LACMTA Blue Line
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The Metro Blue Line of the Los Angeles County Metro Rail is a light rail line connecting Downtown Los Angeles at the 7th St/Metro Center station and Downtown Long Beach. The Blue line is currently the longest in the Metro system as well as the second busiest light rail line in the U.S., averaging over 80,000 weekday boardings.<ref name="mta">http://www.mta.net/press/pressroom/facts.htm</ref><ref>http://www.metro.net/news_info/archives/2006/metro_093.htm</ref>
On its journey, Blue Line trains cut through much of the densely-populated area south of Downtown LA, which includes South Los Angeles, Vernon, Huntington Park, South Gate, Lynwood, Watts, Compton, and Carson. The Blue Line passes near the Watts Towers.
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[edit] Line description
Opening in 1990 at a cost of $877 million, it is the longest line in the Metro system, handling an estimated 25.7 million passengers per year.<ref name="mta"/> The line runs in the median of city streets in Downtown Los Angeles and in much of Long Beach, but for the most part uses the Pacific Electric 4 track right-of-way, with some elevated structures just south of Downtown. Due to the wide right-of-way, express service was considered, but no express tracks were constructed. The line also runs through a brief subway in Downtown Los Angeles, between Pico and 7th/Metro Center.
A new "Downtown Connector" was designed to connect Metro Center with Union Station but work on this project was halted indefinitely by the successful 1998 county ballot initiative that banned the use of existing sales tax revenue for subway projects. It is likely that this project will not be revived until after the completion of the Exposition Boulevard line, which will share track with the Blue Line in the easternmost portions of its route. The Downtown Connector project would address the awkward situation in which passage between lines terminating at Union Station (the Gold Line and Metrolink commuter trains) and the Blue Line requires a transfer to the Red Line.
The "Blue Line" was also an announced routing given to plans for a light rail line to Pasadena. Work began on this line as early as 1998 but was suspended following the 1998 county ballot initative. When construction on this planned line began again in 2000, it became the Gold Line, since it began at Union Station and had no direct connection to the Blue Line.
At Imperial/Wilmington/Rosa Parks Station, the Blue Line connects with the Green Line with service to Norwalk and Redondo Beach, mostly along the I-105 Freeway.
During peak hours, every other train serves only the stations between Willow and 7th/Metro Center to provide more frequent service on that portion of the route. Willow Station was chosen because of its proximity to the Blue Line storage yard and because it is the last Outbound station with a Park & 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 Station and wait for the next train which terminates at Long Beach Transit Mall.
[edit] Line issues
[edit] Capacity
The line was originally designed for two-car trains, but the line proved more popular than expected. To accommodate the growing demand, in 2000-2001, LACTMA spent $11 million lengthening 19 platforms to accommodate 3-car trains. These are actually articulated double rail cars, meaning an effective six car train. To handle even more ridership will prove difficult. Both possible solutions — going to 4-car trains or more frequent trains — have problems. It will be difficult or impossible to lengthen some of the station platforms. On the other hand, some roads crossing the Blue Line are already impacted by the delays at grade crossings, which would only become exacerbated with more frequent trains. 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 Corridor freight rail "expressway."
[edit] Collisions
More than 65 motorists and pedestrians have been killed at Blue Line crossings since 1990.<ref>"Man Killed by Blue Line Train in Compton", Los Angeles Times, July 12, 2004.</ref> Such collisions have occurred at a greater frequency than expected by planners, who had not anticipated many Angelenos' unfamiliarity with train crossings. The speed of the trains and the impatience of drivers also play a factor in these collisions. Trains operate at a maximum of 55 mph (90 km/h) between stations. The accident rate has declined notably following the installation of four-quadrant crossing gates at most crossings, effectively preventing drivers from going around lowered gates. In addition, cameras are used along some problem intersections which issue traffic tickets when drivers go around gates.
[edit] Crime
Another issue facing the Blue Line is that the Blue Line passes through many gang territories in the South Los Angeles-area. To quell fears, Metro issued a press release stating that "[t]he gangs in the area are known to have a respect for the rail line and recognize that the trains are not part of their turf."<ref>Ben Quiñones. "Killing Time on the Ghetto Blue", LA Weekly, January 22, 2004.</ref>
Crime has risen in recent years on the Metro Blue Line, with the main crimes being theft and physical assaults. Few shootings occur at rail stations and none has ever occurred on a train. The grade crossings, station platforms and trains are patrolled by a special division of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. Ridership by the homeless has become a nuisance problem, with anecdotal reports of public urination and even defecation on trains and station platforms by mentally ill transients. In addition, another common nuisance are vendors hawking pirated copies of copyrighted materials.
[edit] Rolling Stock
The Blue line uses cars from both the Nippon Sharyo company and Siemens. During peak hours, extra Siemens cars from the Green line are in operation. Although 3-car lengths are the norm due to high ridership, some 2-car pairs are occasionally used.
