T hirty-five years ago in February, the nascent Metro Blue Line light rail train reached the downtown Los Angeles 7th Street station from Long Beach. For the first time in nearly 30 years the two downtowns were connected by rail. Today that line, now named the Metro A Line, is the world’s longest modern light rail line at 57.6 miles — connecting Long Beach via downtown LA to Pomona. “The overwhelming positive public response demonstrates to us that people in Long Beach, Los Angeles and cities along the 22-mile corridor are willing to leave their cars at home and ride these fast, smooth, air-conditioned trains,” said RTD Board President Nick Patsaouras, following the July 14, 1990, opening of the trunk line (from Pico Boulevard/Flower Street in LA to the Willow Street station in Long Beach) that was soon followed by the opening of the Long Beach loop and the downtown LA 7 th Street extension. “The overwhelming positive public response demonstrates to us that people in Long Beach, Los Angeles and cities along the 22-mile corridor are willing to leave their cars at home and ride these fast, smooth, air-conditioned trains,” said RTD Board President Nick Patsaouras, following the July 14, 1990, opening of the trunk line (from Pico Boulevard/Flower Street in LA to the Willow Street station in Long Beach) that was soon followed by the opening of the Long Beach loop and the downtown LA 7th
Street extension. At the opening ceremonies, then LA Mayor Tom Bradley called it “the beginning of a new and happy journey” for commuters. He and Patsaouras were among many dignitaries there including: Los Angeles County supervisors Ed Edelman and Kenneth Hahn; Los Angeles County Transportation Commission (LACTC) members Christine Reed and Jacki Bacharach; and California Lt. Gov. Leo
McCarthy. Joining the dignitaries and initial riders were the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in a marketing bid to draw young passengers. “Nobody believes we’re doing this. Los Angeles has been talking about rail for so long, we couldn’t get people’s attention,” Bacharach said. “It introduces a whole new alternative. It sets the tone for rail.”
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