October 1, 2008 Contact: José Ubaldo/Marc Littman Metro Media Relations 213.922.3087/213.922.2700 www.metro.net/pressroom

Metro Connects Railroad Tracks of Metro Gold Line to East L.A.

• New Metro Light Rail Line is 87% Complete

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) has finished installing twin tracks for the six-mile Metro Gold Line Eastside Extension from downtown Los Angeles to East Los Angeles.

“This is a great event not only for the community of East Los Angeles but the entire region that anticipates less traffic and a better quality of life,” said Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. “Especially in an era of high gas prices, we need more successful transit projects like this to give county residents a fast and inexpensive public transit alternative to driving solo in their cars.”

Twin tracks for the six-mile Metro Gold Line Eastside Extension connect to East Los Angeles at Union Station in downtown Los Angeles.

Photos by José Ubaldo

The $899 million project is ahead of schedule, under budget, and has logged 3.4 million hours of construction without a lost time injury, an unprecedented safety record for a major public works project. It should open next summer.

“This marks a major milestone in the completion of this vital transportation project,” said Los Angeles County Supervisor and Metro Board member Gloria Molina. “We are a major step closer to linking the Eastside with all of the Los Angeles County and access to jobs, schools, hospitals, shopping and cultural enrichment.”

“I am excited that we have reached this significant milestone in the construction of the Edward R. Roybal Metro Gold Line Eastside Extension,” said Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA-34). "As the newest spoke in LA’s growing transportation rail system, the Eastside Extension represents a sound federal investment with real benefits for Los Angeles, especially our many transit-dependent communities.”

The Metro Gold Line currently links downtown Los Angeles and Pasadena. Service will connect Union Station and East Los Angeles via Little Tokyo, the Arts District and Boyle Heights. It will feature eight new stations including two underground: Little Tokyo/Arts District, Pico Aliso, Mariachi Plaza, Soto, Indiana, Maravilla, ELA Civic Center and Atlantic.

The Indiana and Atlantic station will have each a park & ride lot with 250 and 43 parking spaces respectively. The ridership projections for the first year are 13,800 average weekday boardings and for the year 2025 Metro projects an average of 22,983 boardings on weekdays.

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Editors Note: “Metro” should be used when referring to this agency.

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