The New Metro Purple “D Line” has opened to great fanfare and user excitement
The long-anticipated LA Metro D Line (formally known as the Purple Line) Phase 1 extension is now up and running! Judging by the crowds using the new line on the May 8 opening day, the line is going to be a popular way of accessing all the destinations off Wilshire Blvd. all the way from 7th Street Station to La Cienega and Beverly Hills. Transit time by automobile down Wilshire Blvd. the same distance used to be one hour or more. Now the trip takes 20 minutes on the D Line - for only $1.75 - and no delay during rush hour! The new D Line has gone a long way toward opening a major portion of the bountiful Wilshire corridor, with its numerous entertainment and shopping venues, to South Park residents!
The just-opened section is the first of three phases. Phase 2 will continue through Beverly Hills and Century City connecting major employment and regional destinations. Expected completion of this section is sometime in 2027. Phase 3 will extend the line to Westwood, improving access to UCLA, and many hospital facilities including the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center and the VA Medical Center. Completion of the last phase is expected by 2029.
The D Line sports entirely new rolling stock that is roomier, brighter, and more cheerful than previous iterations. The three just-opened stations at Wilshire/La Brea, Wilshire /Fairfax and Wilshire/La Cienega are spectacularly well designed and beautifully decorated with state-of-the-art lighting and distinctive art displays. My wife and I enjoyed a quick trip out to LACMA on opening day. It was a very pleasant experience which replaced the dreaded drive down Wilshire from our home in South Park. We have now been to the astounding new David Geffen Galleries at LACMA twice in two weeks where a visit to the LACMA normally happened only once or twice a year due to the challenges of getting there by car and parking. The Grove, another of our favorite haunts, is now less than 20 minutes and a three-block walk from South Park via the new Wilshire/Fairfax station. No more frightful parking issues when we go to this popular venue! Access to my doctor’s office is now less than 20 minutes and a one-block walk. No more two hour driving trips and $25 parking fees!
You owe it to yourself to get on the D Line and discover LA! It is now waiting for you for $1.75 (or $.35 if you have a Senior TAP card). I’m firmly convinced this fabulous new Metro expansion is going to find you leaving your car in the garage and getting out there more often to enjoy what this fabulous city has to offer!
By: John Nilsson