Starting tomorrow, from Sept. 20 through Oct. 19, the Downtown Long Beach Station, Pacific Street Station, First Street Station and Fifth Street Station will be closed and Long Beach Transit will temporarily relocate its downtown transit hub as the first part of a six-year overhaul from Long Beach to Downtown LA.
The upgrades to the four stations in the Long Beach loop include installation of new lighting and tile, new paint, extension of canopies, and new signage to enhance passenger safety. A track switch near downtown Long Beach will be replaced and the rail will also be inspected and replaced. We will also see new cars and increased speed.
The transit hub at First Street, between Long Beach Boulevard and Pine Avenue, will be relocated to Ocean Boulevard, between Long Beach Boulevard and Pacific Avenue, and to Long Beach Boulevard, between Ocean Boulevard and First Street, and the Metro will offer free shuttle service throughout the closure. Customers will be able to ride buses from Anaheim Station to downtown at no charge.
You can read more about the project here: metro.net/projects/blue-line-upgrades .
I want to thank everyone in advance for your patience and understanding during this important project. This is the first major overhaul to the Blue Line since its construction in 1990, and it is very important for Long Beach because passengers will enjoy smoother rides with new tracks, as well as new rail cars and better lighting at Blue Line Stations.
Since the Metro Blue Line opened more than two decades ago, Long Beach has benefited from the system’s convenience and reliability. We’re grateful to our partners at Metro and Long Beach Transit for developing a plan to keep people moving through the area as efficiently as possible.
Meanwhile, Downtown Long Beach is open for business during this construction. I want to encourage everyone to continue coming downtown to visit our shops, restaurants and beaches. By this time next month, we will have a greatly improved transit hub to welcome you.
Go, Long Beach!
Robert Garcia
Mayor
Long Beach
