Rail Construction To Delay Weekend Metro Service

LOS ANGELES (CBS) — Metro Blue Line passengers will experience delays of up to 40 minutes for the next three weekends beginning Friday evening due to construction work on the Expo Line, which will connect with the Blue Line in downtown Los Angeles and provide service to Culver City.

Bus shuttle service will be provided between the Washington Station and the 7th Street/Metro Center Station, said Jose Ubaldo of Metro.

Work will begin at 9 p.m., and will continue until early Monday morning.

Officials said Metro Blue Line service should be restored before the Monday morning rush hour.

If a problem develops, the bus shuttle service will continue running, Ubaldo said.

The same plan also is scheduled for the weekends of Nov. 12 and Nov. 19. Metro Blue Line stations affected will be San Pedro, Grand Avenue, Pico/Chick Hearn and 7th/Metro Center. Rail service from Washington Station to Long Beach Transit Mall will not be affected. Metro personnel will be at the Washington and 7th/Metro Center stations to help direct patrons.

The bus shuttle service will operate every 15 to 20 minutes on Friday nights. On Saturday and Sunday, buses will run every 5 to 10 minutes and after 8 p.m. every 15 to 20 minutes.

Temporary bus stops will be located near the stations. Passengers coming from Long Beach to downtown Los Angeles will have to transfer from the train to the bus at the Washington Station, on Long Beach Avenue just south of Washington Boulevard.

The buses will have stops at San Pedro Station on Washington Boulevard just east of San Pedro Street, at Grand Avenue Station on Washington Boulevard east of Olive Avenue, at Pico/Chick Hearn Station on Pico Boulevard, east of Flower Street, and at 7th/Metro Center at the Figueroa Street entrance to the Metro Rail station.

Metro Blue Line customers traveling to Long Beach can board buses at the Hope Street entrance to the 7th/Metro Center station. Buses will make stops at Pico/Chick Hearn station, Grand Avenue Station, San Pedro Station and Washington Station.

Metro patrons are advised to allow extra time for their trips and check television monitors in train stations or call Metro's hotline number (213) 922-4999 for the latest information on the construction work and service impacts, or go online to www.metro.net.

For schedule information, contact Metro Customer Relations at (213) 922-6235.

The Expo Line is a new 8.5-mile light rail line under construction from downtown Los Angeles to Culver City. It will share tracks and two stations with the Metro Blue Line along the Flower Street portion of the alignment. For Expo Line Construction information, contact (213) 922-3976.

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