The Brand New K Line in LA
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- Опубликовано: 29 сен 2024
- On October 7th, 2022, LA Metro opened a brand new light rail line: the K Line. This train is intended to eventually connect to LAX Airport, providing a long overdue rail connection to the airport. However, for now, it only runs between Expo/Crenshaw and Westchester/Veterans. Nevertheless, the service is good, and the brand new stations look very impressive.
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I’m from the UK and when i visited back in May i had no idea LA had a metro system at all. Was pleasantly surprised being able to get to downtown from West Hollywood without having to Uber. You’re right, the stations are neat
Not as neat as you think but I've seen many tourists from UK riding the train and enjoying it .. I was shocked 😳
Welcome to LA. Have fun and stay safe.
I chose my latest LA apartment in part because of its proximity to the Metro, which I’ve enjoyed and appreciated for years. I own a car and drive everywhere, but I take the train whenever I can. The bus, I dare say, can be a different story. My buddy, a native New Yorker, agrees with me about the Metro (and the bus, for that matter). I’m a native Detroiter myself.
I Just moved to LA from Chicago. And I have found it unfortunate how indifferent California culture seems to its public transport system, despite the fact that overall, it’s pretty good.
There are Inter-county trains, such as the Coaster which travel between LA and San Diego in less than a couple hours, whereas by car it can be up to 4 hours because of the traffic in LA.
But it seems to me, as an outsider, that Californians, despite their claims to care about the environment, would rather sit in traffic for hours than ride on a train seated next to someone who makes less than six figures
@@jacksont9455 True. One reason is our metro in LA, OC, SD are not well connected and you still need cars to go to places unless your desired destination is nearby train station. Yeap we need more people to ride and also expand our metro.
My maternal grandfather was a motorman for the 'red cars' in Los Angeles in the 1930s. It was a vast light rail system. It was destroyed by Standard oil, General Motors, and Goodyear Tire and Rubber.
Standard oil birthed the California town I came from, it turned into a total hell hole and now I live in Los Angeles. People are poor out there and I was too poor to get a car and drive, bus system sucked so bad a lot of the time I just walk lol. Growing up I can remember just walking all day. Came out here and saw all the trains and busses going everywhere all the time, I'm in paradise. No more 3 mile walks.
What you haven't told us is, of course, Who Framed Roger Rabbit?
I took the bus down Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills and I remember seeing pictures of a rail line down Santa Monica Blvd there in Beverly Hills. This was one of the red car tracks, which was ripped Up. The tracks are no longer there but we have bumper-to-bumper traffic.
My grandfather told me the same story about the red cars.👍👍👍
LA shot itself in the foot for that
wow what a fresh perspective of LA, a city I lived in for most of my life. well done!
Thank you!
Thanks for this excellent video on the new K Line that will hopefully directly connect with LAX. Being a resident of Los Angeles myself, I sincerely hope you are right. Lobbyists have been fighting this rail connection to LAX for years in favor the taxis and bus connection. I hope the people finally win out and finally get the waaaaay overdue rail connection.
Downright useful information here!
Thank you!
That (K) line actually looks decent for the LA subway system.
I live outside LA. Most of the city is decent, with its famous parts here and there.
But fair warning, it’s extremely crowded. It smells of trash and homeless in many places downtown and it’ll take you 2 hrs to drive 10 miles in rush hour travel
Nice video! Like your enthusiasm 😎
The whole K line route has been tested and completed there are a couple reasons speculating on why the last 2 stations aren’t open yet is because of one they are waiting for the people mover to be finished so they can connect it or they don’t want the stations to get ruined before the Olympics so they are going to remain closed until the time gets closer
The 96th street station is recently started construction started this year and it's a massive several floor construction building. It's dangerous to have trains run beneath all day. What if construction worker hits live wires or a beam falls on the train. That metro station won't be complete until late 2023 or 2024. The other one on century is pretty much done. It should have been opened but there is no spur train one station from the C green line.
@@saybanana it’s been completed the only thing that is being worked on is the people mover metro did full testing on the k line to make sure it was operational early this year they just don’t want to open the last 2 stations for again 1 of 2 reasons
Grew up in LA and moved away before any of those trains were there. LAX badly needs more options. Props to you for getting in-n-out 🤩
Lmao that elevator gunk was baddd 🤣🤣
Yeah I was kinda grossed out
95 freakin years later there’s a train to lax!?!?! Is LA the last major city on earth to have trains running to the airport?
It's a 5min walk for me to the Inglewood stop, it's nice.
I’m glad you have a metro connection now!
Great job on this video.
Thank you!
Thats the best in n out location in the whole country! Did you feel safe walking there at night?
Yeah, I felt totally fine!
I lived in Chicago and now i live LA. I love Chicago public transport. Compared to LA you definitely need a car here.
Honestly they need to something similar to how the blue line is set-up in Chicago. And connect all terminals at least be able to walk from terminal to terminal.
It looks like the E and K don't actually "connect" at Expo/Crenshaw, they're just close to each other.
The tracks don’t connect, but that’s not a requirement for a transfer.
I think the K line should go to south bay vs Norwalk. It's a north south line that makes more sense. but it's interesting what commute patterns will be. Are more riders from Norwalk on C line wanting to go to lax and expo line or stay current route? ? Since it hasn't opened its hard to tell. Both will likely go to century lax in the future, but some will likely transfer trains to south bay or e line.
