, and Culver City.[24] After construction of the second phase was completed, the line was handed over on January 15, 2016, to the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority.[25]
The line was built in two phases; the first phase comprised the 8.6-mile (13.8 km)[26] section between 7th Street/Metro Center station in Downtown Los Angeles and Culver City. Construction began in early 2006, and most stations opened to the public on April 28, 2012.[27] Culver City station opened on June 20, 2012, in conjunction with the infill Farmdale station between Expo/La Brea station and Expo/Crenshaw station.[28][29]
Construction on the 6.6-mile (10.6 km)[26] portion between Culver City and Santa Monica started in September 2011. Testing along the Phase 2 segment began on April 6, 2015,[30] and the segment opened on May 20, 2016.[31]
In 2019, Metro began a process where all Metro Rail and Busway lines would be identified by a letter name rather than the previous system of colors. As a result, the Expo Line became the E Line in 2019, and retained the aqua color until the opening of the Regional Connector Transit Project.[32][33][34]
Regional Connector
edit
The Regional Connector Transit Project constructed a 1.9-mile (3.1 km) light rail tunnel through Downtown Los Angeles that connected the preexisting A and E Lines to the former L Line to allow for a seamless one-seat ride between the A and E lines' previous terminus at 7th Street/Metro Center station to Union Station and the Eastside.[35] Two new stations were also constructed in the tunnel, providing more service to destinations and communities in Downtown Los Angeles.[36]
Formal studies and planning for the Regional Connector began in 2004 and was approved in 2012. A groundbreaking ceremony was held on September 30, 2014, marking the start of major construction.[37] To accommodate the new tunnel, the existing at-grade L Line Little Tokyo/Arts District station was demolished in 2020 and rebuilt as a subway station approximately 500 feet (150 m) south and on the opposite side of Alameda Street from its former location. Starting on April 9, 2023, the A, E, and L Line trains ran through the Regional Connector tunnel for final testing.[38] The project officially opened for revenue service on June 16, 2023.[39]
Once the Regional Connector was completed, the alignment of the L Line was split into two parts at Little Tokyo/Arts District station, with the portion north of the station joined to the A Line, extending it to connect Long Beach with Azusa. The alignment east of Little Tokyo/Arts District station was assigned to the E Line, extending it to connect Santa Monica and East Los Angeles directly. The new east-west line kept the E Line name but uses the L Line's gold color.[40] At this time, the L Line ceased to exist as a separate line.[16]
Future developments
editEastside Transit Corridor
editThe Eastside Transit Corridor is a project to extend the line in two phases from its eastern terminus at Atlantic station to Lambert station in Whittier. Partially funded by Measure M, construction is programmed to start in 2029 with service beginning in 2035,[41] though the project may be accelerated as part Metro's plans to prepare for the 2028 Summer Olympics.
Operations
edit
On Metro Rail's internal timetables, the E Line is called line 804. Before the opening of the Regional Connector, it was line 806.
Maintenance facilities
editThe E Line is operated out of two divisions, Metro’s term for train maintenance and storage facilities.[42]
Division 14 is located east of Stewart Street and north of Exposition Boulevard in Santa Monica between 26th Street/Bergamot and Expo/Bundy stations. The facility opened in 2016 with the completion of Phase 2.[43]
Division 21 is located at 1800 Baker Street between Elysian Park and the Los Angeles River in Chinatown between Lincoln/Cypress and Chinatown stations on the A Line. The facility opened in 2003 for the first phase of the Gold Line.
Rolling stock
editThe E Line operates trains with three cars on weekdays and two on weekends, except for weekend days with major events in Expo Park.[42] The line currently uses one type of light rail vehicle; the Kinki Sharyo P3010.
Metro says that it takes 47 light rail vehicles to provide the maximum service on the E Line with 3-car trains running at 6-minute headways.[citation needed]
Bike pathways
edit
The Expo Bike Path parallels the route of the light rail line between 17th Street/SMC and Expo/Vermont stations. The bikeway includes a mixture of bike lanes on Exposition Boulevard and off-street paths alongside the rail tracks.[44]
Incidents
edit- November 29, 2018 – a pedestrian was struck and killed. The man had been attempting to cross the tracks.[45]
- January 15, 2019 – a passenger fell from the platform between the cars and was dragged to death. They "have not yet been able to identify the individual as pieces of the victim's body are spread out."[46]
- May 2, 2019 – a man climbed a nearby construction crane and jumped to his death at Expo/Sepulveda station, landing on the tracks and temporarily halting transportation. Graphic footage of the incident was spread on social media websites, most notably Reddit.[47]
- September 18, 2024 – a car was struck, as well as a Kinki Sharyo P3010 train being derailed in the same incident in East Los Angeles.
