Transit Network Orientation and Organization

East-West lines (Shore, Valley, Wilshire, Expo, and Gateway):

LA’s rail transit network has an east-west orientation, with the Shore line as the system’s axis. In addition to connecting the three primary central business districts (Downtown, Hollywood, and Westwood), the Shore line links most of the major destinations within central LA and the Westside.

North of Hollywood, the Valley line mirrors the Shore line as the primary axis for the Valley, connecting its major cities and districts and feeding directly into the system core at Hollywood.

South of Hollywood, the Wilshire and the Expo lines both run parallel to the Shore line and directly connect Westwood and Downtown, with the perpendicular Central line providing connections to Hollywood. The Gateway line serves primarily as a feeder line for the Gateway region, connecting the Long Beach line, the ends of the Central and the Shore lines, and LAX.

North-South lines (Central, Sepulveda, Gold, and Long Beach):

North-south lines run perpendicular to the network’s dominant east-west orientation and function primarily as feeder routes from the periphery (South Los Angeles, the Gateway region, the Valley, and the Eastside) to the core. The Central line serves an additional role connecting the Expo, Wilshire, and Shore lines to create a pair of cross-town routes into Hollywood.

Route Descriptions

The Shore Line – links the three primary CBDs (Downtown, Hollywood, & Westwood) as well as the foothill and beach cities before ending at LAX.

The Wilshire Line – runs parallel to Hollywood along Wilshire Boulevard and directly connects Miracle Mile, Hancock Park, and Koreatown with Downtown and Westwood. (direct access to Hollywood provided by the Central Line)

The Valley Line – links the chain of inner valley cities and directly connects them with Hollywood, with single transfer connections to Downtown and Westwood.

The Expo Line – directly connects University Park, Baldwin Hills, and Culver City with Downtown and Westwood, with single transfer connections to Hollywood.

The Central Line – directly connects South Los Angeles and the Wilshire district with Hollywood, with single transfer connections from South Los Angeles to Downtown and Westwood; western branch also directly connects Hollywood and LAX.

The Sepulveda Line – directly connects the San Fernando Valley with Westwood, with single transfer connections to Hollywood and Downtown.

The Gold Line – directly connects Pasadena, Boyle Heights, and East LA with Downtown, with single transfer connections to Hollywood and Westwood.

The Long Beach Line - runs north from Long Beach through the Gateway region, with direct connections to Downtown and single transfer connections to Hollywood and Westwood.

The Gateway Line – runs east from LAX through the Gateway region, with single transfer connections to Downtown, Hollywood, and Westwood.

My proposal for the Los Angeles subway (Revised 11/19/07)

Primary Central Business Districts (CBDs)
a. Downtown
b. Hollywood
c. Westwood

Directly connected to all 3 CBDs
a. Santa Monica/Venice/West L.A.
b. Beverly Hills/West Hollywood
c. Los Feliz/Silverlake/Echo Park
d. Miracle Mile/Hancock Park/Koreatown
e. Baldwin Hills
f. USC/University Park
g. Westchester/LAX

Directly connected to 2 CBDs
a. Pasadena
b. Culver City
c. Sherman Oaks

Directly connected to 1 CBD
a. Encino
b. Studio City
c. Universal City
d. North Hollywood
e. Burbank
f. Glendale
g. Eagle Rock
h. Boyle Heights/East L.A.
i. Southgate/Lynwood
j. Morningside Park
k. Inglewood

My LA subway plan is based upon latent but unrealized relationships that organize Los Angeles. The core of the system is built upon two parallel corridors (the Red and the Purple Lines) connecting three central business districts (Downtown, Hollywood, and Westwood/Century City). As the only line connecting all three CBDs, the Red line serves as the backbone of the system. The Purple line acts as a secondary parallel corridor and the backbone of the Wilshire District as it radiates outward from downtown towards the “new downtown” of Century City.

The area served by these two lines is Los Angeles’ equivalent of Manhattan. This is the heart of the metropolis, where the region’s cultural and commercial energy is primarily concentrated. The spacial relationships between the three CBDs similarly mirror those of Manhattan: the original downtown office district (Downtown LA/Lower Manhattan) followed by a second central business district (Hollywood & Mid-Wilshire/Mid-town Manhattan). Los Angeles adds a third emerging CBD with Century City and Westwood.

If the central corridor represents LA’s equivalent of Manhattan, the San Fernando Valley, The San Bernadino Valley, and South Los Angeles all represent LA’s equivalent of the outer boroughs. As such the Orange, Gold, Blue, Yellow, and Pink lines act as feeder routes providing service from the progressively less dense residential regions into the center city. The Yellow line also serves as a cross-town route connecting Hollywood and Wilshire, while the Orange and the Expo lines serves as “side corridors” linking the closer in centers (Orange: Pasadena, Glendale, Universal City, Studio City, Sherman Oaks, & Encino; Expo: Culver City, Baldwin Hills, & USC/University Park).

This subway system will serve two roles. Most immediately, it will relieve the congestion that is choking our metropolitan area and draining it of its resources (time, money, fuel, environment). But perhaps more importantly, it creates a framework upon which we can most effectively and sustainably direct further growth and development. The space in all three CBDs currently remains ineffectively and under-utilized. At the same time, new development continues to expand the edges of our metropolis further outward. Our first priority should be directing new commercial, business, and residential development away from the peripheral areas and back towards the cores, where infrastructure is most concentrated and of greatest practical use. Neither the region nor the world can afford to continue squandering our resources on increasing sprawl. It's time to invest in what we have.