The South Bay cities do not want rail service. The K line could go south to serve Lawndale, Hawthorne and then Torrance. However, I do not see it happening for a long time. Buses going into the South Bay are still a pain.
I’ll be visiting LA for the first time in january. Is it better public transportation or rent a car?
If you’re staying in LA or the areas close to it (Santa Monica, Hollywood, Anaheim, even San Bernardino) then public transportation is a good option! Trips might take a little longer but it will save you so much money.
Hey Thom! Great video and do you know who DOES live there on the top floor?
Johnny Depp. At least he did live there, who knows where he is now.
How new is this place? No platform screens? Bad idea!
No longer segment at In N Out Burger?! Dude, what are you thinking?!
And a pretty epic closer shot too!
I actually read he used to live there? Not sure if he still does
The day America adopts PSDs outside of airport people movers I’ll eat my shoe
Wtf I did not know La has a subway system.
Dude
0:15 LAX is not convenient to access, period.
I’m a foreigner in LA who doesn’t drive. The train and bus lines have been very reliable getting around. I am grateful for them and it’s been a pleasant experience for the past 6 years. Love them. Thank you for this video. It warms my heart to see the appreciation. Granted there is more room for improvement as some would lament but they help a ton of people every day and that alone is a reason to be thankful. ❤
Thank you for sharing your experience!
It’s a fantastic transportation system. Any failings it has are due to city council goons and corrupt committee members. Even with this said it’s pretty impressive to those to use it. Most people in LA would rather complain than ever even try it.
@@TylerHamiltonDesign when I tell Angelenos that I take the train in LA they’re often surprised that LA has a train system. They’re especially baffled when I use the term “subway” because they think it’s only something that happens in NYC! I love the Metro and wish they’d hurry up and build it out more.
I don’t drive either and with the new A line I can take one train from Long Beach to visit my family in Glendora.
It infuriates me that after all these years there is only one way to get in and out of LAX. I’ll never understand why it took until now to add a People Mover at the very least. To me LA is still decades behind.
Resistance from long-term parking was also what stalled the Green Line from reaching LAX in the '90s. I think we have one of the only major airports in the world not to be linked to the city with a train. Go Metro!
Because until people realized it's getting too difficult to get any where in L.A. by car. It only got impossible about late 1990s early 2000s.
It’s really wild considering it’s one of the busiest nationwide, in one of the largest metro areas.
Not so good politicians , lack vision and common sense.
This people mover was planned for the 1984 LA Olympics. We're just realizing it now. Right on time for the next olympics.
Spent 3 years working here back and forth between the underground stations doing electrical, hadn’t checked out the final product, seeing this video gave me nostalgia of all the craziness everyone went through to make this K line happen thanks for sharing
What kind of craziness 😳🤔
Did you work with Neal Electric? Did some Project Engineering for them for 6 months.
Thank you for your hard work!
The K Line is a great example of not having to toward downtown to get to Redondo. There needs to be more lines like the K Line within the LA metro system to connect all the existing lines.
I could think of 2 or 3 lines that would cut traffic in half here but that would require common sense and competence.
You're talking about transitioning to a grid system from a hub and spoke system.
Yup, I really hate having to funnel into Union to get to most other lines. And it's worse with Metrolink! We really need to get everything linked up, it feels positively primitive right now.
I live in LA. Our biggest issue with trains is the coverage will never be like other cities like NY because LA is so spread out and multinodal. Santa Monica itself is about the same land area as lower Manhattan to Central Park and it’s just a TINY area of LA. And yet NY has more lines in that area of Manhattan than all of LA. Still glad this is happening.
@Phillip Banes I think the point of my comment went right over your pedantic head. First, the lines being built in LA county cover more than just LA. Santa Monica is a key metro stop as the expo line ends there. Also lines are being built from the valley to the gateway cities to west LA to LAX and down to Long Beach which encompasses about 2000 square miles. Note that the LA CSA is much larger than this. LA county is 4700 square miles.
Second, I used Santa Monica, a city that is surrounded by LA on literally all sides but the ocean, as a reference point in land area to a part of Manhattan to show that LA will never have the same coverage. You could use any area in LA proper (because for whatever reason you demand this level of technicality) and make the same point. For eg. Hollywood is about the land area as Manhattan and will never have the same coverage.
@Phillip Banes I understood he meant LA county without having to specify the difference. Are you even from LA?
Nah, they made a good point about transit density and you changed the subject to square mileage and city limits. It’s not mind reading, it’s reading comprehension and staying on topic.
@Phillip Banes no one is ever going to listen to you when you react so condescendingly. And this video is about the LA metro. A system which expands beyond the city limits you seem so obsessed with. Stop living your life trying to find the tiniest cracks in people’s statements so you can feel like you’re right about something. It’s annoying, which is why multiple people have commented on it.
It would help if they would just completed the 710 freeway all the way to Pasadena. So much unnecessary traffic is created where the 10 and 710 fwy meet. If they would have just connected the 210 to the 710 fwy, then you could have a metro that runs all the way from Pasadena to Long Beach.
LA native here! I’m glad you enjoyed the k line and our trains in general. I absolutely love the new k line, I ride it about 4 times a week coming home from work. I’m super excited for the new projects metro line is doing and I’m happy other people seem to like it too!
