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E Line (Los Angeles Metro)

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This article is about the light rail line in Los Angeles formerly known as the Expo Line. For other uses of the name, see Expo Line (disambiguation).

E Line
E Line train in Santa Monica, July 2017
Overview
Other name(s)Expo Line (2012–2019) Gold Line/L Line (South of Little Tokyo/Arts District.)
OwnerLos Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority
Line number804 (formerly 806)
Termini
Stations29
Websitemetro.net/riding/e-line
Service
TypeLight rail
SystemLos Angeles Metro Rail
Depot(s)Division 14 (Santa Monica)
Division 21 (Elysian Park)
Rolling stockSiemens P2000 or Kinki Sharyo P3010 running in 2 or 3 car consists
Ridership7,939,241 (2021) Decrease -4.4%
History
OpenedApril 28, 2012; 12 years ago (2012-04-28)
CompletedJune 16, 2023; 18 months ago (2023-06-16)
Technical
Line length22.5 mi (36.2 km)[1]
Number of tracks2
CharacterMostly at-grade in private right-of-way, with some underground, street-running, elevated, and trench sections
Track gauge4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
ElectrificationOverhead line, 750 V DC
Operating speed55 mph (89 km/h) (max.)
19.6 mph (31.5 km/h) (avg.)
Route map

Legend
 Downtown Santa Monica
17th Street/​SMC Parking
26th Street/​Bergamot
Division 14 Maintenance
and Storage Facility
 Expo/Bundy Parking
I-405 (1961).svg I-405
 Expo/Sepulveda Parking
Westwood/​Rancho Park
I-10 (1961).svg I-10
 Palms
Culver City Parking
La Cienega/​Jefferson Parking
Expo/La Brea
Farmdale
Expo/​Crenshaw Parking
K Line
 Expo/Western
Expo/Vermont
Expo Park/​USC
Exposition Boulevard/Figueroa Street
 Jefferson/USC
I-110 (1961).svg I-110
 LATTC/Ortho Institute
J Line
A Line A Line to Long Beach
I-10 (1961).svg I-10
 Pico
J Line
B Line to North Hollywood
D Line to Wilshire/Western
 7th Street/​Metro Center
B Line‍D Line‍J Line
 Grand Avenue Arts/Bunker Hill
J Line
B Line‍D Line to Union Station
 Historic Broadway
Little Tokyo/Arts District
A Line A Line to Azusa
Metrolink and Amtrak
 Pico/Aliso
US 101 (1961 cutout).svg US 101
 Mariachi Plaza
I-5 (1961).svgI-10 (1961).svg I-5 / I-10
 Soto
Indiana Parking
California 60.svg SR 60
I-710 (1961).svg I-710
 Maravilla
East LA Civic Center
Atlantic Parking
Multiple services
sharing tracks
Handicapped/disabled access
All stations
are accessible

The E Line (formerly the Expo Line from 2012–2019) is a 22.5-mile (36.2 km) light rail line that runs between Santa Monica and East Los Angeles. It is one of the six lines in the Los Angeles Metro Rail system and is operated by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro). The line opened in 2012.

The E Line largely follows the right-of-way of the former Pacific Electric Santa Monica Air Line. Passenger service ended in 1953; freight-only service ended by March 1988. Several E Line stations are built in the same location as Air Line stations, although no original station structures have been reused.[2]

Originally named the Expo Line after Exposition Boulevard, along which it runs for most of its route,[3][4] the line was renamed the E Line in late 2019, while retaining the aqua-colored line and icons used to designate it on maps.[5] After the Regional Connector opened on June 16, 2023, the current E Line was joined with the Eastside portion of the L Line to create an extended E Line, which is colored gold on maps.[6][7]

Route and stations of the E Line, relative to other Metro lines. Under construction or planned segments are shown as dashed lines.

Service description

Hours and frequency

E Line service hours are from approximately 4:30 a.m. and 11:45 p.m daily. Trains operate every 8 minutes during peak hours, Monday to Friday. Trains run every 10 minutes, during midday on weekdays and weekends, from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Night and early morning service is approximately every 20 minutes every day.[8]

Time 4A 5A 6-7A 8A-1P 2-6P 7P 8-11P
Weekdays 20 10-12 10 12 10 12-20 20
Weekends/Holidays 20 12 12-20 12 14-20 20

Speed

Though the E Line can reach a maximum speed of 55 mph (89 km/h), it only rarely does so.[9] It takes 69 minutes[10] to travel the line's 15.2 mi (24.5 km) length,[1] at an average speed of 19.8 mph (31.9 km/h), making it the slowest line in the system.

