LACMTA Blue Line
Encyclopedia
The Blue Line is a light rail
line running north-south route between Long Beach
and downtown
Los Angeles
passing through Downtown LA, including South Los Angeles
, Watts
, Willowbrook
, Compton
, and Long Beach
in the Los Angeles County
; it is one of five lines in the Metro Rail System
. Opened in 1990, it is the oldest and second busiest line in the system with an estimated 26.26 million boardings per year. The proposed Regional Connector would link it to . It is operated by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority
.
The Blue Line passes near to the cities of Vernon
, Huntington Park
, Lynwood
, and Carson
. The famous Watts Towers
can be seen from the train near 103rd Street Station.
to Willow Station which runs as far as Long Beach where the line follows Long Beach Boulevard to its destination. There are some elevated structures just south of Downtown and a brief tunneled section in Downtown Los Angeles. It connects with the Green Line at station.
During peak hours, every other train serves only the stations between and to increase the headway on that portion of the route. Willow was chosen because of its proximity to the Blue Line storage yard and because it is the last Outbound station with a Park and Ride lot. In the afternoon/evening rush, riders will see some trains destined to "Willow" and others to "Long Beach." Consequently, those riders destined to Long Beach must exit at Willow and wait for the next train which will terminates at .
As of July 2011, Metro estimated that the Blue Line had over 90,000 average weekday boardings, and 26.26 million yearly boardings. The line is 22 miles (35.4 km) long, with 22 stations. There are 69 cars in the fleet.
, began service in 1902. In 1958 the remains of the then troubled Pacific Electric Railway and Los Angeles Railway
systems were taken over by the original Los Angeles Metropolitan Transit Authority
and the line was soon converted to bus operation in 1961. The transit authority was then taken over by the Southern California Rapid Transit District
in 1964.
The current line opened in 1990 at a cost of US$877 million. Design and construction was managed by the Rail Construction Corporation, now a subsidiary of the new new Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority
(also known as Metro) which was formed in 1993 by a merger of the Southern California Rapid Transit District and the Los Angeles County Transportation Commission.
It was planned that the current line would continue to Union Station but work on this project was halted indefinitely after the 1998 county ballot was approved which banned the use of existing sales tax revenue for subway projects. Work began on a section to Pasadena in 1998 but this was also suspended following the ballot. Adam Schiff
subsequently authored a bill that created a separate authority to continue work on the Pasadena section, construction began again in 2000 and on opening it was branded as the Gold Line since there was no direct connection between its starting point at and the blue line. There are current proposals join these two lines by building 'Regional Connector tunnel' between the 7th Street station terminus of the blue line and station on the now extended Gold Line.
The line was originally operated by two-car trains, but proved more popular than expected and 19 platforms were lengthened to accommodate three-car trains in 2000-2001 at a cost of US $11 million. These 'three car trains' are actually articulated double rail cars, meaning an effective six car train.
In 2006, the Metro Blue Line began using automated stop announcements after the Metro Green and Gold Lines had automated stop announcements since 2004. The announcements do not have the same voice as the Siemens
trains operated on the Metro Green and Gold Lines but is the same voice as the one that can be heard on the AnsaldoBreda trains of the Metro Red/Purple Lines and Gold Line.
Throughout 2007, many Metro Blue Line intersections are undergoing track repairs, taking place from Friday evenings to Sunday evenings. Both tracks would go out of service and passengers would have to board buses to get around the construction areas. Since July 2007, most of the intersections being repaired are between the Imperial/Wilmington and Compton Stations.http://www.metro.net/riding_metro/system_delays/default.htm
Construction of the new Expo line which links with the Blue Line at 7th Street started in 2006 and is due to enter service in early 2012.
It would address the awkward situation in which passage between lines terminating at (the Gold Line and Metrolink
commuter trains) and the Blue Line requires a transfer to a Red or Purple Line train. Once the Regional Connector project is completed, the Blue Line is expected to travel further north into Pasdadena like it was originally intended for this line and possibly further east into Azusa and Montclair, as the proposed Foothill Extension of the Gold Line is expected to be already completed by the time the connector is open for service.
It is likely that this project will not be revived until after the completion of the Expo Line, which will share track with the Blue Line in the easternmost portions of its route.
freight rail "expressway" or building another parallel transit corridor to relieve capacity strains from the Blue Line. If the planned Regional Connector project linking Blue and Expo Line tracks with the Gold Line tracks in Little Tokyo is completed (currently in the planning stages), this may result in even more capacity problems with the ridership expected to grow even more once the connector is open for service.
s since 1990 and there have been more than 800 accidents, making the line by multiples the deadliest and most accident-prone rail line in the country.
In 1998, Booz Allen Hamilton, Inc. was commissioned by MTA to evaluate the cause of Blue Line accidents and make recommendations for fiscally realistic mitigation measures. The study reported that the high ridership (over 70,000 per day) was a contributor:
Other identified contributing factors were the high population density area that leads to more pedestrian and vehicular traffic around the tracks, diverse varied socio-economic community around the line that create literacy and language challenges to public education campaigns, driver frustration due to the slow traffic speeds around the line that leads to more risk taking behavior, and the shared right-of-way with freight track in the fastest running section from station to Willow station, where trains operate at a maximum of 55 mph (88 km/h) between stations.
