Los Angeles County commutersand visitors now have a new “traffic-free” option of getting to and from downtown Los Angeles and into Beverly Hills.
That’s thanks to the opening of Section 1 of the D Line Subway Extension Project on Friday, May 8.
“This is one of Metro’s biggest accomplishments to date,” said Fernando Dutra, chair of the Metro Board of Directors, during a grand opening celebration near the new Wilshire/Fairfax station on May 8.
Present for the grand opening festivities were Mayor Karen Bass, former mayor andCalifornia governor hopefulAntonio Villaraigosa, Sen. Adam Schiff and other officials.
“I had a wonderful ride over here going both ways, and it’s just incredible to think about going down Wilshire Boulevard in just a few minutes,” Bass said.
Earlier this year, Metro sold out on shirtsthat said “Ride the D,”the merchandise drop coinciding with the announcement of Section 1 of the D Line Subway Extension Project’s opening in May.
Where does Metro D Line Subway Extension Project go?
The expanded rail service features three new underground stations:
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Wilshire/La Brea
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Wilshire/Fairfax
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Wilshire/La Cienega
These stations are located near popular attractions in the region like the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and La Brea Tar Pits and Museum. Travel time from Union Station in downtown Los Angeles to Wilshire/La Cienega is “just over 20 minutes in both directions,” according toMetro’s The Source.
“I think part of the key of making Los Angeles a truly world-class city, a city that competes with all the great cities in the world, is having transit that works for our community,” said Rep. Laura Friedman, whose district includes a stretch of Wilshire Boulevard.
However, this is only the beginning for the highly anticipated project; when fully realized, the Metro D Line Subway Extension will unlock a new way of getting from central Los Angeles and to the Westside.
Thousands of cars will “come off the busiest corridors in the region” said Los Angeles County Supervisor Linsdey Horvath regarding when the next sections are complete, “bringing a host of environmental, economic, travel time and quality of life benefits.”
“For the thousands of visitors who will be coming to Los Angeles for World Cup, Super Bowl, Olympic and Paralympic Games, this east-west connection makes a meaningful difference,” Horvath said.
Paris Barraza is a reporter covering Los Angeles and Southern California for the USA TODAY Network. Reach her atpbarraza@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Travel in Los Angeles just got easier with expanded subway route