Big news for you Downtown LA party people who don't like to get too crazy: beginning November 13, Red, Purple, and Blue Line trains will run every ten minutes between 6 pm and midnight (trains currently run every 20 minutes in the evenings). The pilot project, called More Trains More Often, will run through June 2012, at which point Metro will explore the potential for expanded late night service on other lines (and perhaps later trains on these lines--right now the last ones leave around 1 am). The Source explains Metro officials' thinking: "they wanted [to] determine if there are ridership gains to be had from more frequent service during the regular night hours. If the program goes well, late night service may still be added."
According to blogdowntown, the pilot project will be funded by Metro's current budget--that's separate from the private funding that enabled a late night schedule around the holidays in 2008, which attracted approximately 1,000 riders per night. Metro Spokersperson Marc Littman tells blogdowntown that the success of More Trains More Often "will depend on ridership numbers and feedback from businesses along the route," but Metro does not have a set benchmark for success.
According to The Source, the subway system currently has an estimated ridership of 18,568 boardings between 7 pm and midnight, with about 9,379 of those boardings going to the Blue Line.
· Metro announces more frequent subway trains and Blue Line service at night [The Source]
· Metro Launches 'More Trains More Often' with Shorter Waits, Shorter Trains [blogdowntown]
· Metro Offers Report on Late Night Rail Ridership [blogdowntown]
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