LACMTA Red Line
Encyclopedia
Rapid transit
A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway, metro or metropolitan railway system is an electric passenger railway in an urban area with a high capacity and frequency, and grade separation from other traffic. Rapid transit systems are typically located either in underground tunnels or on...
line running between Downtown Los Angeles
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...
via the districts of Hollywood
Hollywood, Los Angeles, California
Hollywood is a famous district in Los Angeles, California, United States situated west-northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Due to its fame and cultural identity as the historical center of movie studios and movie stars, the word Hollywood is often used as a metonym of American cinema...
and Mid-Wilshire
Mid-Wilshire
Mid-Wilshire is a district in the City of Los Angeles, California. It is part of the Wilshire region.It mostly encompasses the area bounded by La Cienega Boulevard to the west, Melrose Avenue to the north, Hoover Street to the east and the Santa Monica Freeway to the south, although some...
to North Hollywood
North Hollywood, Los Angeles, California
North Hollywood is a district in the San Fernando Valley region of the city of Los Angeles, California, along the Tujunga Wash. It is bounded on the south by Moorpark Street and the Ventura Freeway, on the southwest by Burbank Blvd...
within 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...
where it connects with the Metroliner
Metro Liner (Los Angeles County)
Metro Liner refers to bus rapid transit services operated by Los Angeles County Metro which operate on dedicated or shared-use busways.Metro Liner is designed to mimic the Metro Rail light rail services both in the vehicle's design and their operation...
Orange line (bus rapid transit
Bus rapid transit
Bus rapid transit is a term applied to a variety of public transportation systems using buses to provide faster, more efficient service than an ordinary bus line. Often this is achieved by making improvements to existing infrastructure, vehicles and scheduling...
) service for stations to the Warner Center
Warner Center, Los Angeles, California
Warner Center is an edge city in the Woodland Hills district of Los Angeles, California. It was built to relieve traffic to/from downtown Los Angeles, as well as generate jobs in the San Fernando Valley...
in Woodland Hills.
The red line, which is one of five lines forming the Metro Rail rapid transport 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 stages between 1993 and 2000. It is the busiest line which, together with the purple line, caters for 179,000 daily weekday boardings (as of July 2011). 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...
.
Route
The Red Line begins at Union Station and travels southwest through Downtown Los AngelesDowntown 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...
, passing the Civic Center, Pershing Square (near the Historic Core) and the Financial District. At , travelers can connect to the Metro Blue Line. From here, the train follows 7th Street west through Pico-Union and Westlake, arriving at in the city's Mid-Wilshire
Mid-Wilshire
Mid-Wilshire is a district in the City of Los Angeles, California. It is part of the Wilshire region.It mostly encompasses the area bounded by La Cienega Boulevard to the west, Melrose Avenue to the north, Hoover Street to the east and the Santa Monica Freeway to the south, although some...
/Koreatown district. Up to this point, track is shared with the Metro Purple Line: at Wilshire/Vermont, the two lines diverge.
From here, the Red Line travels north along Vermont, and then west along Hollywood Boulevard
Hollywood Boulevard
-Revitalization:In recent years successful efforts have been made at cleaning up Hollywood Blvd., as the street had gained a reputation for crime and seediness. Central to these efforts was the construction of the Hollywood and Highland shopping center and adjacent Kodak Theatre in 2001...
, traveling through Koreatown and Hollywood. Finally, the line turns northwest and crosses into the San Fernando Valley
San Fernando Valley
The San Fernando Valley is an urbanized valley located in the Los Angeles metropolitan area of southern California, United States, defined by the dramatic mountains of the Transverse Ranges circling it...
, where it terminates in North Hollywood.
Hours of operation
Trains run between approximately 4:30 am and 1:00 am the following morning. First and last train times are as follows:To/From North Hollywood
- Eastbound
- First Train to Union Station: 4:31 am
- Last Train to Union Station: 12:54 am
- Westbound
- First Train to North Hollywood: 4:30 am
- Last Train to North Hollywood: 12:17 am
Planning and construction
The Red Line project consisted of the current Red Line and Purple Line corridors, plus other corridors that were never built. Rather than building the entire project all at once, the SCRTD divided the project into "minimum operating segments" (MOS). These were corridor segments that could be built as distinct project phases, that would provide incremental benefit as they opened.The line was originally intended to run along the Wilshire Corridor to Santa Monica, but a 1985 methane gas
Methane
Methane is a chemical compound with the chemical formula . It is the simplest alkane, the principal component of natural gas, and probably the most abundant organic compound on earth. The relative abundance of methane makes it an attractive fuel...
