The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) will provide free rides on the entire Metro Gold Line on Saturday, March 5 as Metro celebrates the official opening of L.A. County’s newest rail line in the San Gabriel Valley. Several community events are now planned on the 11.5-mile extension to welcome brand new communities to the service.
Free rides will begin at 12 noon and will last until midnight on Saturday, March 5. Free rides were originally offered only until 4 p.m. Saturday. Metro extended free ride hours to enable even more people to travel freely to and from opening day events. Free rides will only be available on the Gold Line between East Los Angeles and Azusa. All other Metro Rail and Bus services will require regular fares. Riders should be aware that Metro is still operating shuttle bus services between Pico/Aliso and Union Station due to construction work for the Regional Connector rail project in Downtown L.A.
Community station party events will have fun-filled activities for the entire family and will include live music, local business booths and food vendors. Train service along the Gold Line Extension will begin at 12 noon. Please plan accordingly. Station parking is on a first-come, first-served basis. Community station parties will be held at following stations:
- Duarte/City of Hope Station, 1777 E. Duarte Road, Duarte, CA 91010. Opening ceremony starts at 10 a.m. Station Party: 12 noon to 4 p.m.
- Arcadia Station, 201 N. First Avenue, Arcadia, CA 91006. Station Party: 12 noon to 4 p.m.
- Monrovia Station, 1651 S. Primrose Avenue, Monrovia, CA 91016. Station Party: 12 noon to 4 p.m.
- Azusa Downtown Station, 780 N. Alameda Avenue, Azusa, CA 91702. Station Party: 12 noon to 4 p.m.
- Irwindale Station, 16017 Avenida Padilla, Irwindale, CA 91702. Station Party: 12 noon to 4 p.m.
People planning to attend the rail line opening from the San Fernando Valley are strongly encouraged to board Metro’s new NoHo to Pasadena Express bus line. At just $2.50 per trip, the new 501 Line will connect the Metro Red/Orange Line in North Hollywood with the Metro Gold Line in Pasadena via 134 carpool lanes starting Tuesday, March 1. Additional stops will pick up passengers at the Burbank Media District and northern part of Downtown Glendale. On opening day March 5, buses will run every 30 minutes, making stops at the Del Mar and Memorial Park Gold Line Stations.
The $1 billion Gold Line Extension is the first Measure R sales tax-funded project to open to the public. With the addition of nearly 12 miles serving more communities in the San Gabriel Valley, it will become Metro’s longest rail line in L.A. County at 31 miles. The extension will provide transit access to a host of new destinations, including Santa Anita Racetrack, City of Hope Hospital, Monrovia and Azusa Downtown Districts, and Azusa Pacific University and Citrus College, among many others.
While rides will be free on March 5, Metro riders can still purchase a commemorative TAP card from a ticket vending machine featuring the Metro Gold Line Extension beginning on Saturday while supplies last. New riders can load future Metro fares on the TAP card when the line begins regular service on Sunday, March 6. Regular fares are $1.75 for a one-way trip, $7 for a Day Pass and $100 for a 30-day Pass. Fare discounts are provided for seniors/disabled/Medicare, college/vocational and students K-12.
The Gold Line Extension is projected to carry 13,600 passengers per day by 2035.
