Metro Expo Line riders who will be attending Game 3 of the first round playoff series between the Los Angeles Kings and the St. Louis Blues on Saturday, May 4, at Staples Center, should be advised that Metro will be replacing a support pole that was taken out on April 4 by a driver who was allegedly under the influence of a controlled substance.
The driver was headed the wrong way on Flower Street, just south of Washington Boulevard, when he hit a pole that supports the overhead catenary wires that provide electrical power to the trains, as well train control signal heads that were also in the vicinity (see Metro’s photos of the aftermath here).
A Metro advisory stated that crews will be working from 8:30 PM to the close of service that night. As a result, the Expo Line will run between Culver City Station and 23rd Street Station. A bus bridge will run from 23rd Street to Grand Station.
Fans attending the game should plan accordingly.
Metro has also announced that they will provide free shuttle service from Pico/Chick Hearn Station directly to 23rd Street Station from 9:00 PM to 11:00 PM, to accommodate those attending the game. This will be more convenient for Metro Expo Line riders than the Metro Blue Line/bus bridge option.
Metro Expo Line riders who miss the shuttle will need to board a southbound (the headsign should read “Long Beach” or sometimes “Willow”) Metro Blue Line train at Pico/Chick Hearn Station, or 7th Street/Metro station, disembarking at Grand Station. At that point, riders can board the bus bridge to 23rd Street Station, where they can then board the Metro Expo Line for the rest of their trip.
For those who ride the Metro Blue Line to Grand Station, and then catch the bus bridge to 23rd Street Station, Metro has also confirmed that no additional fare will be required.
Indeed, under normal circumstances, riding on the Metro Blue Line (or any other Metro train or bus), and then transferring to a different train (or bus), including the Metro Expo Line, would constitute a separate boarding, and would require a patron to pay a separate fare. But according to Anna Chen, who writes for Metro’s official blog, The Source, that will not be in effect, given the circumstances.
“There will be no additional fare required,” Chen wrote. “You’ll just have to [tap your TAP card} once at 7th/Metro [Center or Pico/Chick Hearn stations].”
Riders who use the free shuttle from Pico/Chick Hearn station will need to pay the usual fare and tap their TAP cards at 23rd Street Station before boarding the Metro Expo Line.
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