L.A.’s long-awaited subway under Wilshire Boulevard opens, linking Beverly Hills to downtown

In a moment of rare public transit fanfare, Los Angeles on Friday celebrated the long-awaited opening of a major subway expansion along Wilshire Boulevard that connects Beverly Hills to downtown.

The three new Metro stops that opened Friday — Wilshire/La Brea, Wilshire/Fairfax and Wilshire/La Cienega — mark the first phase of a much-anticipated rail line running under L.A.’s most iconic and bustling boulevard, a route long considered key for the city’s public transit. The new stations offer easy rail access to several L.A. landmarks such as the newly reimagined Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the Academy Museum, and stops only a few blocks from the Grove and the Beverly Center.

“This is a milestone for the future of L.A.,” said Fernando Dutra, chair of the L.A. Metro Board of Directors. “I’m immensely proud of the hard work to reinvent the public transportation of Los Angeles.”

Despite the celebratory spirit surrounding the opening Friday morning — city officials marked the event by walking a “purple carpet” atop the Petersen Automotive Museum, where each speaker ended their remarks with an enthusiastic “Go Metro!” — Dutra acknowledged how long it took to bring this project to fruition.

“We overcame immense technical obstacles to build this project,” he said.

And though the D Line’s legacy remains to be seen, Dutra said he is sure it will provide “faster commutes … and real options for how people get in and around our city.”

Passengers ride the Metro D Line heading toward the Wilshire/Fairfax Station in Los Angeles on Friday.

(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

At the Wilshire/Fairfax station on Friday afternoon, the line to get on a train was wrapping around the station.

Rich Mannino, who lives nearby, said he plans to ride the train daily.

“You used to have to take a bus to get to the train but now I can just take the train here and eventually take the train west,” he said. “I’ve been waiting for this since 2018.”

Krystine Murry, an education coordinator at LACMA, said she used to ride the train to work but stopped. Now, with a station conveniently close, she’ll probably start using it again.

“I live down by the Wilshire/Western station so it’s just two stops for me, which is really nice and convenient,” she said.

More than six decades ago, California leaders started working toward a rail line that would run below Wilshire, but the efforts struggled to gain momentum because of major funding shortfalls, political battles, neighborhood opposition and engineering concerns.

Perhaps that’s why Friday felt so monumental.

“Today we celebrate progress, partnership and something Angelenos deserve: a city easier to move through and easier to connect in and built for the future,” Mayor Karen Bass said at the Friday morning celebration. “It makes our very huge city a lot smaller and more connected.”

The three new stops of the D Line extension make up about four miles of the $9.7-billion project, which will eventually run nine miles west, ending in Westwood, near the UCLA campus. The next two phases of the project, which include a total of four new stops, are scheduled to be completed in 2027.

It’s part of larger Southern California rail expansion, aimed at creating a viable grid of public transit that connects L.A.’s sprawling communities, aiming to finish in time to serve visitors to Los Angeles for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

While transit experts expect that the high-density area and ultra-popular destinations along the D line extension will immediately draw in riders, it is yet to be seen if high numbers of Angelenos are ready to ditch their cars for a ride on the subway.

Metro officials estimate the rail will typically be faster than driving, with a ride from Union Station to Wilshire/La Cienega taking 21 minutes, while driving can typically take about 45 minutes.

“I cannot wait to get on the D Line to Beverly Hills and get my Botox treatments,” said actor Jerry O’Connell, who served as the master of ceremonies for the D Line event.

Mayor Karen Bass exits the D Line train at the Metro Wilshire/Fairfax Station with state Sen. Maria Elena Durazo Friday morning.

(Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)

And while many potential riders who spoke with The Times this week echoed that enthusiasm, most also mentioned some reservations, including feeling cautious about potentially long waits at night or ongoing concerns about public safety. Metro has worked to improve safety across its network, prioritizing a new police force and additional safeguards, such as its ambassador program, with some real success.

But Metro officials on Friday emphasized that they expect this line to become integral for many Angelenos.

“We connect people to jobs, to school, and to each other, and with every project like this, those solutions get stronger,” Stephanie Wiggins, chief executive officer of L.A. Metro, said Friday.

D Line trains are scheduled to run from 4 a.m. to approximately 12:30 a.m. each day, arriving every 10 minutes during most of the day and every 20 minutes during late-night hours, which begin around 9 p.m., according to Metro officials.

Staff writer Jenny Jarvie contributed to this report.