explosion at a Ross Dress For Less
Ross Dress For Less
Ross Stores, Inc. , is a chain of American off-price department stores headquartered in Pleasanton, California, operating under the name Ross Dress for Less. It is the third largest off-price retailer in the United States, behind T.J. Maxx and Marshalls, both of which are owned by TJX Companies.As...
in the Fairfax area resulted in Rep. Henry Waxman
Henry Waxman
Henry Arnold Waxman is the U.S. Representative for , serving in Congress since 1975. He is a member of the Democratic Party. He is considered to be one of the most influential liberal members of Congress...
's (D-CA) legislation for a ban on Federal money being used for tunneling under Wilshire Blvd in his district, due to methane gas safety concerns and anti-subway sentiment by developers and neighborhood associations along the proposed route. Metro had always maintained that technological advances would allow it to tunnel safely.
Operation
MOS-1 which consisted of the original five stations from to opened in 1993.In 1995, during construction of the subway, a sinkhole
Sinkhole
A sinkhole, also known as a sink, shake hole, swallow hole, swallet, doline or cenote, is a natural depression or hole in the Earth's surface caused by karst processes — the chemical dissolution of carbonate rocks or suffosion processes for example in sandstone...
appeared on Hollywood Boulevard
Hollywood Boulevard
-Revitalization:In recent years successful efforts have been made at cleaning up Hollywood Blvd., as the street had gained a reputation for crime and seediness. Central to these efforts was the construction of the Hollywood and Highland shopping center and adjacent Kodak Theatre in 2001...
, barely missing several workers and causing damage to buildings on the street. Subway construction was halted until the situation could be resolved. The contractor, Shea-Kiewit-Kenny was replaced with a new contractor, Tutor Saliba.
MOS-2 included three new stations between and which completed the branch now served by the Purple Line opened in 1996 and five new stations from to which opened in 1999.
In 1998, Los Angeles County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky
Zev Yaroslavsky
Zev Yaroslavsky is a Los Angeles County politician. He served on the Los Angeles City Council from 1975 until 1994, when he was elected to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. He was preceded in both offices by Edmund D...
introduced a Los Angeles County initiative called the MTA Reform and Accountability Act of 1998 (Los Angeles County Proposition A). This initiative, passed by voters in 1998, bans the use of Los Angeles County revenue from existing sales taxes for subway tunneling. Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky
Zev Yaroslavsky
Zev Yaroslavsky is a Los Angeles County politician. He served on the Los Angeles City Council from 1975 until 1994, when he was elected to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. He was preceded in both offices by Edmund D...
later stated that local money could be used to cover subway-related costs, as long as it was not used directly for tunneling. In the time since this proposition became law, a new sales tax measure, Measure R
Measure R
Measure R was a ballot measure in the November 2008 elections in Los Angeles County, California that proposed raising county sales taxes by one half cent for thirty years in order to pay for transportation projects and improvements. The measure was approved by voters with 67.22% of the vote, just...
, was passed by voters which specifically provides funds for subway development.
MOS-3 which added new stations and extended the Red Line from to its final terminus at opened in 2000.
During construction 2,000 fossils were discovered, including 64 extinct species of fish, the tusk of an Ice Age elephant and the bones of an ancient longhorn bison, a report funded by the MTA found. The report was authored by paleontologist Bruce Lander of Paleo Environmental Associates in Irvine. Lander worked with a team of 28 scientists during construction of the Metro Rail Red Line. Fossil evidence showed that tens of thousands of years ago, ground sloth
Ground sloth
Ground sloths are a diverse group of extinct sloths, in the mammalian superorder Xenarthra. Their most recent survivors lived in the Antilles, where it has been proposed they may have survived until 1550 CE; however, the youngest AMS radiocarbon date reported is 4190 BP, calibrated to c. 4700 BP...
s, horses, elephants and camels roamed among redwood trees
Redwood
-Trees:Conifers* Family Cupressaceae *** Sequoia sempervirens - coast redwood**** Albino redwood*** Sequoiadendron giganteum - giant sequoia*** Metasequoia glyptostroboides - dawn redwood* Family Pinaceae...
in what is now Los Angeles, according to an MTA summary of the 300-page report. The scientists also found evidence of a great flood in the San Fernando Valley
San Fernando Valley
The San Fernando Valley is an urbanized valley located in the Los Angeles metropolitan area of southern California, United States, defined by the dramatic mountains of the Transverse Ranges circling it...
