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Blue Line ‘New Blue’ Refurbishment Reopening Southern Stations, Closing Northern Ones

Tomorrow, Metro re-opens Blue Line Stations from Compton to Long Beach – and closes stations from Watts to downtown L.A.

Tomorrow - Saturday June 1 - is switchover day for Metro's eight-month rehabilitation of the Blue Line. Starting tomorrow, southern Blue Line stations from Compton to downtown Long Beach will reopen. Northern stations from Watts to downtown L.A. will close. Rosa Parks Station, at the Green Line, will remain closed.

The Blue Line is Metro's oldest. It opened in 1990. While it has been aging fairly gracefully, Metro made plans for major upgrades for the Willowbrook/Rosa Parks station, and then decided it was time go ahead and bring the entire line into a state of good repair. The $350 million "New Blue" project does not include lots of fancy bells and whistles, but is billed as "modernization" designed to "enhance safety, increase reliability, and improve the customer experience."

The New Blue closures got underway in late January. Closed stretches are served by bus service - including local, select, and express lines.

Alternative bus service during the Blue Line closure starting tomorrow
Alternative bus service during the Blue Line closure starting tomorrow
Alternative bus service during the Blue Line closure starting tomorrow

Tomorrow though late September, the shuttle bus service shifts to the north end. Local and select lines will run between downtown L.A. and Compton. The 860 end-to-end express service will remain more-or-less the same.

Expo line bus service during New Blue closures
Expo line bus service during New Blue closures
Expo line bus service during New Blue closures

Downtown L.A.'s 7th Street and Pico stations are shared by both Blue and Expo lines, so the New Blue northern closures will also impact Metro Expo Line service. Tomorrow, the Expo Line service remains unchanged, but starting on Saturday June 22, the Expo Line will be closed north of L.A. Trade Tech station, with similar alternative bus services available.

New Blue's Flower Street southbound evening peak-hour bus-only lane
New Blue's Flower Street southbound evening peak-hour bus-only lane
New Blue's Flower Street southbound evening peak-hour bus-only lane

With more buses carrying more people through downtown L.A., Metro and the city of L.A. teamed up to implement a southbound bus-only lane on Flower Street from 3-7 p.m. on weekdays. The bus lane runs nearly two miles from 7th Street to just south of L.A. Trade Tech. The Flower bus lane had been announced to start on May 20, but was delayed and should have opened at 3 p.m. today. Northbound buses have a bus-only lane on MyFigueroa. Hopefully, scofflaw drivers will not continue to undermine the effectiveness of this bus lane couplet.

Construction appears complete on the southern end of the line. Metro has already been running test trains.

Riders will notice some differences. With eight lines open and more on the way, Metro has run out of straightforward color designations, and is switching to letters.

The Blue Line will
The Blue Line will reopen as "Line A" - photo by Kenny Uong via Facebook
The Blue Line will reopen as "Line A" - photo by Kenny Uong via Facebook

The Blue Line will re-open as "Line A" - though it will retain its legacy Blue Line name informally with A appearing on a blue circle.

Electronic signage at Compton Blue Line station
Electronic signage kiosk at Compton Blue Line station bus plaza. Photos by Joe Linton/Streetsblog L.A.
Electronic signage at Compton Blue Line station
IMG_4165
Electronic signage on Blue Line Compton Station platform

Riders will also see new electronic signage displaying system information, alerts, and advertising. More about these new "digital display cases" at Metro's The Source.

Below Willow Station through the city of Long Beach, Blue Line travel times will improve with new signal prioritization at 23 intersections. Early predictions anticipated that this could cut up to ten minutes off travel time.

New Blue improvements include replacing catenary power lines on the Blue Line
New Blue improvements include refurbishing catenary power lines on the Blue Line
New Blue improvements include replacing catenary power lines on the Blue Line

Much of the improvements will be invisible to the average rider. New switches, new signal systems, overhead wire refurbishment, new rails, and power system upgrades are not immediately visible, but will ensure trains run reliably in the decades ahead.

The most dramatic New Blue changes will be major upgrades to Watts' Willowbrook/Rosa Parks Station. Improvements there include new bus bays, a new plaza, a bike hub, easier transfer between the Blue and Green Lines, a Metro customer service center, and better walking connections between the station and the surrounding neighborhoods. Construction at the Willowbrook/Rosa Parks station is well under way, and anticipated to complete in September

The $66 million overhaul of Watts' Willowbrook/Rosa Parks station will result in new bus bays, a new plaza, a bike hub, easier transfer between the Blue and Green Lines, a Metro customer service center (including transit court) and better connections to the surrounding community. Source: Metro
Watts' Willowbrook/Rosa Parks station rendering. Source: Metro
The $66 million overhaul of Watts' Willowbrook/Rosa Parks station will result in new bus bays, a new plaza, a bike hub, easier transfer between the Blue and Green Lines, a Metro customer service center (including transit court) and better connections to the surrounding community. Source: Metro
Construction underway at Rosa Parks station
Construction underway at Rosa Parks station this week
Construction underway at Rosa Parks station

Two new Metro buildings are under construction at the northeast end of Kenneth Hahn Plaza.

Rosa Parks station buildings under construction
Rosa Parks station buildings under construction
Rosa Parks station buildings under construction
more construction
Another view of the Rosa Parks station Metro buildings under construction
more construction

The Willowbrook/Rosa Parks Blue Line station is closed, but the Green Line station remains open - with connections to the Blue Line replacement bus service.

Construction at Rosa Parks Blue Line Station
Construction at Rosa Parks Blue Line Station
Construction at Rosa Parks Blue Line Station
WillowbrookConstruction519May30
Track work just south of Rosa Parks station
Track work just south of Rosa Parks station
The east elevator access to the Green Line remains open during construction. The Green Line is also accessible via the bus plaza (not pictured)
The east elevator access to the Green Line remains open during construction. The Green Line is also accessible via the bus plaza (not pictured)
The east elevator access to the Green Line remains open during construction. The Green Line is also accessible via the bus plaza (not pictured)

Overall, Metro construction staff report that the Rosa Parks and the whole New Blue are proceeding well and, so far, sticking to their tight schedule.

Many riders, including this ABC7 reporter, report that the downtown Long Beach to downtown L.A. express bus service is very satisfactory, even peaceful. With about a half dozen stops, running in the express lanes on the 110 Freeway, it has been able to keep to maintain a consistent schedule rivaling that of the Blue Line itself.

Several riders, including many in the LA Metro Blue Line Riders Facebook group, are pushing for Metro to keep the express bus service running after the Blue Line reopens. Long Beach Mayor and Metro boardmember Robert Garcia has expressed his support for keeping the express shuttle, but Metro has not yet approved ongoing DTLB-DTLA express bus service.

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