L Line (Los Angeles Metro)

L Line
Foothill Freeway overpass east of Sierra Madre Villa station
Overview
Other name(s)	Gold Line (2003–2020)
Status	Defunct, split between A and E lines
Owner	Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority
Line number	804
Termini	APU/Citrus College Atlantic
Stations	26
Website	metro.net/riding/l-line
Service
Type	Light rail
System	Los Angeles Metro Rail
Depot(s)	Division 21 (Elysian Park) Division 24 (Monrovia)
Rolling stock	Siemens P2000, AnsaldoBreda P2550 or Kinki Sharyo P3010 running in 2 or 3 car consists
Ridership	5,907,262 (2022) 18.2%
History
Opened	July 26, 2003; 21 years ago (2003-07-26)
Closed	June 16, 2023; 19 months ago (2023-06-16)
Technical
Line length	31 miles (49.9 km)[1]
Number of tracks	2
Character	Mostly at-grade in private right-of-way, with some street-running, elevated and underground 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.)
Route map Show interactive map APU/Citrus College Azusa Downtown I-210 Irwindale I-605 Duarte/City of Hope Division 24 Maintenance and Storage Facility Monrovia Arcadia I-210 Sierra Madre Villa Allen Lake I-210 Memorial Park Colorado Boulevard Del Mar Fillmore SR 110 South Pasadena SR 110 Highland Park Southwest Museum Heritage Square SR 110 Lincoln/Cypress I-5 Metrolink and Amtrak Division 21 Maintenance and Storage Facility Chinatown Union Station ‍‍ to North Hollywood to Wilshire/Western US 101 Regional Connector │ Little Tokyo/ Arts District ( closed 2020 ) Metrolink and Amtrak Pico/Aliso US 101 Mariachi Plaza I-5 / I-10 Soto Indiana SR 60 I-710 Maravilla East LA Civic Center Atlantic Multiple services All stations are accessible Show diagram map

The L Line and Gold Line[2] are former designations for a section of the current Los Angeles Metro Rail system. These names referred to a single light rail line of 31 miles (50 km)[1] providing service between Azusa and East Los Angeles via the northeastern corner of Downtown Los Angeles, serving several attractions, including Little Tokyo, Union Station, the Southwest Museum, Chinatown, and the shops of Old Pasadena. The line, formerly one of seven in the system, entered service in 2003. The L Line served 26 stations (including two underground stations, and one open trench station).[1]

In October 2020, the line was broken into two disconnected segments with the closure of the Little Tokyo/Arts District station in preparation for the opening of the Regional Connector tunnel.[3] On June 16, 2023, the new tunnel opened, along with a new Little Tokyo/Arts District station in a nearby location.[4] As of that date, passengers may now transfer between the two segments of the former L Line at this station, or stay on board to continue through Downtown LA. The L Line ceased to exist as a distinct line within the system, with the northern half serving as an extension to the A Line and the southern half serving as an extension to the E Line.[5]

Service description

Route description

Northbound train at Atlantic station

The line's northern terminus was at APU/Citrus College station just west of Citrus Avenue and the two universities. The line ran west through Azusa before stopping at Azusa Downtown station at Azusa Avenue, north of Foothill Boulevard. Continuing west, the line crossed over the I-210 freeway and ran parallel to it, entering Irwindale before stopping at Irwindale station at Irwindale Avenue. After this station, the line continued west, crossing over the San Gabriel River and underneath the I-605 freeway, diverging from I-210 and entering Duarte, before stopping at Duarte/City of Hope station located on the north side of Duarte Road, across from the City of Hope National Medical Center.