The accident rate has declined somewhat following the installation of four-quadrant gate
s at some crossings where the Blue Line shares the right-of-way with freight rail between Washington station and Del Amo station. The gates effectively prevent drivers from going around lowered gates. In addition, cameras are used along some problem intersections which issue traffic tickets when drivers go around gates. Yet, accidents and deaths still occur at a rate significantly higher rates than comparable lines. On May 9, 2006, a Blue Line train hits a car on Washington Blvd at San Pedro Street. On December 22, 2006, a Metro Blue Line train crashed into a fire truck. The fire truck was on its way to an emergency. On January 26, 2007, a 14-year old boy named Lavert Baker, Jr. was killed on his way walking home from school by a Blue Line train that was carrying his closest sister.
However, four-quadrant gates are not a feasible mitigation option in the most accident-prone section of the line from station to Washington station and from Willow station to station. On May 16, 2007, a teenage girl, who was reportedly talking on her cell phone, was killed by a Blue Line train when crossing the tracks without looking both directions.
company. Although three-car lengths are the norm due to high ridership, some two-car pairs are used late nights and weekend mornings.
When the Metro Blue Line opened, the line originally had 54 cars (P865; 100-153). In 2000, the Blue Line added 14 cars (P2020; 154-168) from the Metro Green Line after the Green Line began using Siemens
P2000 cars. http://www.subwaynut.com/lametro/imperial-wilmingtonblue/imperial-wilmingtonblue11.jpg The Blue Line currently has 68 train cars in their fleet.
Currently, 67 cars are in the Yellow/White livery. Past livery was sky/light/dark blue and red lines on white. In 2000, train cars 109 and 148 were painted Red to celebrate an anniversary of the Pacific Electric Railway
. These red painted cars were repainted to the sleek silver livery, similar to the 700-750 series cars, but in 2008, Cars 109 and 148 were repainted to match most of the fleet. http://images.nycsubway.org/i41000/img_41263.jpg Also, car 105 is in current livery, but is all white with black lettering, similar to Metro Gold Line car 302
An overhaul is planned for the Nippon-Sharyo P865 cars, extending their lives for at least an additional decade. After overhaul, 23 P865s will be transferred to the new Expo Line Phase 1
. The Metro Gold Line will give up its Siemens P2000 cars to the Blue Line, and five Ansaldobreda P2550 cars will also be assigned to the Blue Line.
Blue Line vehicles are maintained and stored at the Division 11 yard in Long Beach. This facility has capacity for storing and maintaining 86 light rail vehicles.
In the 2003 remake of The Italian Job
, the main characters drive their BMW MINI Coopers into the station, standing in for the Hollywood/Highland Red Line Station, and are nearly hit by a Blue Line train. The character Lyle cuts all power to the station, stopping the trains.
Light rail
Light rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems...
line running north-south route between Long Beach
Long Beach, California
Long Beach is a city situated in Los Angeles County in Southern California, on the Pacific coast of the United States. The city is the 36th-largest city in the nation and the seventh-largest in California. As of 2010, its population was 462,257...
and downtown
Downtown Los Angeles
Downtown Los Angeles is the central business district of Los Angeles, California, United States, located close to the geographic center of the metropolitan area...
Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
passing through Downtown LA, including South Los Angeles
South Los Angeles
South Los Angeles, often abbreviated as South L.A. and formerly South Central Los Angeles, is the official name for a large geographic and cultural portion lying to the southwest and southeast of downtown Los Angeles, California. The area was formerly called South Central, and is still widely known...
, Watts
Watts, Los Angeles, California
Watts is a mostly residential neighborhood in South Los Angeles, California.-History:The area now known as Watts is located on the Rancho La Tajauta Mexican land grant...
, Willowbrook
Willowbrook, California
Willowbrook is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Los Angeles County, California. The population was 35,983 at the 2010 census, up from 34,138 at the 2000 census. The community is located near the southeast edge of, and is often considered part of, South Los Angeles...
, Compton
Compton, California
Compton is a city in southern Los Angeles County, California, United States, southeast of downtown Los Angeles. The city of Compton is one of the oldest cities in the county and on May 11, 1888, was the eighth city to incorporate. The city is considered part of the South side by residents of Los...
, and Long Beach
Long Beach, California
Long Beach is a city situated in Los Angeles County in Southern California, on the Pacific coast of the United States. The city is the 36th-largest city in the nation and the seventh-largest in California. As of 2010, its population was 462,257...
in the Los Angeles County
Los Angeles County, California
Los Angeles County is a county in the U.S. state of California. As of 2010 U.S. Census, the county had a population of 9,818,605, making it the most populous county in the United States. Los Angeles County alone is more populous than 42 individual U.S. states...
; it is one of five lines in the Metro Rail System
Los Angeles County Metro Rail
Metro Rail is the rapid transit rail system consisting of five separate lines serving 70 stations in the Los Angeles County, California area. The new Expo line is due to enter service in early 2012. It connects with the Metro liner bus rapid transit system and also with the Metrolink commuter...
. Opened in 1990, it is the oldest and second busiest line in the system with an estimated 26.26 million boardings per year. The proposed Regional Connector would link it to . It is operated by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority
Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority is the California state-chartered regional transportation planning agency and public transportation operating agency for the County of Los Angeles formed in 1993 out of a merger of the Southern California Rapid Transit District and the...
