Metro Offering Free Rides On Earth Day

Metro is offering free rides all day on Sunday, April 22, otherwise known as Earth Day. This applies to rail, buses and bike shares.

Metro’s The Source notes that to use one of their bikes free of charge, you’ll need to enter the promo code 4222018 when checking out a bike. After 30 minutes, the standard rate of $3.50/30 minute will kick in, but riders can avoid this fee by docking the bike sometime within 30 minutes and checking it out again.

Metro also has plenty of suggestions as to where you can take your free ride. There’s the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books at USC, which runs both April 21 and 22. Showing your TAP card will net you a 10% discount on fest merch. Your TAP card will also get you $1.25 off adult admission at the Natural History Museum at Expo Park, accessible via the Expo Line, and $1-2 off admission at the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, accessible via the Blue Line.

Other Metro-friendly activities include CicLAvia’s ‘Heart of the Foothills’ event, the Dodgers vs. the Nationals at Dodger Stadium, Thai New Year Songkran Festival in Thai Town, and the Renegade Craft Fair at L.A. State Historic Park. For more inspiration from Metro, click here.

Article courtesy of We Like LA.

Street closures for New Year’s Eve in Grand Park

It’s that time again, Los Angeles: New Year’s Eve in Grand Park. The relatively new annual tradition is in its fifth year, and as always, promises to be a free, family-friendly spectacle of light and live music, including a 3D projection on City Hall.

The party in Grand Park means that some streets around the park will be shuttered starting this weekend to make space for revelers.

Street and freeway off-ramp closures

Starting 10 a.m. December 30, the following streets will close. All streets will re-open by noon January 1.

  • Spring Street between Temple and Second streets
  • North Broadway between Temple and Second streets
  • Hill Street between Temple and Second streets
  • Olive between First and Second streets
  • First Street between Grand Avenue and Main Street

How to get there

Metro

Feeling like driving isn’t the way to get to this party? Hop on the train. The Red and Purple lines offer easy access to the park via the Civic Center/Grand Park station. It’s also a short walk to the park from the Gold Line’s Little Tokyo/Arts District station.

Those traveling via the subway should note that the Temple Street access point into the Civic Center/Grand Park station will be closed until midnight January 31. After midnight, the portal will re-open for exits only, to help people clear out from the park festivities. (The First Street portal to the station will remain open for the whole event.)

Metro will once again offer 24-hour service on New Year’s Eve. Fares will be free from 9 p.m. December 31 to 2 a.m. January 1.

Bike

There will also be free bike valet at Second Street and Broadway. Drop your bike off in a secure, attended parking area and pick it up in 2018.

Rideshare

People taking an Uber or Lyft to Grand Park on New Year’s Eve are asked to use 111 Los Angeles Street as the endpoint. That address will have riders dropped off a block away from the event’s First and Main entrance.

Grand Park is usually the brightest show in Downtown on New Year’s, but this year, there will be the added draw of a second light show to welcome 2018. The Financial District’s Wilshire Grand is counting down to 2018 with a light show and a special display on its crown. It should be visible from 15 miles away, light show creators say.

Story by Curbed. 

Metro Logged 182,482 Trips In First Year Of Bike Share Program

Metro is celebrating its Bike Share Program’s one-year anniversary with a few important numbers.

Since starting its Bike Share Program in downtown Los Angeles last year in July, Metro has logged a total of 182,482 trips, that’s according to data released by the transport agency.

Metro said the logged trips equal to a total of 452,840 miles covered—which is like riding a bike from L.A. to San Francisco 1,303 times. The program certainly achieved its goal of one ride per bike per day!

Aside from that, Metro’s system also has helped remove approximately 430,000 pounds of carbon dioxide form the air—which is about 46 cars taken off the road.

The program currently has 61 stations all over the downtown area. According to Metro, 6,000 Bike Share passes have been sold since the program started.

Metro plans to expand its Bike Share Program and will be debuting more stations in the Port of Los Angeles and Venice later this month.