9,000 years ago that swept away trees. Among the 64 extinct species of marine fish 39 were never before discovered, the report said. The scientists found bones of an American mastodon
Mastodon
Mastodons were large tusked mammal species of the extinct genus Mammut which inhabited Asia, Africa, Europe, North America and Central America from the Oligocene through Pleistocene, 33.9 mya to 11,000 years ago. The American mastodon is the most recent and best known species of the group...
, a western camel and a Harlan's ground sloth. They found wood and pollen of land plants including incense cedar and coast redwood trees and bones of birds, shrews, cottontail rabbit
Cottontail rabbit
The cottontail rabbits are among the 16 lagomorph species in the genus Sylvilagus, found in the Americas.In appearance, most cottontail rabbits closely resemble the wild European Rabbit...
s, gophers
Gopher (animal)
The term gopher as it is commonly used does not relate to any one species, but is a generic term used to describe any of several small burrowing rodents endemic to North America, including the pocket gopher , also called true gophers, and the ground squirrel , including Richardson's ground squirrel...
, mice
MICE
-Fiction:*Mice , alien species in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy*The Mice -Acronyms:* "Meetings, Incentives, Conferencing, Exhibitions", facilities terminology for events...
and kangaroo rat
Kangaroo rat
Kangaroo rats, genus Dipodomys, are small rodents native to North America. The common name derives from their bipedal form: as they hop in a manner similar to the much larger kangaroo, although they are not related...
s. Some of the fossils are as much as 16.5 million years old.
During construction there were allegations of corruption and safety, including cost overruns and tunnel walls having thicknesses less than specified or required by law.
In October 2005, the new Orange Line (Los Angeles Metro) began service. The busway was constructed instead of a further Red Line rail extension in the Valley. The Orange Line uses train-like two-cabin articulated bus bodies to provide high-capacity transit service across an east-west corridor in the southern San Fernando Valley
San Fernando Valley
The San Fernando Valley is an urbanized valley located in the Los Angeles metropolitan area of southern California, United States, defined by the dramatic mountains of the Transverse Ranges circling it...
. The Red Line connects to the Orange Line at station. The Orange Line feeds about 15,000 new boardings into the Red Line at the North Hollywood terminus. Currently, little chance exists for further underground Red Line extension west from its northern terminus.
What is now known as the Metro Purple Line was originally simply the Wilshire branch of the Red Line. In August 2006, Metro decided to designate the Purple Line as a separate line.
Future extensions
East Los Angeles (region)
East Los Angeles is the portion of the City of Los Angeles that lies east of Downtown Los Angeles, the Los Angeles River and the unincorporated areas of Lincoln Heights, west of the San Gabriel Valley, East Los Angeles and City Terrace, south of Cypress Park, and north of Vernon, California and...
. At the north end of the route, the Red Line was to turn west from station toward Warner Center. However, a 1998 proposition was passed by voters, which banned use of county sales tax revenue for subway construction due to the high cost of construction and problems associated tunneling under Hollywood Blvd.
The tunneling ban put an end to expansion of the Red Line for the foreseeable future. The route to Warner Center was turned into the Metro Orange Line, a bus transitway (BRT) service. However, in recent years, new legislation has been passed reflecting new public support for subway development, and Metro is now working on two subway projects (the Westside Subway Extension
Westside Subway Extension (Los Angeles Metro)
The Westside Subway Extension is a proposed mass-transit rail project to create a new heavy rail subway corridor in Los Angeles County, extending the Metro Purple Line from its current terminus at to the Westside...
and the Regional Connector) in other parts of the county.
Extension to East Valley
Mayor Villaraigosa has mentioned extending the Red Line from its current North Hollywood terminus along Lankershim Boulevard to the northeastern San Fernando Valley, with a terminus in SylmarSylmar, Los Angeles, California
Sylmar is a district in the San Fernando Valley region of the City of Los Angeles, California. The northernmost neighborhood in the city, Sylmar is located east of Interstate 5 and north of the city of San Fernando...
.
One long-term possibility might be an underground extension of another mile or two to a future high-rise housing district, or to a multi-modal transportation hub at Bob Hope Airport
Bob Hope Airport
Bob Hope Airport is a public airport located 3 miles northwest of the central business district of Burbank, a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States...
in Burbank
Burbank, California
Burbank is a city in Los Angeles County in Southern California, United States, north of downtown Los Angeles. The estimated population in 2010 was 103,340....