Station listing

The following is the complete list of stations, from west to east:

Station Date Opened City/Neighborhood Major Connections and Notes[11][12]
Downtown Santa Monica May 20, 2016 Santa Monica
17th Street/Santa Monica College Park and ride: 65 spaces
26th Street/​Bergamot
Expo/Bundy West Los Angeles Park and ride: 217 spaces
Expo/Sepulveda Park and ride: 260 spaces
Westwood/​Rancho Park Los Angeles (Rancho Park)
Palms Los Angeles (Palms)
Culver City June 20, 2012 Culver City Park and ride: 300 spaces
La Cienega/​Jefferson April 28, 2012 Los Angeles (West Adams) Park and ride: 494 spaces
Expo/La Brea
Farmdale June 20, 2012
Expo/​Crenshaw April 28, 2012 Los Angeles (Jefferson Park) K Line
Park and ride: 450 spaces (closed Sunday)
Expo/Western Los Angeles (Exposition Park)
Expo/Vermont
Expo Park/​USC Los Angeles (University Park)
Jefferson/USC
LATTC/Ortho Institute Los Angeles (North University Park) J Line
Pico July 14, 1990 Los Angeles (Downtown) A Line‍J Line
7th Street/​Metro Center February 15, 1991 A Line‍B Line‍D Line‍J Line
Grand Av Arts/Bunker Hill June 16, 2023 A Line‍J Line
Historic Broadway A Line‍J Line
Little Tokyo/Arts District November 15, 2009 Los Angeles (Little Tokyo/Arts District) A Line
Pico/Aliso Los Angeles (Boyle Heights)
Mariachi Plaza
Soto
Indiana East Los Angeles Park and ride: 42 spaces
Maravilla
East L.A. Civic Center
Atlantic Park and ride: 289 spaces

Ridership

Annual ridership
Year Ridership %±
2012 4,141,440 —
2013 8,659,229 +109.1%
2014 9,818,027 +13.4%
2015 9,834,541 +0.2%
2016 13,376,428 +36.0%
2017 19,030,229 +42.3%
2018 19,413,884 +2.0%
2019 18,269,068 −5.9%
2020 8,308,144 −54.5%
2021 7,939,241 −4.4%
2022 9,381,013 +18.2%
Source: Metro[13]

History

Main articles: History of Los Angeles Metro Rail and Busway, Los Angeles and Independence Railroad, and Santa Monica Air Line
Steam train and horsecar in Santa Monica, 1894

The E Line largely follows the right of way used by the Los Angeles and Independence Railroad steam railroad, built in 1875,[14] which was converted by Pacific Electric to electric traction and operated as the Santa Monica Air Line by 1920,[15] providing both freight and passenger service between Los Angeles and Santa Monica. Passenger service ended in 1953, and freight service stopped in 1988.[16]

Local advocacy groups including Friends 4 Expo Transit[17] supported the successful passage of Proposition C in 1990, which allowed the purchase of the entire right-of-way from Southern Pacific by Metro. In 2000, an urban art group called Heavy Trash placed signs advertising a fictional "Aqua Line." The signs, with the text "Coming Soon," showed a subway route extending along Wilshire to the ocean, with 10 station stops. Although the campaign was a hoax, it demonstrated newfound support and revealed the frustrations surrounding the lack of rail service connecting Santa Monica and the Westside with Downtown Los Angeles.[18][non-primary source needed] Metro released a Major Investment Study in 2000 which compared bus rapid transit and light rail transit options along what was now known as the "Mid-City/Exposition Corridor".[19]

Construction

Completed E line track passing through a residential area

An independent agency, the Exposition Metro Line Construction Authority, was given the authority to plan, design, and construct the line by state law in 2003. After construction of the second phase was completed, the line was handed over on January 15, 2016, to the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority.[20]

The line was built in two phases; the first phase comprised the 8.6-mile (13.8 km)[1][21] section between Downtown Los Angeles and Culver City. Construction began in early 2006, and most stations opened to the public on April 28, 2012.[21][22] The Culver City and Farmdale stations opened on June 20, 2012.[21][23]