Continuing west, the line paralleled Duarte Road, entering Monrovia, before diverging northwest just before arriving at Monrovia station. Entering Arcadia, the train crossed all street crossings on bridges except for First Avenue at the at-grade Arcadia station. Continuing west, the line reconverged with and entered the median of I-210 and continued west to Sierra Madre Villa station in Pasadena. Six stations served different parts of Pasadena, with three of them in the freeway's median. In Old Pasadena, the line traveled underground for almost half a mile, passing under Pasadena's main thoroughfare, Colorado Boulevard, which makes the Memorial Park station below grade. The station served most of Pasadena's fine dining, shops, malls, and civic center. The line continued south through downtown Pasadena and South Pasadena, primarily at grade. North of Highland Park, the route crossed over the Arroyo Seco Parkway (State Route 110) via the Santa Fe Arroyo Seco Railroad Bridge towards Highland Park.

After Highland Park station, the train ran in the median of Marmion Way, where trains went at only 20 miles per hour (32 km/h). After 50th Avenue, the L Line operated primarily at grade in its own right of way, except for a short underpass below Figueroa Street. From here, the route continued, with a handful of stations serving the hillside communities north of downtown, including Lincoln Heights, Mount Washington, the Southwest Museum of the American Indian. Northeast of Chinatown, the line crossed over the Los Angeles River on an elevated viaduct. Continuing on the elevated viaduct, the line stopped at Chinatown station before arriving at Union Station. At Union Station, passengers could transfer to the B and D rapid transit lines, Metrolink commuter rail, Amtrak, and buses.[6] The entire section of the line north of Union Station followed the current and former right-of-way of the Pasadena Subdivision.

South of Union Station, the L Line crossed over US 101 on a curved elevated viaduct into Little Tokyo, where the line then serviced the former at-grade Little Tokyo/Arts District station. After this, the line then swerved right to enter the median of 1st Street, crossing the Los Angeles River again, entering the neighborhood of Boyle Heights. Here, the L Line then serviced Pico/Aliso station, before diving underground underneath 1st Street to service Mariachi Plaza station and Soto station. Adjacent to Evergreen Cemetery, the line then reemerged at-grade in the median of 1st Street before swerving to the east side of Indiana street to service Indiana station. After this, the line swerved again to enter the median of 3rd Street, entering East Los Angeles. Crossing underneath SR 60 and above I-710, the line then serviced Maravilla station, East LA Civic Center station, and Atlantic station, where the line terminated.[7]

Prior to its discontinuation, the L Line was broken into two disconnected segments in October 2020, with the closure of the segment between Union Station and Pico/Aliso station, including the closure of Little Tokyo/Arts District station. This was done in preparation for the opening of the Regional Connector, which opened on June 16, 2023. Prior to this date, riders seeking to travel between the then disconnected segments of the L Line had to use a temporary bus shuttle to make the connection.

Hours and frequency

As of 2023, before the L Line was subsumed into the A and E lines, L Line trains ran every day between approximately 4:30 a.m. and 12:15 a.m. Trains operated every 10 minutes during peak hours Monday through Friday, and every twelve minutes during the daytime on weekdays and all day on the weekends. Evening service (after 7 p.m.) was every 20 minutes.[8]

Speed

L Line trains traveled at a maximum speed of 55 miles per hour (89 km/h). It took 48 minutes[9] to travel its 29-mile (47 km) length,[1] at an average speed of 26.2 mph (42.2 km/h) over its length. The L Line was particularly slow through the Highland Park area, where trains reach speeds of only 20 mph (32 km/h) while operating in a street running section on Marmion Way.

Station listing

The following table lists the stations of the former L Line, from north to south.

