Story perspectives

LA Metro Opens D Line Extension, Cuts Travel, Unearths Fossils

5/9/2026

Summary

Story summary

Los Angeles Metro opened the D Line extension, adding three stations from Wilshire/Western to Wilshire/La Cienega in Beverly Hills.
The service cuts the Union Station-to-Beverly Hills trip to 21 minutes, but some commuters say night waits and safety concerns could push them toward rideshare.
Construction used tunnel-boring machines Elsie and Soyeon and uncovered over 500 fossils, including mammoths, while navigating old oil wells and a methane explosion site.

History

Historical Context

After the 1993 merger that created the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Metro opened the heavy-rail Red Line (now the B Line), the city’s first subway, later uncovering about 2,000 fossils. The ongoing D Line extension follows the same Wilshire corridor, again coordinating with Caltrans to address methane hazards.

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Story summary

Los Angeles Metro opened the D Line extension, adding three stations from Wilshire/Western to Wilshire/La Cienega in Beverly Hills.
The service cuts the Union Station-to-Beverly Hills trip to 21 minutes, but some commuters say night waits and safety concerns could push them toward rideshare.
Construction used tunnel-boring machines Elsie and Soyeon and uncovered over 500 fossils, including mammoths, while navigating old oil wells and a methane explosion site.

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