From Future on Page 27
California’s High-Speed Rail also remains deeply controversial, with proponents arguing it is a necessary infrastructure project that promotes economic development, represents a sustainable transportation option, and advances environmental goals by reducing traffic congestion and greenhouse gas emissions. Critics, however, argue the project has little hope of achieving its goals in a timely or cost-effective manner, and should be scaled down. For the present, State leaders are pursuing the following steps: ■ Central Valley Completion: The priority remains completing the Bakersfield-to-Merced segment, which could serve as a proof of concept for future extensions. ■ Further Federal Funding: Advocates hope for renewed federal funding, possibly as part of larger infrastructure initiatives. ■ Restructuring the Project: There are calls for rethinking the project, possibly scaling it back or focusing on smaller, more manageable segments that could be completed more quickly and serve as regional commuter lines. The High Desert Corridor is a planned 54-mile high-speed rail line that will link the California High-Speed Rail system at Palmdale with the Brightline West route at Victor Valley.
Key stops include Universal City/Studio City (for Universal Studios), Hollywood/Vine (Hollywood Walk of Fame), Westlake/MacArthur Park, and 7th St/Metro Center. ● C Line. The C Line (Green Dot) runs 17.8 miles from the LAX/Metro Transit Center in Westchester to Norwalk. It has 12 stations and runs entirely on a grade-separated route, much of it in the median of the I-105 freeway. Key stops include Aviation/LAX (opened in 2024, near the SoFi Stadium area) and Willowbrook/Rosa Parks (transfer to the A Line). In June 2025, service extended to the new LAX/Metro Transit Center. ● D Line. The D Line (Purple Dot) is a subway running between Koreatown and Downtown Los Angeles. It is 5.1 miles long with 8 stations, from Wilshire/Western in Koreatown to Union Station in Downtown. The line follows Wilshire Boulevard and shares tracks with the B Line east of Wilshire/Vermont. Key stations include Wilshire/Western (terminus), Wilshire/Vermont (transfer to B Line), 7th St/Metro Center (transfer to A and Expo lines), and Union Station (terminus with regional connections). An extension is underway, adding seven new stations westward, including Wilshire/ La Brea, La Cienega, Beverly Hills, Century City, and Westwood. Completion is estimated by 2027. ● E Line. The E Line (Gold Dot) runs east–west from Downtown Los Angeles to Santa Monica. It is 21.9 miles long with 29 stations. The eastern end is Atlantic Station (East Los Angeles) and the western end is Downtown Santa Monica. The line follows the former Pacific Electric route along Exposition Boulevard. Key stations include Little Tokyo/ Arts District and 7th St/Metro Center in Downtown Los Angeles, then through Culver City, ending at Downtown Santa Monica. In Downtown Los Angeles it interlines with the A Line at Little Tokyo and 7th St/Metro Center. California High-Speed Rail is intended to connect San Francisco to Los Angeles along a 494-mile route at speeds of up to 220 miles per hour. Despite funding issues, the project remains a key initiative for providing fast, efficient, and environmentally friendly transportation for the state.
Brightline West , a high-speed rail line, will provide bi- directional train travel between Las Vegas and Rancho Cucamonga, with the travel time for each leg estimated to take approximately two hours. Once completed, Brightline West will travel at an average speed of 186 mph, and carry between 434 and 450 passengers per train, with annual ridership projected to be nine million passengers. Brightline West is planning to operate 50 trains per day, 25 in each direction, with 45-minute intervals between 5:30 a.m. and 1:00 a.m. The ridership potential for Brightline West could greatly contribute to significant increases in A Line ridership to the Montclair
28 | 2026 MOBILITY
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