Station	Date Opened	City/Neighborhood	Major connections and notes[10][11]
APU/Citrus College	March 5, 2016	Azusa	Park and ride: 200 spaces
Azusa Downtown			Park and ride: 521 spaces
Irwindale		Irwindale	Park and ride: 350 spaces
Duarte/City of Hope		Duarte	Park and ride: 125 spaces
Monrovia		Monrovia	Park and ride: 350 spaces
Arcadia		Arcadia	Park and ride: 300 spaces
Sierra Madre Villa	July 26, 2003	Pasadena	Park and ride: 965 spaces
Allen
Lake			Park and ride: 22 spaces
Memorial Park
Del Mar			Park and ride: 610 spaces
Fillmore			Park and ride: 155 spaces
South Pasadena		South Pasadena	Park and ride: 142 spaces
Highland Park		Los Angeles (Highland Park)
Southwest Museum		Los Angeles (Mount Washington)
Heritage Square		Los Angeles (Montecito Heights)	Park and ride: 129 spaces
Lincoln/Cypress		Los Angeles (Lincoln Heights/Cypress Park)	Park and ride: 94 spaces
Chinatown		Los Angeles (Chinatown)
Union Station		Los Angeles (Downtown)	‍‍ Amtrak, LAX FlyAway and Metrolink Paid parking: 3,000 spaces
Little Tokyo/Arts District	November 15, 2009	Los Angeles (Little Tokyo/Arts District)	At-grade station closed on October 24, 2020[12]
Pico/Aliso	November 15, 2009	Los Angeles (Boyle Heights)
Mariachi Plaza
Soto
Indiana		East Los Angeles	Park and ride: 42 spaces
Maravilla
East LA Civic Center
Atlantic			Park and ride: 289 spaces

Ridership

Following the extension to East Los Angeles in 2009, the line's ridership increased to almost 30,000 daily boardings.[13] As of October 2012^[update], the average weekday daily boardings for the L Line stood at 42,417, and as of December 2014^[update] the average daily weekday boardings had increased to 44,707. Following the extension to Azusa, ridership rose to 49,238 as of May 2016.

Annual ridership

Year	Ridership	%±
2009	7,629,332	—
2010	10,800,092	+41.6%
2011	11,935,709	+10.5%
2012	13,142,757	+10.1%
2013	13,415,083	+2.1%
2014	13,828,323	+3.1%
2015	14,267,244	+3.2%
2016	16,483,545	+15.5%
2017	16,546,196	+0.4%
2018	15,956,214	−3.6%
2019	15,090,394	−5.4%
2020	6,786,457	−55.0%
2021	4,999,638	−26.3%
2022	5,907,262	+18.2%
Source: Metro[13]

History

Main article: History of Los Angeles Metro Rail and Busway

Construction of the L Line, near Duarte in 2014. Tracks are laid, but the overhead catenary has not been installed yet.

Much of the L Line's right-of-way through the San Gabriel Valley was built by the Los Angeles and San Gabriel Valley Railroad in 1885, eventually taken over by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway, as part of the Pasadena Subdivision,[14] which saw Amtrak service until 1994, when construction began on the conversion to light rail.[15] The project was originally called the "Pasadena Metro Blue Line," and planners envisioned extending the existing Blue Line from Long Beach, but when a ban on sales tax spending on subway tunnels passed in 1998, the project became a separate line terminating at Union Station.[16]

The Gold Line opened between Union Station and Sierra Madre Villa station in East Pasadena on July 26, 2003.[17][18]

Following a new right-of-way, the Gold Line Eastside Extension extended the line east between Union Station and East Los Angeles, opening on November 15, 2009.[19][20][21]

Phase 2A (the section between LA and Pasadena was Phase 1) of the Foothill Extension, running between Sierra Madre Villa station and APU/Citrus College station in Azusa, opened on March 5, 2016.[22]

Regional Connector

Main article: Regional Connector

The Regional Connector Transit Project constructed a 1.9-mile (3.1 km) light rail tunnel across Downtown Los Angeles that connected the L Line with the A and E lines. The project finally completed the late 1990s vision of the "Pasadena Blue Line," connecting the northern (Union Station–Azusa) segment of the L Line to the A Line (formerly the Blue Line), which runs between Los Angeles and Long Beach. The southern (Pico/Aliso–East LA) segment was combined with the previously existing E Line, which ran between Downtown Los Angeles and Santa Monica. The new east–west line kept the E Line name but uses the L Line's gold color.[23][24]