, a distance of approximately four miles. It would possibly go under Vineland Avenue and Vanowen Street. In 2006 a large number of housing units, including a high-rise tower was completed very near the North Hollywood
North Hollywood, Los Angeles, California
North Hollywood is a district in the San Fernando Valley region of the city of Los Angeles, California, along the Tujunga Wash. It is bounded on the south by Moorpark Street and the Ventura Freeway, on the southwest by Burbank Blvd...
(NoHo Arts District) station. A master planned multi high-rise complex further to the north could justify a future short extension, and also allow more commuter parking to be developed. No plan of this sort has been formally proposed, though some transit advocates have suggested that the Orange Line may be extended along the same route as mentioned above.
Extension to Arts District
In 2010, at the request of L.A. City Councilman Tom LaBongeTom LaBonge
Thomas J. "Tom" LaBonge is an American politician. He is a member of the Los Angeles City Council representing the 4th district. He has served since 2001, taking over the position upon the death of John Ferraro. The district represents a wide diversity of incomes and neighborhoods...
, Metro staff studied the possibility of adding a station along the west bank of the Los Angeles River
Los Angeles River
The Los Angeles River is a river that starts in the San Fernando Valley, in the Simi Hills and Santa Susana Mountains, and flows through Los Angeles County, California, from Canoga Park in the western end of the San Fernando Valley, nearly southeast to its mouth in Long Beach...
to 6th Street and Santa Fe. The study concluded that such an extension, completed at-grade along Metro-owned right-of-way, could be completed for as little as $90 million.
The study suggested an alternative station at the Division 20 yard north of 4th Street and Santa Fe. This station would be closer to the residential population of the Arts District. And since new turnback tracks are going to need to be built as part of the Westside Subway Extension
Westside Subway Extension (Los Angeles Metro)
The Westside Subway Extension is a proposed mass-transit rail project to create a new heavy rail subway corridor in Los Angeles County, extending the Metro Purple Line from its current terminus at to the Westside...
(to deal with shorter headways), this Arts District extension could possibly be partially completed as part of the Westside Subway Extension project, lowering the incremental cost of the station while increasing its usability.
Extensions East
Plans of extending the Red Line to the EastsideEast Los Angeles (region)
East Los Angeles is the portion of the City of Los Angeles that lies east of Downtown Los Angeles, the Los Angeles River and the unincorporated areas of Lincoln Heights, west of the San Gabriel Valley, East Los Angeles and City Terrace, south of Cypress Park, and north of Vernon, California and...
have been set aside with opening of the Metro Gold Line East extension to the neighborhoods of Boyle Heights and East Los Angeles. Although there are no plans to do such, it is conceivable that plans for a future eastward extension could involve the San Gabriel Valley
San Gabriel Valley
The San Gabriel Valley is one of the principal valleys of Southern California, United States. It lies to the east of Los Angeles, to the north of the Puente Hills, to the south of the San Gabriel Mountains, and west of the Inland Empire. It derives its name from the San Gabriel River that flows...
rather than the Eastside. Some citizen proposals have included the conversion of the El Monte Busway
El Monte Busway
The El Monte Busway is a 11 mile shared-use bus corridor and high occupancy vehicle lane running west along the Interstate 10 from the Interstate 605 and El Monte Bus Station via transitway stations at California State University Metro Station, USC Medical Center Metro Station into Downtown Los...
to heavy rail, although this would disrupt the existing bus and Metrolink service along that corridor. Other rights-of-way that could host a Red Line extension, whether subway or at-grade, include the Union Pacific's Alhambra Trench, the former Pacific Electric two-track right of way extending through the City Terrace area to El Monte and Covina, and the median of Huntington Drive
Huntington Drive
Huntington Drive is a major east–west street in Southern California. It runs from the merge of Soto Street and Mission Road near the Lincoln Park neighborhood of Los Angeles east through the El Sereno section of Los Angeles, South Pasadena, San Marino, Alhambra, San Gabriel, Arcadia,...
, which also held a two-track Pacific Electric line extending as far as Azusa
Azusa, California
Azusa is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 46,361 at the 2010 census, up from 44,712 at the 2000 census. Though sometimes assumed to be a compaction of the phrase "everything from A to Z in the USA" from an old Jack Benny joke, the place name "Azusa"...
