The Gold Line extension served 75,000 riders for its grand opening, but ridership dropped by over two-thirds for its first weekday operations.
"Moving the Gold Line farther east will clearly draw new riders. But some of the problems that have long hampered the Gold Line remain: The trains are slow, and there are limits on where passengers can go when transferring to another rail line or a bus.
'The biggest problem with the Pasadena Gold Line, which will be shared by the Eastside line, is that it really doesn't go anywhere that people want to go,' said transit consultant Tom Rubin. 'It serves Union Station, but it doesn't serve downtown; as a result it's just not a very fast way of getting people to their ultimate destinations.'"
"Bart Reed, executive director of the regional nonprofit group the Transit Coalition, said it's important to see L.A.'s rail system as a work in progress. Further improvements could significantly improve ridership."
FULL STORY: Low ridership tarnishes the Gold Line extension's luster
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Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
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Understanding Road Diets
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New California Law Regulates Warehouse Pollution
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Phoenix Announces Opening Date for Light Rail Extension
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Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
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Smith Gee Studio
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
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Harvard GSD Executive Education
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NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service