L A Metro board approves K Line Northern Extension, adding Hollywood Bowl station

Metro's Board of Directors approved a plan for the extension of the K Line light rail project, which would ultimately connect Hollywood to the South Bay and include a new station at the Hollywood Bowl.

The K Line currently runs from Redondo Beach to Crenshaw, with a stop at the LAX/ Metro Transit Center. The line's extension to Torrance is already in the design phase, and Thursday's vote approves the 9.7-mile San Vicente-Fairfax alignment, tunnelling under Mid-City, thereby closing a north-to-south gap in Metro's rail system.

The approved project extends the rail from Expo/Crenshaw through Crenshaw, Mid-City and the Fairfax District to West Hollywood and Hollywood.

"This is historic. This is today, we say 'All aboard,' on what will be the highest ridership light rail in the country," Director Karen Bass said.

A total of 10 new stations will be added, and when completed sometime between 2047 and 2049, four major rail lines, from Hollywood to Torrance, and six of Metro's busiest bus lines will be connected.

Significant direct stops within the extension project will include Cedars Sinai, Pacific Design Center, the Grove and the Hollywood Bowl.

"This is an incredible project that will transform connectivity across Los Angeles County," Supervisor Kathryn Barger said.

"A station at the Hollywood Bowl will be a true game changer. It represents a long-overdue investment in smart, accessible transit that will ease those impacts and improve how people move through this region."

The Northern Extension is expected to break ground in 2041, with partial funding coming through Measure M, a voter-approved sales tax for public transit. The City of West Hollywood has pledged $2 billion for the project.