, until the 1950s, when it was removed.
Westside Subway Extension (Purple line)
Metro is planning the Westside Subway ExtensionWestside Subway Extension (Los Angeles Metro)
The Westside Subway Extension is a proposed mass-transit rail project to create a new heavy rail subway corridor in Los Angeles County, extending the Metro Purple Line from its current terminus at to the Westside...
to extend the Purple Line (originally part of the Red Line) westward, to the Westside.
Station listing
The following table lists the stations of the Red Line, from east to west:| Station | Connections | Date Opened |
|---|---|---|
| Union Station Union Station (Los Angeles) Los Angeles Union Station is the main railway station in Los Angeles, California. The station has rail services by Amtrak and Amtrak California and Metrolink; light rail/subways are the Metro Rail Red Line, Purple Line, Gold Line. Bus rapid transport runs on the Silver Line... |
Purple Line Gold Line Silver Line El Monte Busway El Monte Busway The El Monte Busway is a 11 mile shared-use bus corridor and high occupancy vehicle lane running west along the Interstate 10 from the Interstate 605 and El Monte Bus Station via transitway stations at California State University Metro Station, USC Medical Center Metro Station into Downtown Los... 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... : 704, 728, 733, 740, 745, 770 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:... : Silver Streak Silver Streak (bus) The Silver Streak is a bus rapid transit system operated by Foothill Transit between Los Angeles and Montclair. Service began on March 18, 2007 and also resulted in a restructuring of service. The idea of the Silver Streak came when Line 480, Foothill's most popular line, became a very busy bus... Amtrak Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union... 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.... |
January 30, 1993 |
| Civic Center Civic Center (LACMTA Station) Civic Center Station is a heavy-rail subway station in the Los Angeles County Metro Rail system. It is located on Hill Street between 1st and Temple Streets in the Civic Center area of Downtown Los Angeles. This station is served by the Red Line and the Purple Line. It is also served by the... |
Purple Line 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... : 728, 730, 733, 740, 745, 770, 794 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:... : Silver Streak |
January 30, 1993 |
| Pershing Square Pershing Square (LACMTA Station) Pershing Square Station is a heavy-rail subway station in the Los Angeles County Metro Rail system. It is located on Hill Street between 4th and 5th Streets, near Pershing Square in Downtown Los Angeles. This station is served by the Red Line and the Purple Line and various local bus services. ... |
Purple Line 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... : 720, 728, 730, 740, 745, 770, 794 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:... : Silver Streak Angels Flight Angels Flight Angels Flight is a landmark funicular railway in the Bunker Hill district of Downtown Los Angeles, California. It has two funicular cars, Sinai and Olivet .... |
January 30, 1993 |
| 7th St/Metro Center 7th St/Metro Center (LACMTA Station) 7th Street/Metro Center Station is a subway station in the Los Angeles County Metro Rail system located in the Financial District of Downtown Los Angeles at the intersection of Seventh Street and Flower Street... |
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 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 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... : 450X 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:... : Silver Streak |
January 30, 1993 |
| Westlake/MacArthur Park Westlake/MacArthur Park (LACMTA station) Westlake/MacArthur Park Station is a heavy-rail subway station in the Los Angeles County Metro Rail system. It is located at Wilshire Boulevard and Alvarado Street, across from the park of the same name in Los Angeles' Westlake District... |
Purple 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... : 720 |
January 30, 1993 |
| Wilshire/Vermont Wilshire/Vermont (LACMTA Station) Wilshire/Vermont is a heavy-rail subway station in the Los Angeles Metro system. It is located at Wilshire Boulevard and Vermont Avenue, in Los Angeles' Mid-Wilshire/Koreatown District. This station is served by the Red Line and the Purple Line.-Location:... |
Purple 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... : 720, 754 |
July 13, 1996 |
| Vermont/Beverly Vermont/Beverly (LACMTA station) Vermont/Beverly Station is a heavy-rail subway station in the Los Angeles County Metro Rail system. It is located at Vermont Avenue and Beverly Boulevard, in Los Angeles, near the border between East Hollywood and Wilshire Center. This station is served by the Red 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... : 754 |
June 12, 1999 |
