Dennis RomeroBe prepared for a lot of fanfare.
It's finally here: Metro's $1.5 billion, 6.6-mile Expo Line light-rail extension from Culver City to Santa Monica is opening to the public this week.
Friday's debut will be accompanied by free rides through the end of the day's service on Saturday, which is about 2 a.m.
There will be celebrations from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday and Saturday at the downtown Santa Monica, 17th St./SMC, 26th St./Bergamot, Expo/Bundy, Palms and Culver City stations. There will be children’s activities, food trucks, bike valets and “bike pit stops,” Metro says.
“We encourage the community to enjoy this new light-rail line service and see for themselves how close to the beach Metro can get you,” said Metro CEO Phillip A. Washington.
Separately, on June 5 Metro is sponsoring a street party to showcase the possibilities now open to pedestrians and bike riders who want to get to Santa Monica on a train.
The “Coast” party will block off two miles of streets to motor vehicle traffic so that people can enjoy food, music, shops, culture, conservancy tours, Zumba classes, a “Bahian carnival spectacle” and more, organizers say.
It happens from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. along Main Street between Colorado and Pier avenues.
“Participants are encouraged to use public transit or nonmotorized transportation to reach the event,” organizers said in a statement.
Don't even try to roll up in an Escalade.
Credit: City of Santa Monica/Metro
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