.
The Blue Line passes near to the cities of Vernon
Vernon, California
Vernon is a city five miles south of downtown Los Angeles, California. The population was 112 at the 2010 United States Census, the smallest of any incorporated city in the state....
, Huntington Park
Huntington Park, California
Huntington Park is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 58,114, down from 61,348 at the 2000 census.- History :...
, Lynwood
Lynwood, California
Lynwood is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States of America. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 69,772, down from 69,845 at the 2000 census. Lynwood is located near South Gate and Compton in the southern portion of the Los Angeles Basin. Incorporated in...
, and Carson
Carson, California
Carson is a city in Los Angeles County, California. As of the 2010 census, Carson had a total population of 91,714. Located south of downtown Los Angeles and approximately 14 miles away from the Los Angeles International Airport, it is known as a suburb of the city....
. The famous Watts Towers
Watts Towers
The Watts Towers or Towers of Simon Rodia in the Watts district of Los Angeles, California, is a collection of 17 interconnected structures, two of which reach heights of over 99 feet . The Towers were built by Italian immigrant construction worker Sabato Rodia in his spare time over a period of...
can be seen from the train near 103rd Street Station.
Route
The line runs South from along Flower Street turning South East onto Washington Boulevard and then South onto Long Beach East Avenue before joining the Pacific Electric four track right-of-wayRight-of-way (railroad)
A right-of-way is a strip of land that is granted, through an easement or other mechanism, for transportation purposes, such as for a trail, driveway, rail line or highway. A right-of-way is reserved for the purposes of maintenance or expansion of existing services with the right-of-way...
to Willow Station which runs as far as Long Beach where the line follows Long Beach Boulevard to its destination. There are some elevated structures just south of Downtown and a brief tunneled section in Downtown Los Angeles. It connects with the Green Line at station.
During peak hours, every other train serves only the stations between and to increase the headway on that portion of the route. Willow was chosen because of its proximity to the Blue Line storage yard and because it is the last Outbound station with a Park and Ride lot. In the afternoon/evening rush, riders will see some trains destined to "Willow" and others to "Long Beach." Consequently, those riders destined to Long Beach must exit at Willow and wait for the next train which will terminates at .
Ridership
The Blue Line was originally projected to have a daily ridership of 5,000. Within the first months of service, daily ridership had reached 12,000, and by the end of the first year of service, daily ridership was at 32,000.As of July 2011, Metro estimated that the Blue Line had over 90,000 average weekday boardings, and 26.26 million yearly boardings. The line is 22 miles (35.4 km) long, with 22 stations. There are 69 cars in the fleet.
History
The original 'red line' streetcar line service on the route, which was operated by Pacific Electric RailwayPacific Electric Railway
The Pacific Electric Railway , also known as the Red Car system, was a mass transit system in Southern California using streetcars, light rail, and buses...
, began service in 1902. In 1958 the remains of the then troubled Pacific Electric Railway and Los Angeles Railway
Los Angeles Railway
The Los Angeles Railway was a system of streetcars that operated in central Los Angeles, California and the immediate surrounding neighborhoods between from 1901 and 1963. Except for two short funicular railways it operated on tracks...
systems were taken over by the original Los Angeles Metropolitan Transit Authority
Los Angeles Metropolitan Transit Authority
The Los Angeles Metropolitan Transit Authority was a public agency formed in 1951. Its original mandate was to do a feasibility study for a monorail line which would have connected Long Beach with the Panorama City district in the San Fernando Valley via Downtown Los Angeles.The agency's powers...
and the line was soon converted to bus operation in 1961. The transit authority was then taken over by the Southern California Rapid Transit District
Southern California Rapid Transit District
The Southern California Rapid Transit District , was the successor to the original Metropolitan Transit Authority after it virtually went bankrupt...
in 1964.
The current line opened in 1990 at a cost of US$877 million. Design and construction was managed by the Rail Construction Corporation, now a subsidiary of the new new Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority
Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority is the California state-chartered regional transportation planning agency and public transportation operating agency for the County of Los Angeles formed in 1993 out of a merger of the Southern California Rapid Transit District and the...
(also known as Metro) which was formed in 1993 by a merger of the Southern California Rapid Transit District and the Los Angeles County Transportation Commission.
It was planned that the current line would continue to Union Station but work on this project was halted indefinitely after the 1998 county ballot was approved which banned the use of existing sales tax revenue for subway projects. Work began on a section to Pasadena in 1998 but this was also suspended following the ballot. Adam Schiff
Adam Schiff
Adam Bennett Schiff is the U.S. Representative for . He has served in Congress since 2001. He is a member of the Democratic Party...
subsequently authored a bill that created a separate authority to continue work on the Pasadena section, construction began again in 2000 and on opening it was branded as the Gold Line since there was no direct connection between its starting point at and the blue line. There are current proposals join these two lines by building 'Regional Connector tunnel' between the 7th Street station terminus of the blue line and station on the now extended Gold Line.
The line was originally operated by two-car trains, but proved more popular than expected and 19 platforms were lengthened to accommodate three-car trains in 2000-2001 at a cost of US $11 million. These 'three car trains' are actually articulated double rail cars, meaning an effective six car train.