References
edit- ^ a b "Interactive Estimated Ridership Stats". Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Archived from the original on December 8, 2023. Retrieved December 30, 2023.
- ^ a b c "Facts At A Glance". Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority. June 2023. Archived from the original on March 19, 2023. Retrieved June 22, 2023.
- ^ Epstein, Joel (April 12, 2016). "How the Expo Line Got to Santa Monica". Huffington Post. Archived from the original on May 15, 2017. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
- ^ "The Guide to the Metro Expo Line: Downtown L.A. to Santa Monica". Discover Los Angeles. Archived from the original on November 17, 2017. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
- ^ "Metro E Line schedule". Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority. December 10, 2023. Retrieved December 25, 2023.
- ^ Hymon, Steve (November 22, 2011). "Our first ride on the Expo Line". The Source. Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Archived from the original on September 19, 2015. Retrieved March 31, 2015.
- ^ "E Line: Effective June 16, 2023" (PDF). June 16, 2023. Archived (PDF) from the original on June 18, 2023.
- ^ Sharp, Steven (February 23, 2021). "Metro staff provides update on effort to speed up street-running light rail". Urbanize LA. Retrieved July 29, 2023.
- ^ "Metro E Line (Expo)". www.metro.net. Archived from the original on March 19, 2022. Retrieved July 23, 2020.
- ^ "Metro Parking Lots by Line". www.metro.net. Archived from the original on August 10, 2020. Retrieved July 23, 2020.
- ^ "Looking for Trends in Metro's Latest Rail Ridership Numbers - Streetsblog Los Angeles". la.streetsblog.org. August 30, 2019. Retrieved April 14, 2024.
- ^ "Metro Ridership". Metro.net. Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority. February 2020. Archived from the original on April 10, 2021. Retrieved February 12, 2021.
- ^ Chiland, Elijah (December 26, 2019). "A guide to the Gold Line". Curbed LA. Retrieved July 29, 2023.
- ^ "Projects and Plans - Metro Gold Line Eastside Extension". Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Archived from the original on August 28, 2004. Retrieved April 14, 2024.
- ^ Hymon, Steve (September 15, 2020). "Bus shuttles to replace L Line (Gold) service between Union Station and Pico/Aliso Station during 22-month closure to complete Regional Connector". The Source. Retrieved June 20, 2023.
- ^ a b Von Quednow, Cindy (June 16, 2023). "Metro Regional Connector opens in Los Angeles, bringing more direct access to downtown". KTLA. Nexstar Media Group. Retrieved June 16, 2023.
- ^ "First Train of the Los Angeles and Independence Railroad". cdnc.ucr.edu. October 19, 1875. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved April 16, 2024.
- ^ "Santa Monica Air Line". Electric Railway Historical Association of Southern California. Archived from the original on February 26, 2015. Retrieved October 27, 2006.
- ^ Morgenthaler, Anne (March 14, 1988). "End of the Line: The last train out of SM blows a final whistle". Santa Monica Outlook.
- ^ "The Expo Line". friends4expo.org. Archived from the original on August 7, 2017. Retrieved August 7, 2017.
- ^ "Heavy Trash: Aqua Line". Archived from the original on October 16, 2006. Retrieved October 11, 2010.
- ^ Berkowitz, Eric (August 18, 2005). "The Subway Mayor". LA Weekly. Archived from the original on September 26, 2020. Retrieved July 29, 2023.
- ^ "Mid City Westside Transit Draft EIS/EIR: 1.0 History, purpose and need" (PDF). Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 14, 2013. Retrieved October 21, 2015.
- ^ "2022 California Code :: Public Utilities Code - PUC :: DIVISION 12.7 - COUNTY AND REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION COMMISSIONS :: CHAPTER 7 - Exposition Metro Line Construction Authority :: Section 132615". Justia Law. Retrieved April 16, 2024.
