USA08 May, 20262 min read
Los Angeles Opens Metro D Line Extension With Three New Stations Along Mid-Wilshire Corridor
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Three new underground D Line stations opened along Wilshire Boulevard. Stations are Wilshire/La Brea, Wilshire/Fairfax, and Wilshire/La Cienega.
D Line Opens Friday
Los Angeles opened the first phase of Metro’s long-awaited D (Purple) Line subway extension on Friday, adding three new underground stations along the Mid-Wilshire corridor: Wilshire/La Brea, Wilshire/Fairfax and Wilshire/La Cienega.
“Passenger service to the new stations began at 12:30 p.m. Friday.”
Metro officials, elected leaders and community members gathered Friday morning for an opening celebration on the roof of the Petersen Automotive Museum, where Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and county Supervisor Lindsey Horvath attended.
Passenger service to the new stations began at 12:30 p.m. Friday, and the new stops created a direct rail link from downtown Los Angeles to the edge of Beverly Hills.
Metro officials said the extension runs nearly four miles through neighborhoods including Hancock Park, the Fairfax District and Carthay Circle, connecting riders to destinations such as Museum Row and the La Brea Tar Pits.
Metro Board Chair Fernando Dutra called Friday “a historic day,” saying, “This is one of Metro’s biggest accomplishments to date.”
Officials Tout Faster Trips
Metro said the D Line extension allows people to travel from Union Station in downtown LA to La Cienega in Beverly Hills in about 20 minutes without any transfers, and CBS News described the 3.92-mile addition as connecting riders between Koreatown and Beverly Hills. At the opening celebration, Mayor Karen Bass said, “This train will give us new doors to some of the most iconic places in our city,” and she added that the extension of the D Line will continue “eventually reaching the Westwood area.” Fernando Dutra, Metro Board Chair, told the Los Angeles Times that “We overcame immense technical obstacles to build this project,” while also framing the opening as a milestone for the future of L.A.
KTLA quoted Metro Deputy COO Edna Stanley saying, “You don’t have to sit in traffic,” and she added, “You can ride the D.” The opening also came with a broader plan tied to the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, with CBS News noting the project is part of Metro’s plan to enhance infrastructure ahead of those Games.
Free Rides, Next Phases
To mark the opening, Metro offered free rides across its entire bus, rail, bike share, and Metro Micro systems from 4 a.m. Friday, May 8, through 3 a.m. Monday, May 11.
“Metro is offering free rides across its entire bus, rail, bike share, and Micro systems from 4 a.m. Friday, May 8, through 3 a.m. Monday, May 11.”
Westside Today said public festivities titled “Discovery Runs Deep” were scheduled from 12:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. at street level near the three new stations, featuring KCRW DJs, local food vendors, and community booths.
Metro also planned a three-month pilot program with daily “activations” at Wilshire/La Brea, Wilshire/Fairfax and Wilshire/La Cienega, with officials describing it as designed to encourage ridership, support local businesses and create a more welcoming environment.
Looking ahead, the second phase is tentatively set to open in spring 2027, and the third phase is tentatively planned for fall 2027, with additional stations in Beverly Hills, Century City, UCLA and the VA campus.
The Los Angeles Times said the three new stops make up about four miles of the $9.7-billion project, which will eventually run nine miles west, ending in Westwood near the UCLA campus.