In 2006, the Metro Blue Line began using automated stop announcements after the Metro Green and Gold Lines had automated stop announcements since 2004. The announcements do not have the same voice as the Siemens
Siemens
Siemens may refer toSiemens, a German family name carried by generations of telecommunications industrialists, including:* Werner von Siemens , inventor, founder of Siemens AG...
trains operated on the Metro Green and Gold Lines but is the same voice as the one that can be heard on the AnsaldoBreda trains of the Metro Red/Purple Lines and Gold Line.
Throughout 2007, many Metro Blue Line intersections are undergoing track repairs, taking place from Friday evenings to Sunday evenings. Both tracks would go out of service and passengers would have to board buses to get around the construction areas. Since July 2007, most of the intersections being repaired are between the Imperial/Wilmington and Compton Stations.http://www.metro.net/riding_metro/system_delays/default.htm
Construction of the new Expo line which links with the Blue Line at 7th Street started in 2006 and is due to enter service in early 2012.
Regional Connector (extension into Downtown Los Angeles)
Metro is currently planning the Regional Connector, a subway project in Downtown Los Angeles that would connect the Blue Line to the Expo Line, Gold Line, and Eastside Line into a single system. When this project becomes reality, it will act as an extension of the Blue Line by allowing Blue Line trains to pass through Downtown towards Pasadena, and through to the City of Azusa under a current Gold Line Foothill Extension plan set to open in 2015.It would address the awkward situation in which passage between lines terminating at (the Gold Line and Metrolink
Metrolink (Southern California)
Metrolink is a commuter rail system serving Los Angeles and the surrounding area of Southern California; it currently consists of six lines and 55 stations using of track....
commuter trains) and the Blue Line requires a transfer to a Red or Purple Line train. Once the Regional Connector project is completed, the Blue Line is expected to travel further north into Pasdadena like it was originally intended for this line and possibly further east into Azusa and Montclair, as the proposed Foothill Extension of the Gold Line is expected to be already completed by the time the connector is open for service.
It is likely that this project will not be revived until after the completion of the Expo Line, which will share track with the Blue Line in the easternmost portions of its route.
Capacity limits
The line is often operating at capacity and various options to increase capacity had been considered. Four-car trains or more frequent trains — both have problems; it will be difficult or impossible to lengthen some of the station platforms and the number of trains is already causing delays for other vehicles at level crossings. As such, Blue Line ridership may not be able to increase without an extremely expensive grade-separation project, either by elevation or by an entrenchment method similar to that used by the nearby Alameda CorridorAlameda Corridor
The Alameda Corridor is a 20 mile freight rail "expressway" owned by the Alameda Corridor Transportation Authority , connecting the national rail system near downtown Los Angeles, California to the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, running parallel to Alameda Street...
freight rail "expressway" or building another parallel transit corridor to relieve capacity strains from the Blue Line. If the planned Regional Connector project linking Blue and Expo Line tracks with the Gold Line tracks in Little Tokyo is completed (currently in the planning stages), this may result in even more capacity problems with the ridership expected to grow even more once the connector is open for service.
Safety at level crossings
Over 100 motorists and pedestrians have been killed at Blue Line level crossingLevel crossing
A level crossing occurs where a railway line is intersected by a road or path onone level, without recourse to a bridge or tunnel. It is a type of at-grade intersection. The term also applies when a light rail line with separate right-of-way or reserved track crosses a road in the same fashion...
s since 1990 and there have been more than 800 accidents, making the line by multiples the deadliest and most accident-prone rail line in the country.
In 1998, Booz Allen Hamilton, Inc. was commissioned by MTA to evaluate the cause of Blue Line accidents and make recommendations for fiscally realistic mitigation measures. The study reported that the high ridership (over 70,000 per day) was a contributor:
- "The MBL has one of the highest ridership counts for light rail lines in the Country. This factor is perhaps the most important contributor to the grade crossing accident rate. The high ridership results in increased pedestrian traffic near stations as compared to other light rail systems. In addition, although MTA Operations does not allow high passenger loads dictate safe operations, there is pressure to maintain travel times and headway schedule requirements (e.g., passenger trip from Los Angeles to Long Beach in less than one hour)."
Other identified contributing factors were the high population density area that leads to more pedestrian and vehicular traffic around the tracks, diverse varied socio-economic community around the line that create literacy and language challenges to public education campaigns, driver frustration due to the slow traffic speeds around the line that leads to more risk taking behavior, and the shared right-of-way with freight track in the fastest running section from station to Willow station, where trains operate at a maximum of 55 mph (88 km/h) between stations.
The accident rate has declined somewhat following the installation of four-quadrant gate
Four-quadrant gate
A four-quadrant gate is a type of boom barrier gate protecting a grade crossing.It has a gate mechanism on both sides of the tracks for both directions of automotive traffic...
s at some crossings where the Blue Line shares the right-of-way with freight rail between Washington station and Del Amo station. The gates effectively prevent drivers from going around lowered gates. In addition, cameras are used along some problem intersections which issue traffic tickets when drivers go around gates. Yet, accidents and deaths still occur at a rate significantly higher rates than comparable lines. On May 9, 2006, a Blue Line train hits a car on Washington Blvd at San Pedro Street. On December 22, 2006, a Metro Blue Line train crashed into a fire truck. The fire truck was on its way to an emergency. On January 26, 2007, a 14-year old boy named Lavert Baker, Jr. was killed on his way walking home from school by a Blue Line train that was carrying his closest sister.
