An Official Hooray for Hollywood-Valley Line

As a train operator shouted, “All aboard!” federal, state and local officials packed into a Red Line train for an inaugural trip Friday to dedicate the last leg of the Metro Rail subway to the San Fernando Valley.

The sleek silver and red train sped swiftly from North Hollywood to the Universal City station carrying a proud crowd of politicians and dignitaries. In a quintessential Los Angeles media event, they were greeted by a welcoming party of Universal Studio characters.

Before the ride, a parade of speakers hailed completion of the long and often difficult $4.7-billion rail project during a celebration outside the North Hollywood station.

County Supervisor Yvonne Brathwaite Burke, chairwoman of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, praised officials for their tenacity in pursuing the project. She saluted those “people who had the vision, who said, ‘Yes, it can be done.’ ”

U.S. Transportation Secretary Rodney Slater paid tribute to the thousands of construction workers who labored for years “to bring forth this beautiful day.”

He said the billions of dollars taxpayers invested in the subway will improve the quality of life and “create a no-hassle travel option” for commuters and tourists, linking the Valley, Hollywood and downtown Los Angeles.

Underscoring the sense of accomplishment, Nuria Fernandez, acting administrator of the Federal Transit Administration, said simply: “We have made a dream a reality.”

Mayor Richard Riordan called the subway’s arrival in the Valley “a glorious day” for Los Angeles. “It gives us a lot of confidence that we can finish what we started in this city,” he said. “Quite honestly, I would not have started it, but once you started it, you’ve got to finish it. . . . To connect the Valley to downtown Los Angeles is invaluable.”

The last three subway stations--at Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue, at Universal City and at North Hollywood--open this morning. The public can ride the subway for free all weekend. Passengers are urged to use public transportation to get to the rail line to avoid parking problems.

The start of service on the last 6.3 miles from Hollywood to North Hollywood brings the total length of the subway open to passengers to 16.2 miles.

The MTA today also begins new rapid bus service from the Westside through downtown Los Angeles to the Eastside and across the Valley from Warner Center to Universal City. The new red and white buses are equipped with electronic equipment to hold traffic lights green to speed their movement.

The foremost subway advocate in Congress, Rep. Julian C. Dixon (D-Los Angeles), said, “The opening of this North Hollywood terminal has been a long-distance run” that required bipartisan cooperation to secure federal funds.

Outside a fence surrounding the station, a handful of anti-subway protesters held banners, including one reading: “Metro Rail Scandal: U.S. Taxpayers Taken For a Ride.”

But inside, the mood was joyful. MTA Chief Executive Officer Julian Burke noted that the final segment of the subway, unlike earlier stages, was completed within its budget and six months ahead of a federal deadline. “This is not just today’s celebration,” he said. “This is a celebration for the future of transportation in Los Angeles.”

Rep. Howard L. Berman (D-Mission Hills) observed that the subway project had overcome every obstacle. “Time will tell the full significance of this very major step,” he said.