I always appreciate when new people come to town and appreciate our stuff! You essentially walked and traveled through all my fav childhood destinations and areas so I’m glad you could share positive experiences 😊
Thanks for the comment! I had a great experience!
There's an old saying about LA I remember growing up: LA is a nice place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there. Hmm, or was that about CA in general?
@@krane15 What's next, on the trite hit parade?
@@krane15 z thought that was here, NYC.
@@EastSide-qc5oy OK, but LA still fits too. Don't you think?
I ride the K line 4 days a week for work at LAX its really good overall but its a bit annoying that I have to trasfer to the C&K bus then take a bus from aviation station to the airport so im really excited for when the line is competed and connects with the people mover, One thing I have noticed is that no one is riding this line I find myself boarding at Slauson station and the train is always empty or with 5 -10 persons maybe in the future it will get better!
Yeah I walked to in n out from Westchester and then took a Lyft so I understand it’s better, but not ideal yet, for commutes to LAX. Glad the future extension isn’t too far away from being done!
Reading your comment gives me a very eery feeling. It doesn’t sound safe being almost alone in a metro compartment and not having cell phone service. That’s a security risk. Are there at least security cameras in the compartment? Or any other surveillance in the metro trains? Having surveillance in the stations isn’t enough. The best thing they have to do is make sure there is cell phone service in the metro tunnel. It must be easy to establish. In my country we have both cell phone service and security cameras and our government is very stingy so it can’t be expensive 😊
@@RealConstructor yeah there’s cameras everywhere in the trains and stations the cellular data only goes away for like 30 seconds inside the tunnels so you don’t really noticed it unless your on you’re phone they also have security in every station at the moment
@@PR3DATORREAL Good to know, thank you.
@@RealConstructor Also there are emergency call boxes in every car, so if anything untoward happens, you can report it right away.
LA is really building a good system. Once the K line and regional connector are done and if they could electrify metrolink, turn the G line into light rail and get the HSR build it would be world class IMO.
also nice accidental final shot.
They really need to step up the cleanliness and maintenance of their network. The trains can be pretty dirty and people smoke on the trains
Not to mention there are many areas which aren’t served. I’d look Nandert’s video on Metro’s future for an actual world class system map
@@theexcaliburone5933 for sure they got lots of work to do. its hard since LA is so spread out and theres lots of lawsuits and resistance from some communitites
@@ciello___8307 very true
Oddly LA is so much better at public transit than SF, and LA is 10 times the size. Guess which city is more "progressive"
I have a feeling Los Angeles is gonna blindside the country in about 4-5 years with a whole new scheme of transit lines and infrastructure.. It remains nevertheless perplexing, how such a populous and rich metropolitan area would forego development in transit for so terribly long, and especially considering what it used to have. The K line looks great, too!
I hope you’re right!
That's because you're not considering greed and incompetence. That's the same thing that's holding back high-speed rail in the U.S. That's likely the biggest negative of our form of government, and why nations such as China are decades ahead of us when it comes to rail systems and other public projects.
@@krane15
China and California are not comparable at the city and municipal level; property and citizen rights are protected by either state or federal statutes here, whereas the PRC can raze to the ground entire towns and villages so that commuters can save 30 minutes versus driving, and then shoving displaced citizens in peripheral residential projects that aren't even near the rail lines they were displaced for to begin with.
Also, if Los Angeles were a small fishing town in the 1950s like Shenzhen or Guangzhou were, and then experienced massive growth due to foreign companies manufacturing in LA county, then I assure you that Los Angeles, also, would've had the kind of infrastructure and urbanization that those cities enjoy in China today.
And so of recently, because of failed covid policies and tyrannical medical restrictions, all those shiny and new stations have been at about 10% ridership for the better part of a year.
There are tons of new transit projects either just opened or under construction in greater Los Angeles. More than any other part of the country.
Lmao. What? What makes you believe such nonsense? This “subway” system is overpriced and way over due. I don’t even want to think about the kick backs and bribes that went on to make this happen.
I bought my house 5 years ago on the E (Exposition) Line, a block away from Expo/Crenshaw and this is the first time I'm seeing the K Line - I didn't even know it was open already! Thank you for taking these tours on trains - I think they are an awesome public transportation system and are environmentally more friendly than automobiles. We will be hosting the 2028 Olympics so we know our public transit needs to be robust and comprehensive. I have a feeling, however, that the train cars look like upcycled, Japanese trains - maybe that's why the look modern?😆
Haha, the Japanese are the best when it comes to design! Hopefully you get a chance soon to ride the K Line!
I'm pretty sure this is a bespoke design. That said, the P3010s _were_ built by a Japanese manufacturer (Kinki Sharyo).
So excited about all of the new transit in LA!!! Getting all ready for the 2028 Olympics too.😃
I keep forgetting the Olympics are in LA then. It will be exciting to see how far transit has improved by then!
Great video! I've been to LA a couple times I'm from Norcal and I have to give their rail system some props from basically "Non-existent" a couple years ago to now connecting a huge area covering most of the LA County.. I can't stress enough this area is huge!
I do think though that they should have gone with a different train design. Each train car is not connected so if you jump into a full car you can't switch. In the north our BART system you can jump into different cars and seems more efficient maybe because it's electrified. I think the best light rail though has to be Portland. Also another complain is just how dingey and grimey LA stations look. It's not that old to be looking like a 80s punk band. LA definitely looks rough in some areas but I get it that's the vibe out there.