The at-grade Little Tokyo/Arts District station was demolished in 2020 and was rebuilt as a subway station approximately 500 feet (152 meters) south and on the opposite side of Alameda from its former location. Between 2020-2023, shuttles connected the two portions of the line.[25]

The groundbreaking for constructing the Regional Connector took place on September 30, 2014, and it opened on June 16, 2023.[4]

After the Regional Connector opened, the L Line became the first letter designation on the Los Angeles Metro Rail system to be permanently discontinued.

Operations

AnsaldoBreda P2550 train at Highland Park

The L Line was operated by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro).

Maintenance facilities

The L Line fleet is stored and maintained and is operated at Division 21 and Division 24. Division 21 is located on Vin Scully Drive (Elysian Park Drive) just north of North Broadway, overlooking the Los Angeles River, and Division 24 is located south of the I-210 freeway in Monrovia.

As of April 2023, Division 11 and Division 14 have been added to the operations of the L Line. Division 11 is situated at the end of 208th Street between I-710 and the Los Angeles River in North Long Beach within the A Line. Division 14 is situated between Centinela Avenue and Stewart Street in Santa Monica within the E Line.

Rolling stock

Main article: Los Angeles Metro Rail rolling stock

An eastbound trainset on the then-Gold Line using two Kinki Sharyo P3010s

L Line trains are typically two-car trains off-peak. During peak hours on weekdays, some three-car trains run.[26][27] On New Year's Day, the L Line uses three-car trains for service to the Tournament of Roses Parade and the Rose Bowl Game.

Like the A, C, E, and K lines, trains are composed of high-floor articulated light rail vehicles (LRVs). The AnsaldoBreda P2550, the Kinki Sharyo P3010, or the Siemens P2000 operated the line. The P2000 initially operated the line in 2003 until 2012 when the fleet was transferred to increase availability at the A Line yard for service as a result of the inauguration of the E Line. During testing of the Regional Connector, the P2000 returned to L Line service as a result of training operations for post–Regional Connector service. Rolling stock is now shared between the A and E Lines, which subsumed the trackage of the L Line.

Incidents

The following noteworthy incidents have occurred on the L Line since opening.

• September 11, 2007 – A driver was critically injured and six passengers, including an LA County Deputy Sheriff and the train operator, suffered minor injuries when a pickup truck ran a red light at Avenue 55 and Marmion Way before being hit by a train.[28]
• September 21, 2007 – Six people suffered non-life-threatening injuries, including two minor injuries, after an SUV broke off the crossing arms and was struck by a northbound train (car 243) at Avenue 50 and Marmion Way in Mt. Washington. The vehicle caught fire, and a train section was also burnt. It was claimed that the female SUV driver had tried to beat the train. A resident extinguished the fire in the car with a garden hose before Los Angeles Fire arrived. The train that suffered fire damage was repaired and later placed on the Metro C Line.[29]
• October 13, 2007 – Service was suspended for 12 hours after a big rig hit the center divider of the eastbound Foothill Freeway at Sierra Madre Boulevard and went on the tracks.[30]
• August 26, 2011 – An altercation between passengers resulted in a non-fatal stabbing during a trip through Pasadena. The train was stopped at Memorial Park station, where the victim was transported to a hospital, and the suspect was detained.[31]
• April 24, 2014 – Service was suspended between the Lake and Sierra Madre Villa stations after a collision between two tractor-trailers on the eastbound Foothill Freeway resulted in one vehicle landing on the line, damaging the rails and overhead wires. Full return to normal service took several days.[32]
• March 6, 2016 – Service between Allen and Arcadia stations was disrupted for most of the evening, resuming Monday morning, one day after the opening of the Foothill Extension when a semi-truck driver lost control and sent his trailer onto the tracks.[33]
• February 20, 2018 – A high-speed pursuit ended when the pursuit suspect drove into the tunnel between Soto and Indiana stations, suspending service.[34]
• April 26, 2018 – An accident on the Foothill Freeway sent a FedEx truck onto the tracks between Lake and Memorial Park stations, damaging the rails and overhead wires.[35]
• November 27, 2018 – A man was fatally stabbed near the Azusa station.[36]
• May 7, 2022 – A man was sprayed with a flammable liquid before being lit on fire at Lake Station. The man was seriously injured, but survived.[37]

