 |
|||||
|
Green line growing slow but steady
by Rachel Stillman
|
The Green Line station on Marine Avenue draws praise from riders but is underutilized. Photo by Matt Parker |
Marty Brown and his two kids were not alone in their quest for weekend fun in downtown Los Angeles Saturday morning--but they were alone as they waited at the MTA’s Green Line train station.
The Green Line, which started in 1995, is the least popular of the MTA’s three lines. In Redondo, that’s partly because the train station is not widely known, with just one small sign to mark its existence.
As of May 30, the average weekday boarding rate for the entire Green Line, which runs from Redondo Beach to Norwalk, was only 30,000 people.
"But that’s 2,000 more than last month," said MTA spokesman Rick Jagger. "We’re making progress."
For Brown and the other Redondo-area residents who have begun to park their vehicles and head for the train station, the motivation is simple: convenience and safety.
"I first took the Green Line about a year and a half ago for jury duty," Brown said. "It was a lot easier than driving there and it took me right to the courthouse."
Susie Wong of Torrance also appreciates the convenience.
"I have a job reassignment on Monday, so I’m finding my way around downtown Los Angeles, from the green line to the red line," Wong said. "It’s easy to use."
After Wong takes the Green Line from Redondo to Norwalk, she transfers to the Red Line, which goes from Norwalk to downtown Los Angeles. The price is $1.60 for a one-way ticket with a transfer to bus or rail, or $2.70 for a roundtrip ticket with no transfer. The train runs every 10 to 15 minutes on weekdays and every 15 to 20 minutes on weekends.
Besides being convenient and cheap, the metro train is relaxing, passengers said.
"It saves me a lot of money, saves me lots of aggravation, and there’s no stress," said David Kieran of Redondo Beach. "I can just sit there and read the paper."
Mark Grace from Manhattan Beach, who also uses the Green Line, concurs.
"It’s convenient," he said. "Gas prices are too high, and this is much less stressful than driving."
In addition to saving money and reducing stress, Green Line riders said it also saves the environment.
"I’m pro-environment. One less car on the road makes a difference," Kieran said.
According to MTA statistics, the Red Line averages 125,000 people a day, the Blue Line 62,000 people a day, and the Green Line only 30,000 people a day.
When Redondo Beach resident Elias Kollio was asked if he thought the Green Line was a success with such limited usage, he said, "It’s only successful when my wife and I get on board." ER