Photo by Brian Addison.
To prepare for the $1.2B renovation of the Blue Line, Metro will institute a 30-day closure of four major stations in Downtown Long Beach: Downtown Long Beach Station, Pacific Street Station, 1st Street Station and 5th Street Station.
The 30-day closure will begin tomorrow, September 20, and during the closure, free bus shuttles will be provided for those whose trips are disrupted. Shuttles will run at the same Blue Line service levels and will be scheduled to meet trains for transfers. At Anaheim Street Station, regular train service will continue north to Los Angeles.
Local leaders, including Mayor Robert Garcia, Vice Mayor Suja Lowenthal, and LBPD Police Chief Jim McDonnell, gathered at The Promenade to show off the Metro buses that will be used to transfer people on their routes typically catered by the Blue Line.
“The 30-day closure of Blue Line service to downtown Long Beach will no doubt tax the patience of commuters, motorists, shoppers and business owners,” said Metro Board member and Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe in a statement. “We have spent months working with Long Beach officials and our counterparts at Long Beach Transit to mitigate as many issues as possible. The investment in the Blue Line will have a huge positive impact on downtown Long Beach for decades to come.”
Work at the four stations will include installing new tile, lighting, paint and extending station canopies, as well as rail replacement.
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