By Joe Linton, March 7, 2016
Last Saturday, Metro extended its growing rail network, celebrating the grand opening of the 11-mile Gold Line Foothill Extension. The initial phase of the Foothill Extension includes six new stations in five San Gabriel Valley cities: Arcadia, Monrovia, Duarte, Irwindale, and Azusa. Additional future phases would extend the Gold Line to Ontario Airport.
Kick-off festivities began at the Duarte/City of Hope station, where a crowd of more than a thousand gathered to hear remarks from Metro board members, numerous representatives of the cities along the route, Metro’s CEO Phil Washington, and other luminaries.

County
Supervisor and Metro board chair Mark Ridley Thomas hosting the Gold
Line opening festivities, proclaiming “Teamwork makes the dream work.”

Metro
CEO Phil Washington announcing the opening of the extension that makes
the Gold Line Metro’s longest rail line, in what is now nearly 100 miles
of Metro rail.
Cities along the line hosted popular opening day festivities, featuring family activities, food, music, information booths, and much more.
Free rides and large crowds continued celebrating the new rail line all afternoon. Below is a photo tour of the new line from west to east, Arcadia to Azusa. For more pictures from on the train, see SBLA’s earlier preview post.
All in all, the opening drew large crowds of people excited to experience and celebrate Metro’s newest line. Hopefully many of them enjoyed the ride, and, now that they are familiar with the Gold Line, they will make transit part of their ongoing travel choices in the future.
Unfortunately, a freeway crash closed a portion of the Gold Line yesterday, but repairs were completed in time for this morning’s commute.