Metro Day

Metro day! I spent the day Saturday documenting a portion of Metro (train-rail) but it is rather a large line with different lines. I was only really getting bits and pieces here and there. Hard to take pictures on the go too. But here it is! The ticket machine found at each depot. $3.00 for the day and/or transfering to different lines. Pretty good I say as it really saves when comparing to commutes by car.

The starting point for the Green line, which I get on is Redondo Beach. I actually do not know why they would call it Redondo Beach because we are not even in Redondo. If anything, the station should be called Manhattan Beach. I am on the platform waiting for the train to arrive.

And here it is! Count on McDonalds to campagian their burgers. Ick! I actually do not see too many McDonalds but perhaps because I have erased such eyesores from my eyes I do not even see them anymore. The Green line, which I hop on first is about five cars long. The Blue line (Long Beach -LA downtown) is about eight cars long and I think the longest one.
Here is the transfer point at Imperial Station for the Blue line to take me North to 7th Street and the transfer to the red line. We are under an over pass of I- 105 freeway/Greenline. Greenline runs down the center of I-105 freeway. So I get to watch traffic piling up and the carpool lane with one or two cars every minute or so. Most cars just have one person- the driver. On the outside of the fence is another track for regular freighter trains (probably coming to/from Long Beach port where huge barges come in). It is quite the scene in Long Beach in that particular area.
All of the stations have art work. This one is at Pico just before heading under LA downtown. The rest of the metro around downtown LA is under ground.... the redline is underground. Basically a subway but rather clean. Probably the cleanest I have ever seen in a subway! A plus for metro!! So of course the rest of my ride is underground so could not see the sights I was passing. Kind of a shame but oh well. For future use.... find a sight or destination to go to and then get off.

On the way back the Blue line was just packed with folks. We had a few homeless people coming on asking for hand outs. A busy day for the homeless folks I think. I saw them and passed them everywhere on my excusion. A first because prior to this I was rather surprised not to see too many homeless folks around. So a plenty that day.

Metro is pretty cool. I like it. I was actually a bit envious of Brad, my program director, for taking the metro to work. He lives right on Broadway in Long Beach. I may just have to relocate to a different place, like Long Beach and joy! Commute everyday to work by metro. But I walk for the time being and that is just as good too. And probably more scenic by walking as well.