LA Metro Opens D Line Subway Extension Along Wilshire Corridor as Tunneling and Station Fit-Out Advance to Century City and Westwood

Major Rapid Transit Milestone Along Wilshire Boulevard

LOS ANGELES, California — In one of Southern California's most significant public transportation milestones in decades, the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) has officially opened and expanded passenger operations across Section 1 of the D Line (Purple Line) Subway Extension. Spanning 3.9 miles beneath the historic Wilshire Boulevard corridor, the heavy-rail expansion connects the former terminus at Wilshire/Western directly to Beverly Hills and West Los Angeles, creating a high-speed underground transit alternative to the region's heavily congested surface arteries.

Section 1 adds three state-of-the-art underground transit hubs: Wilshire/La Brea, Wilshire/Fairfax (providing direct subterranean access to Museum Row, LACMA, the Petersen Automotive Museum, and the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures), and Wilshire/La Cienega on the edge of Beverly Hills. Municipal transit planners project that the newly activated stations will serve tens of thousands of daily commuters, cutting transit travel times across central Los Angeles by more than half.

Advanced Station Engineering and Transit Safety Architecture

Engineered to the highest seismic and public safety benchmarks, the newly delivered stations are situated up to 70 feet below street grade. The facilities feature expansive mezzanine concourses, full American with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessibility with redundant high-speed elevators and escalators, accessible audio-tactile guidance systems, and next-generation contactless TAP ticketing barriers.

Safety infrastructure includes closed-circuit ultra-high-definition security cameras integrated directly with Metro’s emergency operations command, automated fire-suppression dry-pipe systems, and advanced environmental sensors that continuously monitor air circulation, temperature, and ventilation throughout the subterranean network.

Progress on Section 2 and Section 3 Toward Westwood and UCLA

Simultaneously, construction teams are advancing civil fit-out and systems integration across the remaining two phases of the nine-mile, $9.3 billion transit megaproject. Section 2, which extends the subway through downtown Beverly Hills (Wilshire/Rodeo) to Century City (Constellation Boulevard), has completed structural tunneling and is progressing mechanical, electrical, and trackwork installations ahead of its scheduled 2027 debut.

Meanwhile, Section 3 continues tunneling and station cavern excavation toward Westwood/UCLA and the West Los Angeles VA Medical Center. Once the full line is operational, travelers will be able to travel from downtown Los Angeles to Westwood in approximately 25 minutes, providing vital rapid transit connectivity ahead of the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Transforming Regional Connectivity and Urban Vitality

Civic leaders and neighborhood commerce councils along Miracle Mile and Beverly Hills have welcomed the subway extension, highlighting its potential to stimulate retail activity, lower passenger vehicle emissions, and foster transit-oriented residential development. Metro officials underscored that the D Line Extension stands as a generational investment in clean, efficient mobility, redefining how residents and visitors experience Los Angeles.