Culver City Observer -

No Opening Date Set For Expo Line

Following the March 1 meeting of the Expo Line Construction Authority Board, rumors spread on social media that an opening date had been set for Phase One of the light rail line that will connect downtown Los Angeles with Culver City. But the rumors turned out to be just that-rumors.

According to Marc Littman, public relations representative for Metro, an opening date has not been set for the Expo Line and when it is set “it will not come through the Construction Authority. It will come through Metro because we are the operator.”

Littman explained that Metro is working with the Construction Authority and the contractor to resolve communication problems between the Expo Line and the Blue Line. A signal problem that exists between the two lines was said to have been close to resolution back in December of 2011.

“We need to certify that the line is safe with the California Public Utilities Commission,” said Littman. “They have some issues that need to be resolved.”

Littman added that a decision has also not been made yet as to whether the line when it opens will extend all the way to Culver City or will open at the La Cienega station.

At the Construction Authority meeting, Culver City Mayor Micheal O’ Leary complained that he was constantly being asked by constituents when the Expo Line will open and that the continuing delay was making him look foolish.

O’ Leary, the Culver City Council’s transportation liaison, told the Observer that “in addition to the communication problems between the Expo Line and the Blue Line there is the issue of the parking lot at our station. The contractor has until May 1 to complete the lot. In my opinion, that seems to be the earliest date for the opening to Culver City.”

The Exposition Transit Corridor is an 8.5 mile long transit project that when completed, will connect downtown Los Angeles with the Westside. The project was approved by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) in 2006. Construction of Phase One began in fall 2006, with periodic community meetings over the next five years that helped to plan station locations and parking and safety issues.Phase Two, which was approved by the Transit Board in 2010, will be constructed from Culver City (the projected terminus of Phase One) to downtown Santa Monica.

During community meetings, local activists frequently brought up safety issues regarding the danger at traffic crossings where light rail trains at grade level might endanger school children. Mitigations of safety problems have been cited as one reason for the delay in the opening of Phase One.

Metro has been running test runs of the trains on the Phase One line for several months.

An official color has not been approved for the Expo Line at this time. The advocacy group Friends 4 Expo suggested that the color of the line be “aqua” while the Metro Board briefly considered naming it the Rose Line. At this point, the official name is the Expo Line although “Aqua Line” was posted on some station pylons in 2011.