However, four-quadrant gates are not a feasible mitigation option in the most accident-prone section of the line from station to Washington station and from Willow station to station. On May 16, 2007, a teenage girl, who was reportedly talking on her cell phone, was killed by a Blue Line train when crossing the tracks without looking both directions.
Station listing
The following is the complete list of stations, from north to south.| Station | Connections/Notes | Date opened | City |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red Line Purple Line Blue Line Silver Line Harbor Transitway Harbor Transitway The Harbor Transitway is an 11-mile shared-use bus corridor and high-occupancy vehicle roadway that runs in the median of Interstate 110 in Southern California... Metro Local Metro Local Metro Local is a bus system in Los Angeles County operated by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority . This retronym designation was placed to differentiate it from the Metro Rapid service... : 14, 16, 18, 20, 37, 51, 52, 53, 55, 60, 62, 66, 70, 71, 76, 78, 79, 81, 96, 316, 352, 355, 378; Metro Express Metro Express Metro Express is a form of express bus service in Los Angeles County, California, operated by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Buses are usually express for a portion of the route, then run either local or limited stop in other areas... : 439, 450X*, 460, 487, 489; Metro Rapid Metro Rapid Metro Rapid is a bus rapid transit service in Los Angeles County, California that operates in mixed traffic environments and has fewer stops than the Metro Local service. The system is mainly operated by LACMTA. Two routes are operated by Santa Monica Transit and one by Culver City Transit... : 720, 760, 770; Metro Liner: Silver Line Other local and commuter services Antelope Valley Transit Authority Antelope Valley Transit Authority Antelope Valley Transit Authority is the transit agency serving the cities of Palmdale, Lancaster and Northern Los Angeles County. Antelope Valley Transit Authority is operated under contract by Veolia Transportation, and is affiliated and offers connecting services with Metro and... : 785* City of Santa Clarita Transit: 799* Foothill Transit Foothill Transit Foothill Transit is a joint powers authority of 21 member cities in the San Gabriel and Pomona Valleys. It operates a fixed-route bus public transit service in the San Gabriel Valley of Greater Los Angeles, California.-Overview:... : 481*, 493*, 497*, 498*, 499*, 699*, Silver Streak LADOT Commuter Express*: 409, 422, 423, 430, 431, 437, 438, 448, 534 LADOT DASH: A, B, C (weekdays only), DD (weekends only), E, F Montebello Transit: 40, 50, 341*, 342*, 343* Orange County Transportation Authority Orange County Transportation Authority The Orange County Transportation Authority is the public sector transportation planning body and mass transit service provider for Orange County, California. Its ancestor agencies include not only the prior Orange County Transit District but also such diverse entities as the Pacific Electric... : 701*, 721* Santa Monica Transit: 10 Torrance Transit Torrance Transit Torrance Transit is a transit agency serving mainly the South Bay region of Los Angeles County.-Routes:Torrance Transit is a transit agency serving mainly the South Bay region of Los Angeles County.-Routes:... : 1, 2 * indicates commuter service that operates only during weekday rush hours. |
February 15, 1991 | Los Angeles Los Angeles, California Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California... |
|
| Silver Line; Metro Rapid Metro Rapid Metro Rapid is a bus rapid transit service in Los Angeles County, California that operates in mixed traffic environments and has fewer stops than the Metro Local service. The system is mainly operated by LACMTA. Two routes are operated by Santa Monica Transit and one by Culver City Transit... : 730; Metro Local Metro Local Metro Local is a bus system in Los Angeles County operated by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority . This retronym designation was placed to differentiate it from the Metro Rapid service... : 30, 81, 439, 442, 460; LADOT DASH: F; LADOT Commuter Express: 419, 422, 423, 438, 448 |
July 14, 1990 | ||
| Metro Local Metro Local Metro Local is a bus system in Los Angeles County operated by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority . This retronym designation was placed to differentiate it from the Metro Rapid service... : 14, 35, 37, 38, 55, 335, 355, 603; ; LADOT DASH: D, Pico Union/Echo Park; Torrance Transit Torrance Transit Torrance Transit is a transit agency serving mainly the South Bay region of Los Angeles County.-Routes:Torrance Transit is a transit agency serving mainly the South Bay region of Los Angeles County.-Routes:... : 1, 2 |
July 14, 1990 | ||
| Metro Local Metro Local Metro Local is a bus system in Los Angeles County operated by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority . This retronym designation was placed to differentiate it from the Metro Rapid service... : 51, 52, 352; LADOT DASH: E, King-East; Montebello Bus Lines Montebello Bus Lines Montebello Bus Lines is a municipal bus operator in Montebello, USA, mainly serving East Los Angeles, Commerce, and Montebello.- History of Montebello Bus Lines :... : 50 |
July 14, 1990 | ||
| Montebello Bus Lines Montebello Bus Lines Montebello Bus Lines is a municipal bus operator in Montebello, USA, mainly serving East Los Angeles, Commerce, and Montebello.- History of Montebello Bus Lines :... : 50 |
July 14, 1990 | ||
| Metro Local Metro Local Metro Local is a bus system in Los Angeles County operated by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority . This retronym designation was placed to differentiate it from the Metro Rapid service... : 105; Metro Rapid Metro Rapid Metro Rapid is a bus rapid transit service in Los Angeles County, California that operates in mixed traffic environments and has fewer stops than the Metro Local service. The system is mainly operated by LACMTA. Two routes are operated by Santa Monica Transit and one by Culver City Transit... : 705; LADOT DASH: Pueblo Del Rio, Southeast |
July 14, 1990 | ||