- ^ "About Expo Overview". Archived from the original on August 7, 2017.
- ^ a b "Expo Line Project Fact Sheet" (PDF). Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority. 2012. Archived from the original on July 8, 2013. Retrieved October 6, 2013.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ Weikel, Dan; Bloomekatz, Ari (April 27, 2012). "Expo Line launches rail service push to Westside". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on December 21, 2016. Retrieved July 15, 2017.
- ^ "L.A. Metro – Facts at a Glance". Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority. June 13, 2013. Archived from the original on August 20, 2019. Retrieved June 28, 2013.
- ^ "Two more Expo Line stations to open June 20". Los Angeles Times. June 5, 2012. Archived from the original on June 25, 2013. Retrieved October 6, 2013.
- ^ Nunez, Jennifer (April 9, 2015). "Testing begins on LA Expo Line phase 2". International Railway Journal. Archived from the original on September 26, 2015. Retrieved May 25, 2015.
- ^ Zeller, Heidi (March 30, 2015). "Art for the Expo Line: installation at Expo/Sepulveda Station". The Source. Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 31, 2015.
- ^ "PowerPoint: Metro staff proposal to rename rail and BRT lines". TheSource. Steve Hymon. April 7, 2015. Archived from the original on April 11, 2015. Retrieved April 7, 2015.
- ^ "LA Metro Could Switch Rail Line Names From Colors To Letters". Curbed Los Angeles. Curbed Staff. April 3, 2015. Archived from the original on September 22, 2015. Retrieved April 3, 2015.
- ^ Fonseca, Ryan (September 25, 2019). "Ignore Those 'Line A' Signs. Metro's Blue Line Will Reopen As The 'A Line'". laist.com. Southern California Public Radio. Archived from the original on September 26, 2019. Retrieved September 26, 2019.
- ^ "Regional Connector Transit Corridor (project website)". Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority. March 19, 2015. Archived from the original on April 5, 2019. Retrieved March 31, 2015.
- ^ "The Regional Connector and three new downtown L.A. stations to open Friday, June 16, with a weekend of free rides!". The Source. May 23, 2023. Retrieved April 14, 2024.
- ^ Sotero, Dave (April 26, 2012). "Metro Board certifies final environmental study for Regional Connector". The Source. Retrieved December 22, 2023.
- ^ Metro, L. A. (March 29, 2023). "Heads up: Regional Connector train testing is underway — and you may see and hear some changes to trains on the A, E and L Lines". The Source. Retrieved June 20, 2023.
- ^ Von Quednow, Cindy (June 16, 2023). "Metro Regional Connector opens in Los Angeles, bringing more direct access to downtown". KTLA. Nexstar Media Group. Retrieved June 16, 2023.
- ^ "LA Metro celebrates opening three new stations connecting the mountains to the beaches". CBS News. June 16, 2023. Retrieved July 27, 2023.
- ^ Hymon, Steve (November 8, 2016). "Measure M project descriptions". Metro. The Source. Archived from the original on September 8, 2020. Retrieved August 15, 2020.
- ^ a b "Regional Connector Slides for Customer Service Briefings". Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
- ^ Hymon, Steve (March 21, 2012). "Expo Line Maintenance Facility". The Source. Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro). Archived from the original on August 20, 2019. Retrieved August 19, 2019.
- ^ Kavanagh, Gary (December 2013). "State of Expo Phase II Bikeway Corridor, & the Biggest Remaining Concerns". Santa Monica Next. Archived from the original on May 25, 2015. Retrieved May 25, 2015.
- ^ "Expo Line Train Fatally Hits Pedestrian Near USC". Daily Trojan. November 29, 2018. Archived from the original on August 20, 2019. Retrieved August 19, 2019.
- ^ Hall, Matthew (January 15, 2019). "Train Kills Pedestrian at 17th Street Station". Santa Monica Daily Press. Archived from the original on August 20, 2019. Retrieved August 19, 2019.
- ^ "Man jumps from crane in West L.A., temporarily shutting down Metro station". Daily News. May 2, 2019. Archived from the original on September 14, 2022. Retrieved August 28, 2022.
External links
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