I also want to put on my conspiracy hat on for a second and talk about the history of the public transportation in LA. Some say the car companies aligned the pockets of local officials to kill off the train of go for a heavy bus approach saying it was faster. Just the fact that LA has a rail service again is amazing and I support connecting more areas like the K line will do to help with traffic.
Sorry for my long rant but I am passionate about public trains like this channel
That’s not a conspiracy theory, the auto industry did kill rail-based transit! Pretty deliberately, too.
At least these trains are more walk-through than the Chicago ones. At least here you can walk the length of one unit, it’s just between units that’s closed. The L cars in Chicago are individually sealed off.
I love the Portland light rail! Definitely not the best on-board experience for me (probably worst tbh) but awesome network. Hopefully they can expand into Vancouver someday (or is that me being too wishful…)
these metro lines in LA are electrified by the way. you can see the overhead wires when it's above ground. but yeah, not sure why they didn't go with a design that allowed switching between train cars.
yea, we should have never gotten rid of the Pacific Electric cars that ran until 1963..some of the right of ways are still there, but cars and freeways were king in the 50's/60's..
BITD LA DID have an extensive public transit network.
The Red Rockets they were called. Removed in the 1950s.
I have to say that for all the revenue LA brings in compared to the SF- we are getting scheisted from A LOT of State and Federal funds to help maintain our roads and infrastructure. I just came back from NorCal, the stretch of the 101from SF to Redwood City is some of the nicest I've seen. Then you come down to LA and it's like an old decrepit relic. Something is happening and we aren't gettting our fair share whether it is Statewide bias or local officials not doling out the transportation funds wisely.
I checked out the K line on opening day. There were a lot of people coming out to try the new trains and stations, and there was a cute K line festival at Leimert Park. It's not big, but there's definitely a community in LA that's excited about transit and that makes me hopeful!
😂😂😂 aweeee
Love this…I’m a recruiter for an engineering firm and we actually designed LA Metro Regional Connector and the Crenshaw Line…great video! Hope you got In & Out Animal Style! ❤
I always get animal style! And congrats on a job well done!
What's "animal style"? I've been to I/O several times but never heard of animal style.
@@ald8612 animal style comes with cheese and in and out sauce. It's delish. He also had some gravy or something that I don't get ordering animal style.
Wish you guys added more shade from the everpresent LA sun for the above ground stops. Everyone is hiding behind posts trying to stay out of the sun. Not a great design 🧐
Thom, if one were traveling to the airport with just a backpack, like you, then one probably wouldn't mind all the connections from Metro line to Metro line. Imagine having to travel with a medium or large size suitcase.
Yes, but what you’re forgetting is that not everyone comes from downtown LA. The K Line may extend all the way to Norwalk. It will serve a lot of other people than just those coming from the central business district.
Loved the ending. It’s almost like that plane wanted to say “planes are awesome too.” I know it’s not possible to please everyone but I don’t love the number of transfers needed to get to the airport. I wish there could be some direct service from LAX to Union Station as a central hub to serve the most people rather than such a large number of transfers. Extending the K line to connect to the D and B will be absolutely essential. Thanks for the great video!
There is direct Flyaway express bus service between LAX and Union Station for long time.
@@mikhailtsipenyuk5218 this is true and alas I don’t think the current plans are a convenient alternative to that.
I was so surprised when learning about LA that they don't have a train connecting to the airport! Crazy for a huge modern city. But totally indicative of the large room for growth in American public transportation. Thanks so much for this video. I was at the K line the other day but haven't needed to take it yet so this was informative. Subscribed!
LA still behind in many ways and will take a while to fix, I've seen many tourists visiting and complaining about many things
Nah. Not “Crazy for a huge modern city.” /
@@jordanjohnson9866 you’re right, not crazy for American cities
Nice video! Glad you enjoyed In-N-Out and had a nice time in Los Angeles. I am super-excited about the Purple Line subway extension to Westwood! That one will have the biggest impact on Los Angeles transit because of the corridor it serves and the demand on the Wilshire corridor. That is LA's primary artery.
The Crenshaw will be cut short to the Fairview Heights station because the just completed at-grade crossing at Centinela, just before the Downtown Inglewood station, will be torn up and replaced with a grade separated crossing. Yeah. Terrible planning on the part of Metro. It is planned to take 23 months to replace it!! This means that the entire Crenshaw Line to LAX and the Green Line will not be operating for at least 2 more years depending on when the reconstruction begins.
Grade separations are going to be a problem for several light rail lines in the near future such as on the Expo Line. The Expo Line has experienced overcrowding and Metro can not increase frequencies anymore because of severe traffic disruption that would cause over many grade crossings. The West Santa Ana Branch light rail line that will begin construction will also include many grade crossings. For a city like Los Angeles, grade separation should be the default.
Wait, this is the first time I’m hearing of this suspension?!
Also, excited for the Purple extension too. Right now it’s such a wimpy little branch line lol.
@@Thom-TRA yeah and 23 months for one light rail overcrossing! Originally budgeted at $150 million it's now being estimated at $250 million! The LAX light rail station alone is budgeted at $1 billion!!!!
This has not been unusual for Metro. They have been a literal gold mine for all the consultants they use. They have little in-house expertise.
