Planned L.A. Crenshaw Line Rollout Prompts Argument

Already delayed, the Crenshaw Line has now sparked debate between stakeholders who favor opposing visions of how the light rail service should link up with the existing Green Line.

2 minute read

December 2, 2018, 9:00 AM PST

By Philip Rojc @PhilipRojc


Metro Gold LIne

Hayk_Shalunts / Shutterstock

Now expected to open in the summer of 2020, L.A.'s Crenshaw Line is set to intersect with the Green Line, which runs primarily east-west along the 105 Freeway. But a section of the Green Line also runs past LAX and south to Redondo Beach, and elected representatives for that area are concerned about Metro's favored option for managing the connection.

That plan, Laura J. Nelson writes, "would break the Green Line into two pieces at Aviation Boulevard. Riders along the portion of the line that runs along the 105 would be able to board a train every six minutes during peak periods and ride west and north to the Expo Line without transferring. But riders going to or coming from the South Bay's four Green Line stations, the portion of the line with the lowest ridership, would lose their one-seat ride."

Those riders, who account for only 12 percent of the Green Line's ridership, would be forced to "transfer from the Green Line to the Green Line," as Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn put it. Her district includes Redondo Beach.

But an alternative plan to preserve South Bay riders' one-seat trip would essentially oblige the new Crenshaw Line to run two-car trains, even though it could handle three-car ones, due to the older Green Line's electrical limitations. Metro's directors will decide the issue at a board meeting on December 6. Ultimately, a planned extension of the Green Line to Torrance in the mid-2020s will change the math here once again.

Saturday, November 24, 2018 in The Los Angeles Times

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Green vintage Chicago streetcar from the 1940s parked at the Illinois Railroad Museum in 1988.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails

Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

July 13, 2025 - WTTV

Blue and silver Amtrak train with vibrant green and yellow foliage in background.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail

The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

July 14, 2025 - Smart Cities Dive

Worker in yellow safety vest and hard hat looks up at servers in data center.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power

Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

July 18 - Inside Climate News

Former MARTA CEO Collie Greenwood standing in front of MARTA HQ with blurred MARTA sign visible in background.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns

MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

July 18 - WABE

Rendering of proposed protected bikeway in Santa Clara, California.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant

A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.

July 17 - San José Spotlight