Design and construction on the 6.6-mile (10.6 km)[1] portion between Culver City and Santa Monica started in September 2011. Testing along the phase 2 segment began on April 6, 2015,[24] and the segment opened on May 20, 2016.[25]

Regional Connector

Main article: Regional Connector

The Regional Connector Transit Project constructed a 1.9-mile (3.1 km) light rail tunnel through Downtown Los Angeles that connected the preexisting A and E Lines to the former L Line to allow for a seamless one-seat ride between the A and E Lines' previous terminus at 7th Street/Metro Center station to Union Station and the Eastside.[26]

Once the Regional Connector was completed, the alignment of the L (formerly Gold) Line was split into two parts at Little Tokyo/Arts District station, with the portion north of this station joined to the A Line, extending it to connect Long Beach with Azusa. The alignment east of Little Tokyo/Arts District station was assigned to the E Line, extending it to connect Santa Monica and East Los Angeles directly. At this time, the L Line ceased to exist as a separate line.

In 2019, Metro began using a renaming system where each rail and bus rapid transit line was rebranded with a letter name and an associated color to be used on maps and other wayfinding signs. As a result, the Expo Line became the E Line in 2019, and was recolored from aqua to gold upon completion of the Regional Connector Transit Project.[27][28][6]

The groundbreaking for the project took place on September 30, 2014, and it opened on June 16, 2023.[7]

Future developments

Eastside Transit Corridor

Main article: Eastside Transit Corridor

The Eastside Transit Corridor is a project to extend from the former L Line's terminus at Atlantic station eastward to Lambert station in Whittier. Partially funded by Measure M, construction is programmed to start in 2029 with service beginning in 2035,[29] though the project may be accelerated for the 2028 Summer Olympics.

Operations

Interior of a westbound train, first day of operation to Culver City

Maintenance facilities

Between the line's opening in 2012 and the opening of Phase 2 in 2016, the light rail vehicles used on the E Line were maintained at the Division 11 facility in Long Beach, the same maintenance facility that is used by the A Line. Division 14, located east of Stewart Street and north of Exposition Boulevard in the vicinity of the 26th Street/Bergamot station in Santa Monica, was opened with the completion of Phase 2.[30] With the completion of the Regional Connector in 2023, the trains used on the E Line are also maintained at Division 21 near Elysian Park, originally opened in 2003 for the first phase of the Gold Line.

Rolling stock

Metro estimates that it uses 47 light rail cars to provide service on the E Line under the peak-hour assumption of 3-car trains running at 6-minute headways.

Bike pathways

Bikeway directional sign under elevated track
Main article: Expo Line Bikeway

The E Line Bike Path parallels the route of the light rail line and includes a mixture of bike lanes on Exposition Boulevard and off-street paths alongside the rail tracks.[31]

Incidents

  • On November 29, 2018, a pedestrian was struck and killed. The man had been attempting to cross the tracks.[32]
  • On January 15, 2019, a passenger fell from the platform between the cars and was dragged to death. They "have not yet been able to identify the individual as pieces of the victim's body are spread out."[33]
  • On May 2, 2019, a man climbed a nearby construction crane and jumped to his death at the Expo/Sepulveda station, landing on the tracks and temporarily halting transportation. Graphic footage of the incident was spread on social media websites, most notably Reddit.[34]