See also

• Los Angeles and San Gabriel Valley Railroad

References

1. "Facts at a Glance". LACMTA. Archived from the original on March 19, 2023. Retrieved March 8, 2016.
2. "Meet the Line Letters: Information for Metro Employees" (PDF). LACMTA. December 2019. Archived (PDF) from the original on January 13, 2020. Retrieved January 7, 2020.
3. "Metro closing Little Tokyo/Arts District Station for nearly 2 years". Los Angeles Times. October 19, 2020. Archived from the original on October 24, 2020. Retrieved October 24, 2020.
4. Von Quednow, Cindy (June 16, 2023). "Metro Regional Connector opens in Los Angeles, bringing more direct access to downtown". KTLA. Nexstar Media Group. Archived from the original on August 12, 2023. Retrieved June 16, 2023.
5. Fonseca, Ryan. "Ignore Those 'Line A' Signs. Metro's Blue Line Will Reopen As The 'A Line'". LAist. Archived from the original on September 26, 2019. Retrieved September 27, 2019.
6. "Transportation". Union Station Los Angeles. Retrieved November 7, 2024.
7. Guccione, Jean (November 17, 2006). "1st of two Eastside rail tunnels is finished". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on November 20, 2018. Retrieved January 17, 2016.
8. "Metro L Line schedule" (PDF). Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority. April 9, 2023. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 25, 2023. Retrieved June 24, 2023.
9. "Gold Line timetable" (PDF). LACMTA. June 24, 2018. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 12, 2019. Retrieved June 24, 2021.
10. "Metro L Line (Gold)". www.metro.net. Archived from the original on July 23, 2020. Retrieved July 23, 2020.
11. "Metro Parking Lots by Line". www.metro.net. Archived from the original on August 10, 2020. Retrieved July 23, 2020.
12. "Metro: The Source. Bus shuttles to replace L Line (Gold) service between Union Station and Pico/Aliso Station during 22-month closure to complete the Regional Connector". September 15, 2020. Archived from the original on September 24, 2020. Retrieved September 18, 2020.
13. "Metro Ridership". Metro.net. Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority. February 2020. Archived from the original on April 10, 2021. Retrieved February 12, 2021.
14. Hawthorne, Christopher (May 20, 2016). "Why the Expo Line to Santa Monica marks a rare kind of progress in American cities". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on July 2, 2020. Retrieved July 12, 2016.
15. Rasmussen, Cecilia (July 13, 2003). "Pasadena's Gold Line Will Travel a History-Laden Route". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on March 6, 2016. Retrieved January 19, 2016.
16. Freemark, Yonah (March 26, 2010). "Los Angeles' Gold Line Foothill Extension Approved for Funding, Will Begin Construction Later this Year". The Transport Politic. Archived from the original on October 29, 2015. Retrieved March 12, 2016.
17. Streeter, Kurt (June 19, 2003). "Gold Line Is Set to Open July 26". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on October 18, 2018. Retrieved March 14, 2016.
18. Lund, Dr. Hollie & Willson, Dr. Richard W. (April 2005), The Pasadena Gold Line: Development Strategies, Location Decisions, and Travel Characteristics along a New Rail Line in the Los Angeles Region (PDF), San Jose, CA: Mineta Transportation Institute, archived (PDF) from the original on August 11, 2017, retrieved March 14, 2016
19. Bloomekatz, Ari B. (November 13, 2009). "Q&A : Gold Line links downtown and East L.A. : The 6-mile light-rail extension, which cost $898 million, will open Sunday with free rides and entertainment". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on February 2, 2019. Retrieved March 14, 2016.