CTA on the other hand has quite a bit of in-house expertise to make use of. The 1/3 mile Brown Line bypass overcrossing of the Red/Purple Lines, a much more substantial project than a roughly 120' Centinela Ave overpass, cost $320 million.
The beautiful brand new (2018) 4-track double-platform Wilson Red/Purple Line station cost $200 million compared to the $1 billion Metro will pay for the LAX light rail station.
@@bryanCJC2105 I appreciate your knowledge of cost, that’s something I tend to read over. That’s an absurd price for a crossing. Wanna start a consulting firm together? Lol
I try to pay attention to costs because it's one of the factors that often forces US cities to make bad transit decisions and our costs are so much higher than in the rest of the developed world. Paris, London, Madrid, Mexico City, Vancouver, Montreal, and more, are all building large rail transit projects. That said, Chicago has been doing pretty good on cost management of large projects and the new facilities are very nice. Hopefully, the Blue Line will get some love soon. That one has mostly focused on non-sexy slow zone reductions, electrical substation and signaling upgrades, all of which are sorely needed!
Wow this is amazing! Huge improvements to the LA metro system. Looks super clean and safe! Thank you for sharing this and showing how accessible it is to take public transport in LA when the culture is still car focused
You’re welcome!
While LA transit gets a bad rap, I think they do a good job - particularly given the enormous area they have to cover.
There are people in every city who tell you to stay out of neighborhoods they think are "bad". (I'm sure you've heard people tell you not to take the green line in Chicago.) The people who give the warnings almost never actually went to those neighborhoods, though. If they did, they'd know that people are people, and most of them are pretty good.
I like that last phrase, people are people. It’s very true. Whenever I do videos from big cities, sadly I tend to get overwhelmingly negative reactions so I was hoping to prevent it a little.
I like the LA metro! Especially the expansion plans are exciting, like the regional connector and beyond. I’m also just impressed at how modern and clean things look, compared to Chicago…
Totally agree David. As a Cornishman who lived in the gritty crities of Liverpool, Manchester, Marseille and Bilbao I've never had a problem on US transit far safer than many bus routes and unstaffed city halts around these cities. The only issue with Los Angeles is the complexity of bus operators and the pain in the neck of exact change fare safes. (Although I gather that most of the US has caught up with contactless on bus payment)
Funny that Compton, Ca. supposedly dangerous gangland actually did an socioeconomic twinning deal with the small village of Compton, Surrey, Eng. and started a cricket 🏏 club.
Exactly!! La metro definitely isn't perfect but compared to other American cities it's pretty good so I would say we're lucky to have a good system
@@nixcails All the different bus systems in greater Los Angeles now use the same TAP card, thankfully.
@Ellen Aitchison we'll get sold on them and stop wrecking the planet for people living outside of La La Land!
Great content, please continue to do good work.
Thank you so much, I will!
Bright, well designed and pleasant transit systems change everything, modernising and dragging often depressing urban areas into the 21st century, improving the environment for all and making people proud of where they live and work. Impressive to see what's going on in LA in this respect.
I like the old name better
They were much easier.
The Gold line, the red line, the purple line, the blue line.
Now we have K, L, G... What?
Thank you for reviewing our latest train. I covered the opening day as photojournalist. Most people are quite happy about it. The former “Purple line is also being expanded. I would like to see a few monorails and more people movers added. It would help give LA. A unique look far as rail is concerned and move the trains above the traffic.
I’m glad the people are happy with it! It’s a solid product. Not that the “experts” in the RUclips comments section agree… 😂
IS Silver Line still around? I could not find it. Last time was back in 2013/4. Hasn’t been it ever since.
@@edgaryzen4925 it is! It’s called the J line. I actually rode it on this trip.
@@edgaryzen4925 Yes the Silverline is still operational. The Orange line is rumored to be converted from bus to light rail.
I remember when it costed like $2.00 to get to LAX from DTLA; the Red Line to the Blue Line, followed by the Green Line which gets u almost to the airport, where u'd catch a shuttle bus at no additional charge, and all the transfers were free (which I don't think is available anymore). Better than even NYC Subway-to-airport options including the defunct JFK Express, tho I don't think LA will ever even get close to NYC Subway system, since it's so spread-out over such a huge area here compared to NYC... but light rail was far more extensive here in greater-LA area before Detroit bought-out all the LA light rail to encourage car ownership.
LA metrolink regional rail has great coverage, but needs more frequency. Being spread out doesn't preclude a rail transit network; NYC style subway is just one kind of network. See Toronto's GO upgrades and the main Australian cities for examples
I took the green - blue - red connection a couple of times to get from LAX to Hollywood. It took forever, but the cheap price definitely made it worth it.
Hopefully in a year or so it will be a gold-pink-people mover connection!
I enjoyed my ride on the San Bernardino Line (review coming after the new year). Really what needs improvement in my opinion is frequencies. Hopefully Metrolink will receive somewhat of a boost when CAHSR opens.
Transfers are still free within a 2 hour period.
It should still cost $1.75 for that trip.
Angelenos: "All we want is a one-seat ride to downtown from LAX"
Bugs Bunny: "No."
Thank the taxi lobby’s and auto industry for slowing down this work in the past.
There is direct freeway express Flyaway bus between all LAX terminals and Union Station. Every 30 min.
