THE TROUBLED 7·4 km Hollywood extension of Los Angeles’ Red line metro was dedicated on June 11. Dignitaries participating included LA Mayor and MTA Chairman Richard Riordan (centre of photo), FTA Administrator Gordon Linton (rear), and the honorary mayor of Hollywood Johnny Grant (right). Following ceremonies at Hollywood Boulevard/Vine Street station, the official party, accompanied by cast members from a touring production of ’The Wizard of Oz’, rode the ceremonial first train to Sunset Boulevard/Vermont Avenue station and back.
MTA Chief Operating Officer Alan Lipsky told the guests that the agency’s rail system now stretches from Long Beach to Hollywood and Norwalk ’almost to the airport’. This drew a peal of laughter, since the MTA’s failure to build a 3·2 km Green line branch to the airport has been the source of continuing criticism (MR99 p15).
Following the opening ceremonies, MTA offered free rides on the entire 17·6 km Red line for the weekend of June 12-13, recording around 210000 passenger boardings over the two days. n
