Metro Board Approves Late Night Trains on Weekends

Earlier today the Metro Board approved a plan to run late night train service from November 14 to January 3 on Friday and Saturday nights along the Red Line, assuming that the promised private funding for the lines materializes by October 17.  Despite some opposition and discussion, the motion passed unanimously.

Kymberleigh Richards, who is both a member of the Sen Fernando Valley Service Sector Council and a Board Member for the Southern California Transit Advocates, testified that without appropriate feeder services also running, the added train service won’t be an alternative for many late night commuters, “With the exception of a couple of local lines, there won’t be a bus connection to the Red Line.  Potential riders will be disappointed that they can’t get to the Red Line.”

While Richard’s comments echoed those made last week by Metro staff, there was no provision in the final proposal to increase funding for bus service that could take late night train commuters to and from the Red Line stations.

Metro Board Member Gloria Molina raised concerns that the motion, as originally written, doesn’t insure that private funds would pay for the late night service.  “This document calls for a legally binding commitment?  What does that mean?”

Board Chair Antonio Villaraigosa, who authored the motion with City Councilman and Metro Board Member Bernard Parks, accepted friendly ammendments to clarify that the late night trains won’t run unless the private funds have been collected by October 17.

Photo: Osamu Ito/Flickr