Due to the recent fire that has led to the closure of I-10 in Downtown Los Angeles, the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro), in partnership with the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) and Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT), reminds motorists and commuters to consider public transportation to reach their destinations near the impacted area.
LA Metro will continue to operate normal service on its bus routes and rail lines. Motorists and commuters should consider traveling on Metro’s E Line, a 22-mile rail line that parallels I-10 and has 29 stations between East Los Angeles and Santa Monica. The A Line, which has 44 stations along 48.5 miles from Azusa to Long Beach, is another alternative to the I-110 and I-210 freeways. Metrolink is adding six roundtrips between Covina and Union Station and is adding cars on the San Bernardino line.
For motorists who plan to visit or work in Downtown Los Angeles from the Inland Empire, Metro suggests taking Metrolink’s San Bernardino and Riverside lines into Union Station and transitioning to Metro’s A, B and D rail lines. Metrolink is increasing capacity and adding temporary roundtrip service on the San Bernardino Line from LA Union Station to the Covina Station, with three extra weekday trains in the morning and three in the afternoon in each direction. The agency will monitor the potential impact on its other lines and may increase capacity on heavily traveled trains as necessary. Schedule updates can be found at the Service Updates page on the Metrolink website.
Several Metro bus lines provide service that can also assist riders in reaching their destination around Los Angeles County. Metro’s Silver Line (910/950) and Line 487/489 operate along I-10 ExpressLanes. Additionally, commuters should consider Line 76 on Valley Boulevard north of I-10 and Line 70 on Garvey Boulevard south of I-10.
Metro’s transit partners also have alternate bus options, including Foothill Transit, which has multiple lines that serve Downtown Los Angeles, including their Silver Streak Express from Montclair to Downtown L.A. using the I-10 ExpressLanes. Foothill Transit also offers other Downtown L.A. express bus lines 490, 493, 495, 498, 499 and 699 from communities throughout the San Gabriel Valley.
In the immediate area of the closure, there are multiple Metro bus line options, including Line 18 on 6th Street and Line 66 on Olympic Boulevard.
Motorists and commuters can find additional information about Metro parking lots, maps and schedules and specific route planning tools on metro.net or call 5-1-1 and visit Caltrans’ "quickmap" for freeway traffic conditions. Residents can also call 323-GO-METRO for more information.
Patrick Chandler