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Expo Line project fact sheet" (PDF). Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority. 2012. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 8, 2013. Retrieved October 6, 2013.
  2. ^ 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 11, 2016. Retrieved July 12, 2016.
  3. ^ Epstein, Joel (April 12, 2016). "How the Expo Line Got to Santa Monica". Huffington Post. Archived from the original on May 15, 2017. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
  4. ^ "The Guide to the Metro Expo Line: Downtown L.A. to Santa Monica". Discover Los Angeles. Archived from the original on November 17, 2017. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
  5. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on November 2, 2019. Retrieved November 2, 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  6. ^ a b Fonseca, Ryan (September 25, 2019). "Ignore Those 'Line A' Signs. Metro's Blue Line Will Reopen As The 'A Line'". laist.com. Southern California Public Radio. Archived from the original on September 26, 2019. Retrieved September 26, 2019.
  7. ^ a b Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority [@metrolosangeles] (May 22, 2023). "Metro Board Chair @AraJNajarian just announced the Regional Connector will open Friday, June 16! 🎉🚊Free rides that weekend!" (Tweet). Retrieved May 22, 2023 – via Twitter.
  8. ^ "Metro E Line schedule". Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority. December 10, 2023. Retrieved December 25, 2023.
  9. ^ Hymon, Steve (November 22, 2011). "Our first ride on the Expo Line". The Source. Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Archived from the original on September 19, 2015. Retrieved March 31, 2015.
  10. ^ "E Line (Expo) timetable" (PDF). Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority. December 13, 2020. Archived (PDF) from the original on January 10, 2021. Retrieved May 2, 2021.
  11. ^ "Metro E Line (Expo)". www.metro.net. Archived from the original on March 19, 2022. Retrieved July 23, 2020.
  12. ^ "Metro Parking Lots by Line". www.metro.net. Archived from the original on August 10, 2020. Retrieved July 23, 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. ^ "First Train of the Los Angeles and Independence Railroad" Archived March 4, 2016, at the Wayback Machine. Volume 5, Number 20. Los Angeles Herald. October 19, 1875.
  15. ^ "Santa Monica Air Line". Electric Railway Historical Association of Southern California. Archived from the original on February 26, 2015. Retrieved October 27, 2006.
  16. ^ Morgenthaler, Anne (March 14, 1988). "End of the Line: The last train out of SM blows a final whistle". Santa Monica Outlook.
  17. ^ "The Expo Line". friends4expo.org. Archived from the original on August 7, 2017. Retrieved August 7, 2017.
  18. ^ "Heavy Trash: Aqua Line". Archived from the original on October 16, 2006. Retrieved October 11, 2010.
  19. ^ "Mid City Westside Transit Draft EIS/EIR: 1.0 History, purpose and need" (PDF). Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 14, 2013. Retrieved October 21, 2015.
  20. ^ "About Expo Overview". Archived from the original on August 7, 2017.
  21. ^ a b c "L.A. Metro – Facts at a Glance". Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority. June 13, 2013. Archived from the original on August 20, 2019. Retrieved June 28, 2013.
  22. ^ Weikel, Dan; Bloomekatz, Ari (April 27, 2012). "Expo Line launches rail service push to Westside". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on December 21, 2016. Retrieved July 15, 2017.
  23. ^ "Two more Expo Line stations to open June 20". Los Angeles Times. June 5, 2012. Archived from the original on June 25, 2013. Retrieved October 6, 2013.
  24. ^ Nunez, Jennifer (April 9, 2015). "Testing begins on LA Expo Line phase 2". International Railway Journal. Archived from the original on September 26, 2015. Retrieved May 25, 2015.
  25. ^ Zeller, Heidi (March 30, 2015). "Art for the Expo Line: installation at Expo/Sepulveda Station". The Source. Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 31, 2015.
  26. ^ "Regional Connector Transit Corridor (project website)". Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority. March 19, 2015. Archived from the original on April 5, 2019. Retrieved March 31, 2015.
  27. ^ "PowerPoint: Metro staff proposal to rename rail and BRT lines". TheSource. Steve Hymon. April 7, 2015. Archived from the original on April 11, 2015. Retrieved April 7, 2015.
  28. ^ "LA Metro Could Switch Rail Line Names From Colors To Letters". Curbed Los Angeles. Curbed Staff. April 3, 2015. Archived from the original on September 22, 2015. Retrieved April 3, 2015.
  29. ^ Hymon, Steve (November 8, 2016). "Measure M project descriptions". Metro. The Source. Archived from the original on September 8, 2020. Retrieved August 15, 2020.
  30. ^ Hymon, Steve (March 21, 2012). "Expo Line Maintenance Facility". The Source. Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro). Archived from the original on August 20, 2019. Retrieved August 19, 2019.
  31. ^ Kavanagh, Gary (December 2013). "State of Expo Phase II Bikeway Corridor, & the Biggest Remaining Concerns". Santa Monica Next. Archived from the original on May 25, 2015. Retrieved May 25, 2015.
  32. ^ "Expo Line Train Fatally Hits Pedestrian Near USC". Daily Trojan. November 29, 2018. Archived from the original on August 20, 2019. Retrieved August 19, 2019.
  33. ^ Hall, Matthew (January 15, 2019). "Train Kills Pedestrian at 17th Street Station". Santa Monica Daily Press. Archived from the original on August 20, 2019. Retrieved August 19, 2019.
  34. ^ "Man jumps from crane in West L.A., temporarily shutting down Metro station". Daily News. May 2, 2019. Archived from the original on September 14, 2022. Retrieved August 28, 2022.
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