@@LeslieDugger The taxi business is down. Uber and Lyft destroyed public transportation. Right now you should take a bus fom terminals with luggage to the taxi stand but you can order Uber Black from terminals.
An all underground line like this would cost something in the neighborhood of five to ten billion dollars, maybe more. All existing tunnels (like the one between 7th st/Metro Center and Pico, or the Red Line Subway tunnels) are at or near max capacity and couldn't be used; new ones would be needed instead. The cost/benefit equation simply doesn't work.
@@mikhailtsipenyuk5218 No one wants to take a bus, though. First-class cities have a rail link.
no matter what I'm still gonna be calling the B line the red line. I grew up with the color names
You NEED to visit the San Diego Trolleys so much bigger and more beautiful. And SD terrain is hilly and gorgeous compared to industrial concrete basin LA. (Im from LA and like SD more)
I live in LA and have long been hoping the transit system will catch up to other cities. Encouraging to see that expansions are happening but I wish they would build faster!
I remember riding the A line (formerly the blue line) back when it first opened in 1990, back when it terminated at the Pico Station, before the 7th Street Metro Station was opened. Absolutely love that new lines are opening up. Not so sure about the line name changes.
That might be the slowest approach I've ever seen a train make.
I ride the metro a lot, I'm excited that they are working on expanding it.
Expansion is overdue and very exciting!
K line is dumb as an airport connection. It should have gone directly into the terminal, maybe with a stop in the center between the terminals and moving walkways to each terminal. "But that would be expensive!" yes, but so is building a people mover to do the same thing.
The other problem is mentioned, the forced transfer to get into the rest of the system is a huge mistake. A city's airport is a major destination and it needs good connectivity to the rest of the system, not being on a circumferential line. If you look at most cities around the world, the airport line heads downtown, and connects to most or all of the other lines in the system, enabling single-transfer connections to anywhere else.
In a couple decades hopefully there will be a subway from LAX to the Valley through the Sepulveda Corridor. I wish they would speed up that one as it will connect to the K, E, D, & G making getting around easier.
Just discovered your channel & was pleasantly surprised. I use to take the once Red Line to Wilshire for school & work. Haven't ridden the LA rail in years but glad you appreciate them. I am currently about to watch the Angel's flight video & hope you do more videos on Los Angeles. Like the Union Station & maybe do a video on the MagLev speed rail being built. You got a new sub for what it's worth.🤜🤛
Thanks for the sub! Appreciate it
As someone who was born and lives in LA, I wish our Public Transportation was better. This is a good step, but we're behind in terms of bus frequency and reliability. Hopefully with time, there are more frequent stops and more local bus services, that could connect people to different destinations throughout Los Angeles, without having to wait too long for their next connecting bus/train.
Will you be able to go to Disneyland from the airport?
If they extend the Green line for 3 miles to connect with Metrolink, it would be super easy. Now I think there’s a bus involved somewhere…
@@Thom-TRA basically not gonna happen then 😥😓
I wouldn’t say that perse. The LA metro is building more extensions than you’d expect from an American city, so we may very well see it.
Southern California has several major airports. LAX is just the busiest.
Currently, Hollywood-Burbank Airport is directly connected to Metrolink, and Metrolink serves Disneyland/Anaheim Station (ARTIC).
@@lyndakorner2383 most international passengers will fly into LAX, however.
Great informative enjoyable educational video!
Thank you, very glad you enjoyed it!
Yo me acabo de mover de N.Y.C., a Moreno Valley, California, y veo que todavia le falta mucho a LA para cubrir mas areas con el Metro y que trabaje 24 hrs.
The infrastructure looks great, but all the stops you showed are very auto oriented. Eg the Auto Zone @7:44. Hopefully they can start building some real TOD around each of these stops.
Hopefully!
Awesome…thank you for this video…I ride the Metro all the time, Blue E line from downtown Long Beach and transfer to either red or purple lines to either Union Station (East) or Universal Station (West). However a second expanded LAX line is a great addition especially since we have the Olympics coming back to LA in 2028…what I am really waiting for is the reopening of the Little Tokyo station…and something linking Orange County to the Metro…we have made several advancements…but we still have a very long way too go
I have been there already when they open it was look very nice I like that subway coz it was brand new!!
Hoping Cali can be an example for public transportation and pedestrian friendly. Finishing the HSR, more light rails, and making roads smaller adding cycle lane also bigger sidewalks
I cannot wait for HSR to open. Fingers crossed it’s this decade…
@@Thom-TRA Read somewhere 2035 was the prediction, can’t remember where
@@indisciipline initial operating section in 2029 I believe, SF extension in 2033.
we’re slowly making progress
It can be we just gotta vote!
Ha ha! That In-N-Out Burger on Sepulveda is legendary. Since it’s the physically closest one to LAX, travelers with time usually make the easy trip there for a meal. Locals like me love it because you can watch planes land while you eat.
I love watching the planes land! And the food is so good
Nice video I might go to L A for some failfanning but I would call their service light metro instead of metro because the equipment is not heavy rail dry nice though
Must have direct train link to LAX just like modern cities in Asia and EU. Yeap In-N-Out my favorite burger place.
Singapore is still the best subway/train commuting country I ever been... so much safer with enclosed train entry door panels and are more connected underground with each other. I kinda get it with LA because of the Earthquake.. as they try to be more above ground.