| Vermont/Santa Monica Vermont/Santa Monica (LACMTA Station) Vermont/Santa Monica Station is a heavy-rail subway station in the Los Angeles County Metro Rail system. It is located at Vermont Avenue and Santa Monica Boulevard in East Hollywood neighborhood of Los Angeles. This station is served by the Red 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... : 704, 754 |
June 12, 1999 |
| Vermont/Sunset Vermont/Sunset (LACMTA Station) Vermont/Sunset Station is a heavy-rail subway station in the Los Angeles County Metro Rail system. It is located at Vermont Avenue and Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles, among the East Hollywood neighborhoods of Los Feliz, Silver Lake, and Little Armenia. This station is served by the Red 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... : 754 |
June 12, 1999 |
| Hollywood/Western Hollywood/Western (LACMTA Station) Hollywood/Western Station is a heavy-rail subway station in the Los Angeles County Metro Rail system. It is located at Hollywood Boulevard and Western Avenue in the Thai Town/Little Armenia neighborhood of East Hollywood in Los Angeles. This station is served by the Red Line. - External links :*... |
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... : 757, 780 |
June 12, 1999 |
| Hollywood/Vine Hollywood/Vine (LACMTA Station) Hollywood/Vine is a subway station on the Red Line of the Los Angeles Metro in Hollywood, Los Angeles.-Location:As the name implies, Hollywood/Vine station lies below the intersection of Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street. The central station of the three subway stops in Hollywood, it is within... |
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... : 780 |
June 12, 1999 |
| Hollywood/Highland Hollywood/Highland (LACMTA Station) Hollywood/Highland Station is a heavy-rail subway station in the Los Angeles County Metro Rail system. It is located at the intersection of Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue in the Hollywood District of Los Angeles... |
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... : 780 |
June 24, 2000 |
| Universal City Universal City (LACMTA Station) Universal City Station is a heavy-rail subway station in the Los Angeles County Metro Rail system. It is located on Lankershim Boulevard, across from the entrance to Universal Studios, in the Los Angeles, California community of Studio City... |
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... : 750 |
June 24, 2000 |
| North Hollywood North Hollywood (LACMTA Station) North Hollywood is a heavy-rail subway station in the Los Angeles County Metro Rail system. It is located at the intersection of Lankershim Boulevard and Chandler Boulevard in the North Hollywood District of Los Angeles. This station is served by the Red Line as well as the Orange Line BRT service... |
Orange Line | June 24, 2000 |
Maintenance
The Red Line operates out of the Division 20 Yard (Santa Fe Yard) located at 320 South Santa Fe Avenue in downtown Los Angeles. This yard stores the fleet used on the Red and Purple Lines. It is also where heavy maintenance is performed. Cars reach this yard by continuing on after Union Station, making a right turn and surfacing at the Eastern terminus of Ducommun Street. They then travel south to 1st Street, through a washing station, and enter the yard.Rolling stock
The Red Line uses Ansaldobreda A650Ansaldobreda A650
The Ansaldobreda A650 is a type of multiple unit subway car built by Ansaldobreda in Italy and used on the Los Angeles Metro Red and Metro Purple Lines....
75 feet (22.9 m) electric multiple unit
Multiple unit
The term multiple unit or MU is used to describe a self-propelled carriages capable of coupling with other units of the same or similar type and still being controlled from one driving cab. The term is commonly used to denote passenger trainsets consisting of more than one carriage...
cars built by Ansaldobreda in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. Trains usually run in six-car consists during peak hours and four-car consists outside of peak hours. The acceleration for cars #530 and up is similar to that of cars used by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transportation Authority because they both use General Electric
General Electric
General Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...
traction motor
Traction motor
Traction motor refers to an electric motor providing the primary rotational torque of a machine, usually for conversion into linear motion ....
s. The cars are maintained in a yard on Santa Fe Drive near 4th Street alongside the Los Angeles River
Los Angeles River
The Los Angeles River is a river that starts in the San Fernando Valley, in the Simi Hills and Santa Susana Mountains, and flows through Los Angeles County, California, from Canoga Park in the western end of the San Fernando Valley, nearly southeast to its mouth in Long Beach...
in downtown Los Angeles.