20. Bloomekatz, Ari B. (December 21, 2011). "L.A.'s historic 1st Street bridge reopens after 3-year closure". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on November 4, 2017. Retrieved March 14, 2016.
21. Becerra, Hector (June 16, 2009). "Making the Eastside safe for Gold Line light rail extension". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on December 17, 2017. Retrieved March 14, 2016.
22. Scauzillo, Steve (February 17, 2015). "Gold Line authority makes push for next extension from Azusa to Montclair". San Gabriel Valley Tribune. Archived from the original on March 13, 2016. Retrieved March 13, 2016.
23. "The most anticipated transit projects opening in time for the 2028 LA Olympics". Curbed LA. Archived from the original on November 25, 2018. Retrieved November 25, 2018.
24. Broverman, Neal (October 7, 2016). "Metro's Regional Connector Will Change Everything Los Angeles Magazine". Los Angeles Magazine. Archived from the original on June 19, 2019. Retrieved August 14, 2019.
25. 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". Metro. The Source. Archived from the original on September 24, 2020. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
26. "L.A. Metro to Make Major Improvements to the Metro Gold Line that Add Service and Help Relieve Crowding for East San Gabriel Valley Communities". www.metro.net. Archived from the original on January 13, 2019. Retrieved January 13, 2019.
27. Hymon, Steve (March 11, 2016). "Gold Line to have some longer trains". The Source. Archived from the original on January 13, 2019. Retrieved January 13, 2019.
28. Blankstein, Andrew; Abdollah, Tami (September 12, 2007). "7 hurt when Gold Line train hits truck at Highland Park crossing". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on December 10, 2016. Retrieved December 5, 2014.
29. Abdollah, Tami; Rabin, Jeffrey L. (September 22, 2007). "6 hurt when Gold Line train hits vehicle". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on March 6, 2016. Retrieved December 5, 2014.
30. "Big rig hits Gold Line tracks, causes traffic". Eagle Rock News. October 2007. Archived from the original on September 23, 2015. Retrieved December 22, 2014.
31. Knoll, Corina (August 27, 2011). "Gold Line stabbing victim in critical but stable condition". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on November 4, 2012. Retrieved December 5, 2014.
32. Allen, Lily (April 24, 2014). "Gold Line service suspended between Lake and Sierra Madre Villa stations due to freeway truck accident". The Source. LACMTA. Archived from the original on July 21, 2014. Retrieved July 17, 2014.
33. Day, Brian (March 7, 2016). "Fiery crash on 210 Freeway severs just-opened Gold Line between Pasadena, Arcadia". San Gabriel Tribune. Archived from the original on March 9, 2016. Retrieved March 7, 2016.
34. Winton, Richard (February 22, 2018). "Suspect in wild subway tunnel chase charged with six felonies". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on December 9, 2018. Retrieved December 7, 2018.
35. Chen, Anna (April 26, 2018). "Gold Line: repairs completed, trains now resuming scheduled service". The Source. Archived from the original on December 26, 2018. Retrieved December 26, 2018.
36. "Man suspected in Metro Gold Line stabbing death is charged". December 1, 2018. Archived from the original on March 23, 2023. Retrieved December 7, 2018.
37. Uranga, Rachel (May 11, 2022). "Metro rail passenger set ablaze in unprovoked attack". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on August 16, 2022. Retrieved August 16, 2022.

External links

Template:Attached KML/L Line (Los Angeles Metro)

KML is not from Wikidata

• Gold Line Eastside Extension website
• Gold Line schedule
• Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension Construction Authority Archived March 3, 2016, at the Wayback Machine