| Metro Local Metro Local Metro Local is a bus system in Los Angeles County operated by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority . This retronym designation was placed to differentiate it from the Metro Rapid service... : 108, 358; LADOT DASH: Pueblo Del Rio |
July 14, 1990 | ||
| Metro Local Metro Local Metro Local is a bus system in Los Angeles County operated by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority . This retronym designation was placed to differentiate it from the Metro Rapid service... : 102, 110, 111, 311, 611; LADOT DASH: Chesterfield Square Chesterfield Square, Los Angeles, California Chesterfield Square is located in southwestern Los Angeles, California. It is generally considered to be a part of South Los Angeles. The primary ZIP Code served by the neighborhood is 90062... |
July 14, 1990 | Florence Florence, California Florence is an unincorporated community in California. It is often considered part of South Los Angeles despite being outside of the Los Angeles city limits. It is serviced by area code 323 and has a ZIP code of 90001... (unincorporated) |
|
| Metro Local Metro Local Metro Local is a bus system in Los Angeles County operated by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority . This retronym designation was placed to differentiate it from the Metro Rapid service... : 55, 115, 254, 355. |
July 14, 1990 | ||
| Metro Local Metro Local Metro Local is a bus system in Los Angeles County operated by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority . This retronym designation was placed to differentiate it from the Metro Rapid service... : 117, 254, 305, 612; LADOT DASH: Watts Watts -People:*Watts , the surname of several people*Watts S. Humphrey , American software engineer often called the father of software quality*Watts , a Canadian record producer-Fictional characters:*Watts family in EastEnders... |
July 14, 1990 | Los Angeles Los Angeles, California Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California... |
|
| Green Line; Metro Local Metro Local Metro Local is a bus system in Los Angeles County operated by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority . This retronym designation was placed to differentiate it from the Metro Rapid service... : 55, 120, 202, 205, 305, 355, 612; Gardena Transit Gardena Municipal Bus Lines Gardena Municipal Bus Lines are Gardena, California's transportation service, providing local routes that serve the needs of those commuting within the city itself or who plan on using the bus to connect with rail service to Los Angeles or surrounding suburbs... : 5; Hahn's Trolley and Shuttle: 1, 2, 3; LADOT DASH Watts Watts -People:*Watts , the surname of several people*Watts S. Humphrey , American software engineer often called the father of software quality*Watts , a Canadian record producer-Fictional characters:*Watts family in EastEnders... ; Lynwood Trolley Route: D |
July 14, 1990 | Willowbrook Willowbrook, California Willowbrook is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Los Angeles County, California. The population was 35,983 at the 2010 census, up from 34,138 at the 2000 census. The community is located near the southeast edge of, and is often considered part of, South Los Angeles... (unincorporated) |
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| Metro Local Metro Local Metro Local is a bus system in Los Angeles County operated by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority . This retronym designation was placed to differentiate it from the Metro Rapid service... : 51, 127, 128, 202; CCompton Renaissance Transit: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5; Gardena Transit Gardena Municipal Bus Lines Gardena Municipal Bus Lines are Gardena, California's transportation service, providing local routes that serve the needs of those commuting within the city itself or who plan on using the bus to connect with rail service to Los Angeles or surrounding suburbs... : 3; Greyhound Lines Greyhound Lines Greyhound Lines, Inc., based in Dallas, Texas, is an intercity common carrier of passengers by bus serving over 3,700 destinations in the United States, Canada and Mexico, operating under the well-known logo of a leaping greyhound. It was founded in Hibbing, Minnesota, USA, in 1914 and... |
July 14, 1990 | Compton Compton, California Compton is a city in southern Los Angeles County, California, United States, southeast of downtown Los Angeles. The city of Compton is one of the oldest cities in the county and on May 11, 1888, was the eighth city to incorporate. The city is considered part of the South side by residents of Los... |
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| Metro Local Metro Local Metro Local is a bus system in Los Angeles County operated by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority . This retronym designation was placed to differentiate it from the Metro Rapid service... : 60, 130, 205, 260; Metro Rapid Metro Rapid Metro Rapid is a bus rapid transit service in Los Angeles County, California that operates in mixed traffic environments and has fewer stops than the Metro Local service. The system is mainly operated by LACMTA. Two routes are operated by Santa Monica Transit and one by Culver City Transit... : 762; Long Beach Transit Long Beach Transit Long Beach Transit is a municipal transit company providing fixed and flexible bus transit services in Long Beach, California, United States, other communities in South and Southeast Los Angeles County and Northwestern Orange County. Long Beach Transit also operates the Passport shuttle, Aquabus,... : 51, 61; Compton Renaissance Transit: 5; Torrance Transit Torrance Transit Torrance Transit is a transit agency serving mainly the South Bay region of Los Angeles County.-Routes:Torrance Transit is a transit agency serving mainly the South Bay region of Los Angeles County.-Routes:... : 6 |
July 14, 1990 | ||
| Metro Local Metro Local Metro Local is a bus system in Los Angeles County operated by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority . This retronym designation was placed to differentiate it from the Metro Rapid service... : 202; Carson Circuit Transit System Carson Circuit Transit System The Carson Circuit Transit System is primary provider of mass transportation in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California. Bus service operates Monday through Saturday... : D, G; Long Beach Transit Long Beach Transit Long Beach Transit is a municipal transit company providing fixed and flexible bus transit services in Long Beach, California, United States, other communities in South and Southeast Los Angeles County and Northwestern Orange County. Long Beach Transit also operates the Passport shuttle, Aquabus,... : 191, 192, 193 |