2006 Mercury spillage
On December 22, 2006, a man spilled a vial of mercuryMercury (element)
Mercury is a chemical element with the symbol Hg and atomic number 80. It is also known as quicksilver or hydrargyrum...
on the platform at the Pershing Square
Pershing Square (LACMTA Station)
Pershing Square Station is a heavy-rail subway station in the Los Angeles County Metro Rail system. It is located on Hill Street between 4th and 5th Streets, near Pershing Square in Downtown Los Angeles. This station is served by the Red Line and the Purple Line and various local bus services. ...
station. He then located a passenger information intercom and told the operator
Operator (profession)
An operator is a professional designation used in various industries, including broadcasting , computing, customer service, physics, and construction. Operators are day-to-day end users of systems, that may or may not be mission-critical, but are typically managed and maintained by technicians or...
that he spilled mercury before boarding a train. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department is a local county law enforcement agency that serves Los Angeles County, California. It is the fourth largest local policing agency in the United States, with the New York City Police Department being the first. The second largest is the Chicago Police...
was not notified until the next day, eight hours later. Metro has responded since the incident by giving hazardous materials (Hazmat) training to its field employees and operators so they can identify hazardous substances and take correct action in the future.
2011 Stabbing
On August 19, 2011 an altercation between two passengers resulted in a fatal stabbing of one of the involved on the train near the Hollywood and Vine station. The suspect was caught on August 24.In popular culture
- In the videogame Grand Theft Auto:San Andreas Market Station in Los Santos is a fictional train station served by Brown Streak Railroad in the game is one of the stations based on the Metro Red Line, possibly the Civic Center station.
- In HeroesHeroes (TV series)Heroes is an American science fiction television drama series created by Tim Kring that appeared on NBC for four seasons from September 25, 2006 through February 8, 2010. The series tells the stories of ordinary people who discover superhuman abilities, and how these abilities take effect in the...
, Hiro NakamuraHiro Nakamurais a fictional character on the NBC fantasy drama Heroes who possesses the ability of space-time manipulation. This means that Hiro is able to alter the flow of time. Previously, his ability allowed him to teleport, stop time, or travel through time, but recent events in the series have prevented...
rides the Red Line. - On the popular television series AliasAlias (TV series)Alias is an American action television series created by J. J. Abrams which was broadcast on ABC for five seasons, from September 30, 2001 to May 22, 2006...
, the CIA black ops unit Authorized Personnel OnlyAuthorized Personnel OnlyAuthorized Personnel Only , is a fictional black ops unit within the Central Intelligence Agency in the American TV series Alias. It was formed at the beginning of Season 4 and is headquartered beneath the Los Angeles Subway system....
is located behind a maintenance door at the Civic Center station near the Los Angeles City HallLos Angeles City HallLos Angeles City Hall, completed 1928, is the center of the government of the city of Los Angeles, California, and houses the mayor's office and the meeting chambers and offices of the Los Angeles City Council...
. - In Season 2 of Numb3rsNUMB3RSNumb3rs is an American television drama which premiered on CBS on January 23, 2005, and concluded on March 12, 2010. The series was created by Nicolas Falacci and Cheryl Heuton, and follows FBI Special Agent Don Eppes and his mathematical genius brother, Charlie Eppes , who helps Don solve crimes...
, a wanted man spilled some potentially lethal gas in the subway system on the train during a test on Episode 5 "Soft Target." and during a chase sequene in Season 4, episode 1 Trust metricTrust metricIn psychology and sociology, a trust metric is a measurement of the degree to which one social actor trusts another social actor... - In Season 6, hour 2 (7:00 a.m. - 8:00 a.m.) of 2424 (TV series)24 is an American television series produced for the Fox Network and syndicated worldwide, starring Kiefer Sutherland as Counter Terrorist Unit agent Jack Bauer. Each 24-episode season covers 24 hours in the life of Bauer, using the real time method of narration...
, Jack BauerJack BauerJack Bauer is the main protagonist of the American television series 24. His character has worked in various capacities on the show, often as a member of the fictional Counter Terrorist Unit based in Los Angeles, and working with the FBI in Washington, D.C...
follows a suicide bomber to a red line station. After the terrorist boards a train bound for Union Station, Jack confronts the terrorist. A brief skirmish ensues, with Jack ejecting the terrorist through the back window of the train only seconds before the terrorist detonates the bomb. - Part of the film Speed transpires on a Red Line train departing Pershing Square station and ultimately crashing through the street surface at the then-under construction Hollywood & Highland station.
- Part of the film Volcano takes place on the Wilshire branch of the Red Line where lava stops the train from operating and the passengers must be rescued in the tunnel. The film also features a fictional protest from Beverly Hills residents against an extension of the subway into the neighborhood, responding that it will "bring Downtown's problems west".
- In The Italian JobThe 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...
