Metro Rail’s Hollywood Connection Gets Thumbs Up From Commuters

On a day when at least 50,000 people headed underground for a free subway ride on a line that finally stretches from downtown Los Angeles to Tinseltown, there was time for many to reflect on the state of the city’s transportation system.

Comparisons were unavoidable. Riders spoke of the labyrinthine systems in New York, Tokyo and London. They recalled the artfully decorated subway in Moscow and even talked about the simple two-line system of Guadalajara.

They reminisced about the old Pacific Electric cars that were lost after the city became seduced by autos.

Josephine Burch, a retired school counselor, saw the new subway as just another example of how the city has changed over the generations since her grandparents moved here from Kansas in 1891.

“They remembered the horse-and-buggy days, and I rode the Red Cars,” she said. The subway “is a wonderful thing for the city.”

Helen Runyan also enjoyed the ride, but missed being able to sit at the very front of the subway car as she could in Chicago.

“This is nothing like the subways in Chicago, where I grew up,” said Runyan, who has lived in Los Angeles since 1953. “My brother and I used to play hooky from school and ride the front cars. You could see everything.”

The public opening drew about 110,000 boardings Saturday between 5 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. along all or part of the Red Line’s 11.1-mile stretch from Union Station to Hollywood and Vine. Family entertainment was scheduled at the five new subway stops.

Since many riders took round trips Saturday, the boardings translated into easily more than 50,000 riders--more than double what the 6 1/2-mile subway system attracted on an average weekday prior to the 4.6 miles being added.

Within six to 12 months, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority hopes there will be 80,000 boardings on an average weekday, now that the system links two of the sprawling city’s main hubs.

The normal MTA fare of $1.35 is being waived for the weekend to entice auto riders underground.

Construction of the extension ran $288 million over budget. And the $1.75-billion project opened about six months behind schedule.

But for riders such as Roger Young, 69, it was worth every penny. “It may be late in coming, it may cost more than they expected, but it’s beautiful, simply beautiful,” he said.

Each of the five new stations is unique. The Hollywood and Vine stop showcases entertainment symbols, from huge 1930s-era movie projectors to hundreds of movie reels that line the ceilings. The concrete columns that support the station are crafted to resemble towering palm trees against a deep blue sky.

“We don’t have little palm trees in the subway stations in Boston,” said Allison Collins, a 20-year-old Tufts University student preparing to take the 15-minute ride to Union Station. “This station is definitely Hollywood.”

The other four have a unique character as well.

The walls of the Hollywood and Western station are covered with brightly colored patchwork quilt-style tiles. Travelers can also see fossils unearthed during excavation of the subway tunnels. The domed roof of the grand entryway to the Vermont and Sunset station is designed to mirror Griffith Observatory.

The natural and artificial light filtering down from the plaza at the main entrance to the Vermont and Santa Monica station sets the tone for the stop. By contrast, the station at Vermont and Beverly is more reminiscent of the Stone Age, with natural-looking rock formations of subterranean Los Angeles.

“Subways are better than cars, and they also move faster,” said Huy Nguyen, 24, after rumbling beneath the streets of Hollywood at 55 mph.

Staff writer Jeffrey L. Rabin contributed to this story.