LA Metro Opens D Line Section 1

Metro opened Section 1 of the D Line Subway Extension Project on May 8. The 3.92-mile addition takes riders west from the previous terminus at Wilshire and Western station in Koreatown under Wilshire Boulevard through neighborhoods and communities including Hancock Park, Windsor Square, the Fairfax District and Carthay Circle into Beverly Hills. The three new underground stations are at Wilshire/La Brea, Wilshire/Fairfax and Wilshire/La Cienega.

The D Line extension is one of the highest-priority transit projects in Metro’s portfolio and a historic milestone for Los Angeles public transportation. This is yet another one of the completed projects in Metro’s Twenty-Eight by ’28 initiative, and part of a comprehensive plan to enhance the region’s transit infrastructure in time for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

“Traveling through Mid-Wilshire to experience the culture, cuisine and commerce across diverse neighborhoods will be easier, faster and more accessible. The opening of Section 1 of the D Line extension also brings us three stops closer to connecting Metro to the westside, including the 2028 Olympic Village at UCLA where the world’s Olympic and Paralympic athletes will reside,” said Fernando Dutra, Metro Board Chair and City of Whittier Council Member. “That connectivity from Downtown LA to the westside will serve as a lasting legacy for all Angelenos.”

With this opening, Metro customers will gain easy rail access to a wide array of historic locations, cultural institutions, shopping destinations, dining favorites and more.

• Wilshire/La Brea is home to the western edge of Koreatown and Hancock Park, providing access to entertainment and cultural institutions including the Korean Cultural Center, Marciano Art Foundation and Ebell Theater as well as notable restaurants Republique and Sycamore Kitchen.
• Wilshire/Fairfax is home to the Miracle Mile and “Museum Row” – a culturally diverse corridor that includes The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), The Motion Picture Academy Museum, The Petersen Automotive Museum, Craft Contemporary and the La Brea Tar Pits. It is central to neighborhoods including Little Ethiopia, Park La Brea and the historically Jewish Fairfax District. It also is a conduit to two iconic shopping and entertainment destinations: The Original Farmers Market and The Grove.
• Wilshire/La Cienega is the entry toBeverly Hills and “Restaurant Row,” which features upscale, diverse and iconic restaurants including the original Lawry’s The Prime Rib as well as the Beverly Center shopping destination.

These new stations will transform the way many riders can experience the Metro system, providing a seamless, single-seat ride from Union Station in Downtown Los Angeles to La Cienega in Beverly Hills is around 20 minutes with no transfers required. All stations will provide multi-modal access, including pedestrian lights, plaza level lighting cell phone service and bicycle hubs. 

“Angelenos and visitors alike will love the extended service from Downtown Los Angeles to Beverly Hills, delivering greater access to the iconic and culturally diverse communities, institutions and destinations that define the deep history along Wilshire Boulevard,” said Metro CEO Stephanie Wiggins. “The stations are filled with beautiful artwork making the journey to one’s destination an experience in itself. I can’t wait for everyone to enjoy and discover the vibrance of mid-Wilshire without the traffic.”

All tunneling on the D Line was completed in April 2024. Contractors utilized the latest tunnel boring machine (TBM) technology to excavate approximately 40-60 ft per day to help complete tunneling for the project.

During its five years of tunneling, Metro faced and successfully overcame many technical challenges like gassy ground, tar sands and abandoned oil wells. Near the La Brea Tarpits, for example, Metro’s advanced TBMs made their way through tar sands, and used horizontal directional drillings to probe the earth so contractors could identify and remove potential objects before any TBM damage occurred. Metro also safely used the same methods to identify and avoid unmapped and abandoned oil wells underneath Beverly Hills High School.

Contractors on the project included: Skanska/Traylor/Shea (Section 1); Tutor Perini/O&G (Section 2); Frontier-Kemper/Tutor Perini JV (Section 3-Tunnels); and Tutor Perini/O&G Joint Venture (Section 3-Stations).

Section 1 of the D Line extension was funded primarily by Metro’s 2008 Measure R transportation sales taxes. Local sales tax funding also secured federal matching funds including $1.25 billion FFGA, $66.4 million of supplemental New Starts, and $749.3 million loan from TIFIA in May 2014.   

For additional information about the D Line Extension, please visit metro.net/dlineopening.