[edit] List of stations, from North to South
| Station | MetroRail Services | Other Connections | Date Opened |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7th St/Metro Center | Blue Red | Metro Bus: 16, 18, 20, 21, 26, 51, 52, 60, 62, 66, 81, 316, 352, 366, 381, 439, 444, 445, 446, 447, 450X, 460 Metro Rapid: 720 Foothill Transit: 480, 492, 493, 494, 497, 498, 499, 699 LADOT DASH: A, B, C, DD (Weekends Only), E , F LADOT Commuter Express: 409, 422, 423, 430, 431, 437, 438, 448, 534 Santa Monica Big Blue Bus: 10 Montebello Bus Lines: 40, 50, 341, 342, 343 Orange County Transportation Authority: 701, 721 Santa Clarita Transit: 794, 799 Antelope Valley Transit Authority: 785 | 1993 |
| Pico-Chick Hearn | Blue | Metro Bus: 30, 31, 81, 330, 381, 439, 442, 444, 445, 446, 447, 468 LADOT DASH: A, DD (Weekends Only), F (Weekends Only) LADOT Commuter Express: 419, 422, 423, 438, 448 | 1990 |
| Grand | Blue | Metro Bus: 14, 37, 38, 55, 65, 68, 76, 78, 79, 368, 376, 378, 603 Metro Rapid: 714 LADOT DASH: D, Pico Union/Echo Park Montebello Bus Lines: 50 Torrance Transit: 1, 2 | 1990 |
| San Pedro | Blue | Metro Bus: 51, 52, 65, 352 LADOT DASH: E, King East Montebello Bus Lines: 50 | 1990 |
| Washington | Blue | Metro Bus: 65 Montebello Bus Lines: 50 | 1990 |
| Vernon | Blue | Metro Bus: 105, 611 Metro Rapid: 705 LADOT DASH: Pueblo Del Rio, Southeast | 1990 |
| Slauson | Blue | Metro Bus: 108, 358, 611 | 1990 |
| Florence | Blue | Metro Bus: 102, 110, 111, 611, 612 Metro Rapid: 711 LADOT DASH: Chesterfield Square | 1990 |
| Firestone | Blue | Metro Bus: 55, 115, 254, 315, 612 | 1990 |
| 103rd Street-Kenneth Hahn | Blue | Metro Bus: 55, 117, 119, 254, 305, 612 LADOT DASH: Watts | 1990 |
| Imperial/Wilmington | Blue Green | Metro Bus: 55, 120, 121, 124, 202, 205, 305, 612 LADOT DASH: Watts | 1990 |
| Compton | Blue | Metro Bus: 51, 125, 127, 128, 202 Compton Renaissance Transit: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 Gardena Bus Lines: 3 | 1990 |
| Artesia | Blue | Metro Bus: 130, 205, 260, 361 Long Beach Transit: 5, 61 Torrance Transit: 6 | 1990 |
| Del Amo | Blue | Metro Bus: 202 Long Beach Transit: 191, 192, 193, 194 | 1990 |
| Wardlow | Blue | Long Beach Transit: 1, 131, 181, 182 | 1990 |
| Willow | Blue | Metro Bus: 60, 360 Long Beach Transit: 5, 101, 102, 103 | 1990 |
| Pacific Coast Highway | Blue | Metro Bus: 60, 360 Long Beach Transit: 1, 5, 171, 172, 173, 174 | 1990 |
| Anaheim | Blue | Metro Bus: 60, 232, 360 Long Beach Transit: 1, 5, 45, 46 | 1990 |
| 5th Street | Blue Southbound Only | Metro Bus: 60, 232, 360 | 1990 |
| 1st Street | Blue Southbound Only | Metro Bus: 60, 232, 360 | 1990 |
| Transit Mall | Blue Southbound Only | Metro Bus: 60, 232, 360 Long Beach Transit: 1, 7, 21, 22, 23, 46, 51, 52, 61, 62, 63, 66, 81, 91, 92, 93, 94, 96, 111, 112, 172, 173, 174, 181, 182, 191, 192, 193 Long Beach Transit Passport: A, B, C, D LADOT Community Connection: 142 Orange County Transportation Authority: 60 Torrance Transit: 3 | 1990 |
| Pacific | Blue Northbound Only | 1990 |
[edit] External links
- Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority
- A History of the Blue Line: A Light Rail Success Story by the Transit Coalition.
[edit] References
<references/>
| Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (website) | |
| Metro Buses | Metro Local – Metro Rapid – Metro Express |
| Metro Busways | Orange Line – Harbor Transitway – El Monte Busway |
| Metro Rail | Red Line – Purple Line – Blue Line – Green Line – Gold Line – Expo Line |
| Connecting rail | Amtrak – Amtrak California – Metrolink |
| Other information | Union Station – Transportation of Los Angeles |