July 14, 1990 | Carson Carson, California Carson is a city in Los Angeles County, California. As of the 2010 census, Carson had a total population of 91,714. Located south of downtown Los Angeles and approximately 14 miles away from the Los Angeles International Airport, it is known as a suburb of the city.... |
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| Long Beach Transit Long Beach Transit Long Beach Transit is a municipal transit company providing fixed and flexible bus transit services in Long Beach, California, United States, other communities in South and Southeast Los Angeles County and Northwestern Orange County. Long Beach Transit also operates the Passport shuttle, Aquabus,... : 1, 131, 181, 182 |
July 14, 1990 | Long Beach Long Beach, California Long Beach is a city situated in Los Angeles County in Southern California, on the Pacific coast of the United States. The city is the 36th-largest city in the nation and the seventh-largest in California. As of 2010, its population was 462,257... |
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| Metro Local Metro Local Metro Local is a bus system in Los Angeles County operated by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority . This retronym designation was placed to differentiate it from the Metro Rapid service... : 60 (Late Night/ Owl service only); Long Beach Transit Long Beach Transit Long Beach Transit is a municipal transit company providing fixed and flexible bus transit services in Long Beach, California, United States, other communities in South and Southeast Los Angeles County and Northwestern Orange County. Long Beach Transit also operates the Passport shuttle, Aquabus,... : 51, 101, 102, 103 |
July 14, 1990 | ||
| Metro Local Metro Local Metro Local is a bus system in Los Angeles County operated by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority . This retronym designation was placed to differentiate it from the Metro Rapid service... : 60 (Late Night/ Owl service only); Long Beach Transit Long Beach Transit Long Beach Transit is a municipal transit company providing fixed and flexible bus transit services in Long Beach, California, United States, other communities in South and Southeast Los Angeles County and Northwestern Orange County. Long Beach Transit also operates the Passport shuttle, Aquabus,... : 1, 51, 171, 172, 173, 174 |
July 14, 1990 | ||
| Metro Local Metro Local Metro Local is a bus system in Los Angeles County operated by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority . This retronym designation was placed to differentiate it from the Metro Rapid service... : 60 (Late Night/ Owl service only), 232; Long Beach Transit Long Beach Transit Long Beach Transit is a municipal transit company providing fixed and flexible bus transit services in Long Beach, California, United States, other communities in South and Southeast Los Angeles County and Northwestern Orange County. Long Beach Transit also operates the Passport shuttle, Aquabus,... : 1, 45, 46, 51 |
July 14, 1990 | ||
| (southbound only) | Metro Local Metro Local Metro Local is a bus system in Los Angeles County operated by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority . This retronym designation was placed to differentiate it from the Metro Rapid service... : 60 (Late Night/ Owl service only), 232 |
September 1990 | |
| (southbound only) | Metro Local Metro Local Metro Local is a bus system in Los Angeles County operated by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority . This retronym designation was placed to differentiate it from the Metro Rapid service... : 60 (Late Night/ Owl service only), 232 |
September 1990 | |
| (southbound only) | Metro Local Metro Local Metro Local is a bus system in Los Angeles County operated by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority . This retronym designation was placed to differentiate it from the Metro Rapid service... : 60 (Late Night/ Owl service only), 232; Long Beach Transit Long Beach Transit Long Beach Transit is a municipal transit company providing fixed and flexible bus transit services in Long Beach, California, United States, other communities in South and Southeast Los Angeles County and Northwestern Orange County. Long Beach Transit also operates the Passport shuttle, Aquabus,... : 1, 21, 22, 23, 46, 51, 61, 63, 71, 72, 81, 91, 92, 93, 94, 96, 111, 112, 172, 173, 174, 181, 182, 191, 192, 193, Passport A, B, C, D; Commuter Express: 142, Torrance Transit Torrance Transit Torrance Transit is a transit agency serving mainly the South Bay region of Los Angeles County.-Routes:Torrance Transit is a transit agency serving mainly the South Bay region of Los Angeles County.-Routes:... : 3 |
September 1990 | |
| (northbound only) | Commuter Express: 142 | September 1990 |
Operations
On Metro Rail Operations' internal timetables, the Blue Line is called line 801.Maintenance facilities
The Blue Line is operated out of the Division 11 Yard (208th Street Yard) located at 4170 East 208th Street. This yard stores the fleet used on the Blue Line. It is also where Heavy maintenance is done on the fleet. The Yard is located between and stations. Trains get to this yard via a Wye Junction on the southbound tracks. Northbound trains can enter and exit the yard via the cross tracks on the North and South side of the Junction.Rolling stock
The Blue line uses cars from the Nippon SharyoNippon Sharyo
, , formed in 1896, is a major rolling stock manufacturer based in Nagoya, Japan. In 1996, it abbreviated its name to "日本車両" Nippon Sharyō. Its shortest abbreviation is Nissha "日車". It was a listed company on Nikkei 225 until 2004. It is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange and Nagoya Stock Exchange...
company. Although three-car lengths are the norm due to high ridership, some two-car pairs are used late nights and weekend mornings.
