LA Metro Advances 14.5-Mile Southeast Gateway Light Rail Alignment as D Line Subway Enters Final Surface Restoration

Southeast Gateway Line Secures Environmental Approvals for Slauson-Artesia Segment

LOS ANGELES, California — Expanding transit equity into historically transit-underserved Southeast Los Angeles County communities, the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LA Metro) finalized environmental engineering clearances in late September 2026 for the 14.5-mile initial phase of the Southeast Gateway Line. The light rail project connects the A Line Slauson Station through Bell, Cudahy, South Gate, Downey, Paramount, and Bellflower to the Artesia terminus.

The project will serve more than 2 million residents across Southeast L.A. County, slashing commute times to Downtown Los Angeles and regional job centers by up to 50 percent. Metro transit planners are also conducting advanced engineering studies on a proposed 4.8-mile northern extension connecting Slauson Station directly into Los Angeles Union Station, creating seamless regional transfers ahead of the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Wilshire Boulevard Surface Restoration Marks D Line Subway Extension Milestones

Meanwhile in Central Los Angeles, heavy construction contractors on the multi-billion-dollar D Line Subway Extension initiated major street resurfacing and curb restoration along Wilshire Boulevard between Fairfax Avenue and La Cienega Boulevard. Surface restoration signals that underground heavy-rail civil excavation and station structural concrete work are largely completed for Section 1 and Section 2.

Crews are transitioning to interior track installation, mechanical ventilation system assembly, and high-voltage power sub-station testing. Once in commercial passenger service, the extension will deliver a 30-minute one-seat subway ride connecting Downtown Los Angeles, the Miracle Mile, Beverly Hills, and the Westwood VA Medical Center.

Record Ridership Growth Underscores Clean Transit Momentum

The infrastructure progress follows Metro's confirmation of eight consecutive months of systemwide ridership growth in 2026, buoyed by the arrival of the agency's newly delivered zero-emission battery-electric bus fleet. Municipal leaders emphasized that expanding light rail corridors and underground subways positions Los Angeles for a world-class multimodal transit transformation.