, a heist takes place underneath the Hollywood/Highland station and through the Red Line tunnels until it reaches the Blue Line tunnel opening between 7th/Metro Center station and Pico station. - The Red Line is also featured in S.W.A.T.S.W.A.T. (film)S.W.A.T. is a 2003 action-crime film directed by Clark Johnson, and is based on the 1975 television series of the same name. It stars Samuel L. Jackson, Colin Farrell, LL Cool J and Michelle Rodriguez. It was produced by Neal H...
where police chase a fugitive from Pershing Square station to Wilshire/Normandie station. The "Pershing Square" exterior is 7th St/Metro Center, while the interior is Wilshire/Western. - In the P. T. Anderson-directed music video for "Fast as You CanFast as You Can"Fast as You Can" is a song written by Fiona Apple, and produced by Jon Brion for her second album, When the Pawn.... It was released as the album's lead single in late 1999 in the United States and in February 2000 in the United Kingdom. It became one of Apple's most successful singles in both...
" by Fiona AppleFiona AppleFiona Apple McAfee Maggart is an American singer-songwriter and pianist. Apple met international acclaim for her 1996 debut album, Tidal, which was a critical and commercial success...
, much of the action takes place on a moving Red Line train, which originates at the Hollywood/Western station. Anderson directed another music video for Apple, "Paper Bag," which was filmed at Union Station, but that was because of the Art DecoArt DecoArt deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
surroundings; the Red Line terminus was not featured. - In the music video for "Bad DayBad Day (Daniel Powter song)"Bad Day" is a song written and performed by Canadian singer-songwriter Daniel Powter. It was released as the first single from his second album Daniel Powter and achieved the #1 spot in the U.S. and Ireland. In the U.S...
" by Daniel PowterDaniel PowterDaniel Richard Powter is a Canadian recording artist. He is known for his hit "Bad Day", which spent five weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100. Powter became the only act to register the #1 hit of the year but chart no other Hot 100 hit.- Life and career :Powter grew up in Vernon, in the...
, the Red Line Pershing Square StationPershing Square (LACMTA Station)Pershing Square Station is a heavy-rail subway station in the Los Angeles County Metro Rail system. It is located on Hill Street between 4th and 5th Streets, near Pershing Square in Downtown Los Angeles. This station is served by the Red Line and the Purple Line and various local bus services. ...
and vicinity is used as part of the daily commute for two singles and eventually where they meet. - In the music video for "All for You" by Janet JacksonJanet JacksonJanet Damita Jo Jackson is an American recording artist and actress. Known for a series of sonically innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows, television and film roles, she has been a prominent figure in popular culture for over 25 years...
, Janet and company ride a subway to Venice (Beach), California, a trip which is not currently possible. While not explicitly shown to be the Red Line, it is an interesting nod to proposals to extend the subway from midtown to the beach. - In the music video for "Wait a Minute" by The Pussycat Dolls, the opening scenes take place in a Red Line subway station and aboard a train; also in the music video for "When I Grow UpWhen I Grow Up (Pussycat Dolls song)"When I Grow Up" is a song by American girl group the Pussycat Dolls, from their second studio album, Doll Domination . It was released on May 27, 2008 as the lead single from the album, and the first following the departure of the group's longest-standing member Carmit Bachar...
", they perform in front of the Hollywood/Vine portal that currently has construction activities occurring for the W Hotel. - In the novel "Homefront: The Voice of Freedom", the Red Line, which has become considerably run down, has one of its subway trains destroyed by the main antagonist in a series of suitcase bombings across the nation targeting mass transit systems.
See also
- Westside Subway Extension (Los Angeles Metro)Westside Subway Extension (Los Angeles Metro)The Westside Subway Extension is a proposed mass-transit rail project to create a new heavy rail subway corridor in Los Angeles County, extending the Metro Purple Line from its current terminus at to the Westside...
- Purple Line (Los Angeles Metro)
- Los Angeles County Metro RailLos Angeles County Metro RailMetro 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...
- Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation AuthorityLos Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation AuthorityThe 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...
- Breda A-650 Metro Red Line Railcar
External links
- MTA Home Page
- Red Line homepage
- Red Line schedule
- Take a Virtual Tour of the Red Line (QuickTimeQuickTimeQuickTime is an extensible proprietary multimedia framework developed by Apple Inc., capable of handling various formats of digital video, picture, sound, panoramic images, and interactivity. The classic version of QuickTime is available for Windows XP and later, as well as Mac OS X Leopard and...
Required)