When the Metro Blue Line opened, the line originally had 54 cars (P865; 100-153). In 2000, the Blue Line added 14 cars (P2020; 154-168) from the Metro Green Line after the Green Line began using Siemens
Siemens AG
Siemens AG is a German multinational conglomerate company headquartered in Munich, Germany. It is the largest Europe-based electronics and electrical engineering company....
P2000 cars. http://www.subwaynut.com/lametro/imperial-wilmingtonblue/imperial-wilmingtonblue11.jpg The Blue Line currently has 68 train cars in their fleet.
Currently, 67 cars are in the Yellow/White livery. Past livery was sky/light/dark blue and red lines on white. In 2000, train cars 109 and 148 were painted Red to celebrate an anniversary of the Pacific Electric Railway
Pacific Electric Railway
The Pacific Electric Railway , also known as the Red Car system, was a mass transit system in Southern California using streetcars, light rail, and buses...
. These red painted cars were repainted to the sleek silver livery, similar to the 700-750 series cars, but in 2008, Cars 109 and 148 were repainted to match most of the fleet. http://images.nycsubway.org/i41000/img_41263.jpg Also, car 105 is in current livery, but is all white with black lettering, similar to Metro Gold Line car 302
An overhaul is planned for the Nippon-Sharyo P865 cars, extending their lives for at least an additional decade. After overhaul, 23 P865s will be transferred to the new Expo Line Phase 1
Expo Phase 1 (Los Angeles Metro)
Expo Phase 1 is a current construction project for the first segment of Metro Expo line, the newest line on the Metro Rail System. and will connect Downtown Los Angeles to Culver City, mostly along the Exposition Boulevard right-of-way. The project is sponsored by the Los Angeles County...
. The Metro Gold Line will give up its Siemens P2000 cars to the Blue Line, and five Ansaldobreda P2550 cars will also be assigned to the Blue Line.
Blue Line vehicles are maintained and stored at the Division 11 yard in Long Beach. This facility has capacity for storing and maintaining 86 light rail vehicles.
Incidents
- In September 2008 a Blue Line train struck a M.T.A bus on one of the tracks; 15 people were injured. A mechanic was taking the bus on a test run and was not injured. This incident happened only one week after the 2008 Chatsworth train collision2008 Chatsworth train collisionThe Chatsworth train collision occurred at 16:22 PDT on Friday September 12, 2008, when a Union Pacific freight train and a Metrolink commuter train collided head-on in the Chatsworth district of Los Angeles, California, in the United States...
in which 25 people died following a head-on collision between a MetrolinkMetrolink (Southern California)Metrolink is a commuter rail system serving Los Angeles and the surrounding area of Southern California; it currently consists of six lines and 55 stations using of track....
train and a freight train. - In July 2009 a man was killed by a Metro Blue Line train south of Artesia Station. The cause of the accident is unknown.
- In November 2009 a woman was struck and killed by a train near the Imperial/Wilmington station.
- In December 2009, a 65 year-old man was struck and killed by an oncoming train at the intersection of Long Beach Avenue and Vernon Avenue as the train was approaching station.
- In January 2010, an automobile collided with a Blue Line train at Washington and Olive.
- In July 2010, a Blue Line train which reportedly ran a red light struck a Police Cruiser on 16th Street & Long Beach Boulevard.
- In the same month eight people were injured, six of whom were aboard the bus when a Blue Line train collided with another M.T.A bus at Broadway and Washington Boulevard.
In popular culture
In Heat, the opening sequence shows one of the main characters alighting at station. A Blue Line train is also featured on the movie poster.In the 2003 remake of The Italian Job
The Italian Job (2003 film)
The Italian Job is a 2003 heist film directed by F. Gary Gray. The film stars Mark Wahlberg, Charlize Theron, Edward Norton, Seth Green, Jason Statham, Mos Def, and Donald Sutherland. It is an American remake of a 1969 British film of the same name, and is about a team of thieves who plan to steal...
, the main characters drive their BMW MINI Coopers into the station, standing in for the Hollywood/Highland Red Line Station, and are nearly hit by a Blue Line train. The character Lyle cuts all power to the station, stopping the trains.
External links
- Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority
- Blue Line homepage
- Blue Line schedule
- Blue Line connections overview
- A History of the Blue Line: A Light Rail Success Story by the Transit Coalition
- Killing Time on the Ghetto Blue from the LA WeeklyLA WeeklyLA Weekly is a free weekly tabloid-sized "alternative weekly" in Los Angeles, California. It was founded in 1978 by Editor/Publisher Jay Levin and a board of directors that included actor-producer Michael Douglas...
- Delivery of The First Metro Blue Line Vehicle