What a stupid design this line has. If you want to go from LAX to downtown LA, you will have to transfer 2 times, with suitcases and all! One time from the people mover to the K-train, then from the K-train to the E-train. And that transfer from K to E is bad bad bad, not even in the same station complex, and you have to drag your suitcases two levels up/down, and across railway tracks...
This K-line must have been designed by people who never take public transport.
Also the K-line should have been designed to go to the airport directly. But the problem in the US is that you can't tax plane tickets for public transportation construction. You can only tax passengers for transportation on airport grounds. Hence the people mover. (See also Miami, New York JFK and Newark for people movers that connect to trains, but there at least you only have to transfer once, although in New York the transfer at Jamaica is also notoriously bad.)
So if I ever would fly to LA I would not take the metro to reach downtown. Too inconvenient. Although I would take the metro to get around.
Amazing to see all this expansion, slowly but surely dismantling LA’s car centricity. With higher frequencies on the heavy rail lines, more TOD and things like platform screen doors this could be an example of modern, world class transit in the United States
I left LA at the end of 97'. I do return occasionally to visit dad. For weekend visits only. It'll be 23 years ago. I'm moving back at the beginning of this year. Everything is about the same. The only improvement is their public transportation. When I left, it was only the blue line (Long Beach). The green line (105 frwy). Growing up in LA, suburbia was far and wide. I hope these lightrail lines connects cities more inclusively...
Thanks for the content!
Thanks for stopping at In-n-Out. When you said you needed to eat, I thought ‘gosh I hope he stops at In-n-Out.’ Brings back all the fond memories of Southern California.
I can't believe people have to walk across a street to make the Santa Monica-LAX transfer, especially after spending all that money on tunnels. :/
This video made me nostalgic for my high school days when I would take the Green Line from Norwalk to Inglewood to visit my boyfriend at the time. I live in Orange County and our public transit is far from ideal. LA's is much better by comparison. I would ditch my car in a heartbeat if OCTA got more funding to add new routes and increase the frequencies of busses. It shouldn't have to take me over an hour to get a five mile ride across town.
Where did I hear that chime sound? Isn't it from one of the previous versions of Windows OS? :D
As for the new line it looks good and modern, a bit reminiscent of new equivalent places in Europe or Asia. Just need more of this stuff. LA could easily become like Karlsruhe with a mega tram-train system all over the place. If Karlsruhe can do it so can LA.
I recommend youtuber Nandert for videos detailing upcoming public transit throughout the LA region
Thanks for the recommendation!
There is a glaring problem, or problems to this. If you take a train into LA you end up at Union Station and from there you take B or D line to the 7th St. Station, then switch over to the E line, then you have to get off and walk to another station to catch the K line, where you will eventually get off and get on a people mover to get to LAX. Sorry, kind of a f***ing clown show. Sur, it will be soooo much fun to schlep your luggage between 3 different stops/locations. Oh yeah, I want to do that. 🤨🙄 Sorry, it is still easier to get to Union Station and then catch the FlyAway bus. Probably takes a similar amount of time and you DO NOT have to schlep your luggage around, especially when you factor in escalators. There really needs to be a direct, no changing of stations, light rail line from LAX to Union Station.
It will never happen, so just give up this idea of direct train forever
In what world does taking an Uber save costs? I took one from the city bus terminal to the airport terminal because no buses showed up and it set me back 18 bucks.
Flyaway may be faster to Union Station, but not everyone needs to go to Union Station.
@@finned958 and when the Uber drops you off at the station, it drops you off right at the platform, right? So it’s a cross-platform transfer, problem solved, right?
The transfers are annoying, but this is not a good alternative. Costs 18x as much, still requires cumbersome transfers. Not a great trade-off to me
@@finned958 this post was about the difficulty of transferring towards LAX. You seem to offer Uber as an alternative, and I point out that your proposal still involves inconvenient transfers and costs astronomically more.
@@finned958 I live in south Orange County, so no to the Uber. Ditto for those who live in Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura County. You can take a train from any of these places but you end up at Union Station, and then it is either the FlyAway bus, or (eventually) the Metro with a bunch of changes and unnecessary walking. Getting to/from LAX will never be like it is in Athens, or Zurich, or Milan, or Heathrow, or Marseille, or Rome...........
The letters that LA Metro switched to are just plain dumb. The K line is more easily understood by it’s original name the Crenshaw/LAX line. Better yet, LA Metro needs to copy San Francisco’s Bart line and name each line by it’s ending terminuses so people can have a general idea where the line travels without using a decoder ring.
hoping this helps the people who need it the most
I hope so too. Thanks for the comment!
It would be better if there was a one seat ride from LAX to Downtown LA by rail.
The key is for the trains to withstand constant use and ever higher ridership. From reading other plans, the LA metro expansion is going full tilt. At some stage angelinos will suddenly discover they have a real metro system that works. Pretty quiet for a busy sat night.
Great video but that the beautiful art-deco icon the Columbia Eastern building is only known from i carly is kind of hilarious 😁
I don’t think I ever said that, did I?
@@Thom-TRA no just laughing at the beginning you said “it may not seem like anything special” but then referenced it was in I Carly. Not criticizing, I genuinely thought it was funny 😊 great video about the k line, keep up the good work!
@@geoffwaring1942 sorry, just clarifying! It’s a beautiful building! Thank you!
