Metro D line extension opens: New Wilshire subway stations begin service

LOS ANGELES - The long-awaited Metro D (Purple) Line subway extension began passenger service on Friday, significantly expanding Los Angeles' transit reach. 

The nearly four-mile addition connects downtown to major cultural hubs like Museum Row and the La Brea Tar Pits.

What we know:

The first phase of the $10 billion project adds three key stations: Wilshire/La Brea, Wilshire/Fairfax, and Wilshire/La Cienega. 

This extension allows riders to travel from Union Station to the new western terminus in about 20 minutes without transfers. 

Metro officials said each new station will feature public art installations and full accessibility, along with enhanced security measures including surveillance systems and transit personnel.

To celebrate the launch, Metro is implementing a three-month pilot program featuring daily "activations," including morning coffee carts, weekly farmers markets, and cultural events like salsa classes and pickleball to encourage ridership and support local businesses.

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At the Wilshire/La Brea and Wilshire/Fairfax stations, local vendors are expected to operate coffee carts on weekday mornings, while farmers markets are planned weekly at both locations.

Timeline:

May 8, 2026 (Today): Passenger service for phase one begins.

Spring 2027 (Tentative): Phase two opens, adding stations in Beverly Hills and Century City.

Fall 2027 (Tentative): Phase three opens, reaching UCLA and the VA hospital.

What they're saying:

"This train will give us new doors to some of the most iconic places in our city," Mayor Karen Bass said during the opening ceremony. "They connect the people of Miracle Mile to work, to museums, to neighborhoods and to each other. It makes our very huge city smaller and a lot more connected."

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Metro Board Chair Fernando Dutra called Friday "a historic day," adding, "I don't use that word lightly."

"This is one of Metro's biggest accomplishments to date," he said. "The idea for the D Line started almost 100 years ago. ... All the way back in 1927 when the leaders identified Wilshire as one of the best corridors for a subway. ... The road to the D Line took many twists and turns for generations. Angelenos embraced a car over public transit, and that shaped how we moved and how long it took for us to get here. But the subway beneath Wilshire was always a great idea, right? It was always worth doing, because this is one of the busiest, densest, most traffic-clogged areas in all of Los Angeles. And today, we finally delivered on that promise."

What's next:

Following Friday's launch, the focus shifts to the remaining two phases of the extension. 

The second phase of the subway extension is tentatively set to open in spring 2027, and the third phase is tentatively planned for fall 2027.

For more information, visit metro.net/d-line-extension.

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