Expo Line opens variety of possibilities for riders
People turning out for the opening day envision using the service to commute to work or school and to visit museums. One group fears that new developments around stations will push out low-income residents.
http://www.trbimg.com/img-4f9c9202/turbine/la-171863-me-0428-expo-mrc-07.jpg-20120428/600
For some, the opening of the Expo light rail line means an easier commute to work or school. For others, it's a chance to ride mass transit to Staples Center or to visit the museums in Exposition Park.
But for Ayanna White, a 31-year-old mother of four, including 3-year-old twin boys, the new rail line could give her something precious — an extra hour of sleep each morning.
"It means a lot. To you, maybe not, but to me it means the world," said White, who lives within walking distance of the line's current western terminus at La Cienega and Jefferson boulevards.
Each morning, White drives her two older children — ages 11 and 9 — to school and then returns home to prepare the twins for preschool on her way to work. But if the older kids could catch the 6:47 a.m. train and be at school about 7 a.m., Mom might be able to get some extra sleep.
"They're excited about it, because they won't have to wait for Mommy" to take them, White said, adding that she planned to ride the train with her two older children Monday to make sure the route is safe and the timetable plausible.