1. Unlike most other metropolitan areas in America (or the world), Los Angeles does not really have a business "center" for working people to commute in and out of; there is no definitive commute directions. So the needs being met by LA's light rail system is different from most other cities' light rail system.
2. Transportation planners talk about "First and Last Mile". In LA, this is more of an issue than anywhere else. Due mostly to just how huge the area is. Even with so many routes in operation right now, LA Metro cannot possible cover enough areas with stations and stops to address the "First and Last Mile" issue.
3. Politics is thick in Los Angeles.
4. LAX is like a Venus Fly Trap for automobiles and buses; you can get in, but you can't get out. This dead end cul de sac begins way outside the airport on Century Blvd. With practically no meaningful side streets connected to Century Blvd, once you drive on it toward LAX, you are stuck in a queue.
5. LAX and LA Metro separately had been planning public transportation for LAX. The best way to solve the timing issue (matching both entities schedules) was to allow LA Metro to build as close to the airport as possible, and then have LAX build a people-mover from the terminals to that Metro station. Along with this new people-mover, LAX will build a consolidated rental car, parking, and ride pick up center. Logistically, this new center will move transportation out of the dead end cul de sac to a more open location. (My question is, just what type of ridership numbers is LAX expecting on this new people-mover? I'm thinking huge numbers!)
LAX is expecting large numbers with the people mover, but with relatively few transferring to the K Line. Most will head for the rental cars.
Thanks for the tour of the K line. I don’t understand why they designed that long connection to the E line. If they expect people to take the K line to the LAX, that would be a significant deterrent with heavy suitcases, especially if it is raining.
in your experience did you have any issues with the speed of the line? one of the biggest issues with LA metro that ive had has always just been the fact that their non-underground lines are SUPER slow, and even get stuck in traffic or waiting for street lights. i travel 40 miles from irvine to LA Union on a regular metrolink train sometimes in the same amount of time that I do on the metro from LA union to santa monica (15 miles). hoping at the very least that this train has priority at lights/crossings
This one was very fast! Most of the route is separated from traffic.
According to the map, the K line will end just as far away from the terminal as the green line It heads right to it, but, just as the green line, it turns away I say fire everyone and keep hiring new people until someone realizes the metro should make a loop inside the airport as it does in Seattle
Metro should have add LAX to Westwood extension would help UCLA student travel to and from LAX to UCLA much easier
Many of you aren’t old enough to remember the train line that connected Santa Monica to down town L.A. Even after they shut down the line the tracks were there for at least a decade.
Unless you're over 100 years old, its unlikely you remember it either.
@@krane15 …I’m 76. We lived in Palms area of Los Angeles in 1953 and the train tracks were still there. I think along Venice Blvd.
Build a heavy rail line from the Union Station directly to the center of LAX. It doesn't seem so difficult.
LAX is the airport and area I know best in the USA since it was the stopover point/ refueling stop for Air New Zealand 747's for from LHR to AKL.
My first couple of visits I hired a car to explore but on later trips I tried the so called non existant public transport options. Compared to European or Asian cities this was more limited and confusing with the range of different service providers like UK city regions outside of London and Northern Ireland (Santa Monica Blue Bus, Torrance Transit, Long Beach Transit, Metro, Metrolink etc..) plus the various taxi, limo and shuttle operators.
I'm glad LAX is finally getting a light rail, Stadtbahn connection. But I wonder how many people will still use the road based service to connect with the final destination. 🤔 Especially to the core tourist stopover destinations like Santa Monica, Hollywood, Long Beach and Anaheim.
Yeah, the LA bus system is crazy. Here in Chicago, there’s just the CTA which runs in the city limits, and Pace which is a consolidation of all suburban bus service. Both honor each other’s fares and use the same payment system (now if we could get our commuter rail improved, that would be great). The LA bus world is a bus fan’s dream but a commuter’s pain.
In the cab view ride videos I've seen of this route, the stations look busy. Nice to see that.
Wow wow good brother and sister TNX GOOD Family First good business ok thanks good
Overlapping metros that follow the same line could offer fast-transit options to move arrivals and departure passengers a faster route into and out of LA. Heathrow has a metro line and a fast track train into the city so if you need to get into and out of the city fast from the airport, there is a better option than a taxi/bus that must face traffic/traffic lights.
nice to see new construction in l.a , i hope they have security each stop to prevent homeless / bad behavior people in the area , so the rest of us pasangers feel safe. especially if they plan to connect to LAX, air travelers will bring their valuables with them.
I'll call the K Line the Pink line because I'm chaotic and no one can stop me muahahaha
Subways in LA are inconvenient unless you live by an entrance but even so we are a city known for driving. It will be interesting to see how the access will change once LAX gets ready for the olympics and all future ways to enter and exit the airport.
Nobody walks in L.A.
The system should have started at LAX and moved outward. Then again, it took Miami 30 years to get its rail system connected to MIA.
@@squalli1297 That's why traffic are congested all the time.
they should connect both lines for train transfers. see where your K line rises. it should have surfaced AFTER the side street.
Why did they not put a tunnel or bridge between the two lines vs having to walk between them? After all they were tunnelng all this anyway.
LA is getting ready for World Cup 2026 and Olympics 2028 there is like 8 projects related with the entire metro system going on at the same time between lines getting expanded, new lines under constructions, and I guess two new lines in process of begin the construction.