Overview
- The D Line subway extension opened this spring as a multibillion-dollar project but reporters found mostly quiet platforms and sparsely filled trains during routine commute periods.
- Metro officials say usage typically grows slowly as riders learn schedules, routes and station access and that outreach and cleanliness can attract 'never riders' to become occasional users.
- Observers documented visible homelessness on platforms and trains, and public safety perceptions remain a key factor deterring regular commuters from adopting the line.
- Critics argue Los Angeles’s auto-centered, low-density layout creates a persistent 'last-mile' problem and question whether costly fixed-rail investments offer better returns than improved bus service or road repairs.
- Beyond short-term boosts from events like the World Cup and the 2028 Olympics, analysts and advocates say the extension spotlights bigger policy issues about project costs, permitting delays and the need for housing and station-area planning to grow everyday ridership.