A total of 221 Metro Expo Line parking spots will be up for sale Sunday morning, enabling early-morning commuters a guaranteed place to park at three Expo stations.
The passes will be available at Expo/Sepulveda, Expo/Bundy and 17th St/SMC as part of a 2-year pilot program that will be evaluated every three months.
The passes will allow access to spaces on a first-come, first-served basis from 4am to 9am, Monday through Friday.
After 9am the spaces become available to all. An additional 239 spaces will also be available for a daily rate of $2 at the same stations, Metro announced Tuesday.
Expo parking:
• 17th St/SMC: 67 spaces of which 13 are reserved for monthly permits.
• Expo/Bundy: 217 spaces of which 131 are reserved for monthly permits.
• Expo/Sepulveda: 260 spaces of which 77 are reserved for monthly permits.
“Metro’s transit parking program is an important first/last mile strategy and a key service to transit customers who rely on their car for a part of their daily commute,” said Metro Chief Planning Officer Therese McMillan.
Parking attendants will be available and will be checking TAP cards to ensure customers are using transit, and customers will also be able to pay by phone or smartphone app if an attendant is not available, Metro explained.
Metro is also working on installing equipment that will eventually allow customers to go online and see how many parking spaces are available.
“Since Metro offers various parking facilities for its customers, we are working to maximize the availability and the quality of transit parking to improve the transit customer experience,” McMillan added.
A new walk-and-bike path parallels most of the Expo Line extension as well to facilitate reaching stations by foot or bicycle. Bicyclists will have the option to bring their bikes on trains or place them in bike racks or lockers at the new Expo station.
Due to limited parking at the new Expo stations, Metro encourages customers to consider walking, biking or taking the bus to reach the trains.
To buy a spot head to lametroparking.net.
A westbound Expo Line test train heads toward the Downtown Santa Monica Station at 4th and Colorado Avenue on Tuesday. Photos by Steve Hymon/Metro.
