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Community Corner

First Tests to Bring Expo Line Closer to Culver City

Locals cheer the weekend announcement by the Expo Construction Authority that it will begin running slow speed tests along the eastern end of the line this month.

Metro announced over the weekend that the Expo Construction Authority will begin running slow-speed tests on the Expo light rail line near Downtown Los Angeles, heralding another milestone achieved in the long effort to bring the light rail line to Culver City.

"I'm so incredibly excited about this," said Culver City Councilman D. Scott Malsin, who also represents Culver City on the Expo Construction Authority. "It's a great milestone."

The tests involve towing a rail car slowly along the tracks with safety teams checking for potential hazards, according to a press release from the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro). The system's power is expected to be energized later this month, with full-train tests following for a few more months.

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While there is no official date for the opening of the line, which will eventually run to Santa Monica, a target date of Nov. 15, 2011, has been set for passenger service between a Downtown connecting station from the Blue Line near Staples Center to the La Cienega station.

Malsin said that the Culver City station could open as soon as April 2012. 

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"We were anticipating our station would be a year behind the opening of the rest of the line. At this point, it looks like it'll be six months [behind], possibly less," he said.

"I'm really excited," said Culver City resident Meghan Sahli-Wells, an activist working on pedestrian and bicycle friendly issues. "The closer it gets, the better I feel."

She said that she anticipates using the line as soon as the La Cienega station is open, explaining that she loves going to Disney Hall in Downtown Los Angeles to see the opera and looks forward to not having to deal with the expensive parking in the area or freeway traffic.

"It's just going in the right direction," she said about the construction progress.

Metro will own and operate the light rail line, which is being built by the Expo Construction Authority. Metro officials are working to alert the public that tracks that were once empty will soon have trains running along them. 

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