The MTA Gold Line is expected to begin operating in July. Dedication ceremonies were held today for the Avenue 26 and Avenue 57 stations. The Gold Line was originally going to be known as the Pasadena Blue Line because it was going to be a northward extension of the Blue Line that runs between Long Beach and downtown Los Angeles, but that would have required tunneling through downtown, and after the MTA's experiences building the tunnel for the Red Line under Hollywood Boulevard, they decided to skip the tunneling and use Union Station as the southern terminus of the Pasadena Blue Line. Then they decided that it really didn't make sense to call it the Pasadena Blue Line if it wasn't going to connect with the existing Blue Line, so they came up with a new name. Once the Gold Line gets to the L.A. River, it follows the route of the old Santa Fe line that was used by Amtrak until the mid-90s.    



  Avenue 26 station, artist's concept vs. reality
Driver's seat
Angry mob

  Avenue 57 station, artist's concept vs. reality
Pantograph
Cops on Segways