Angelenos, help me walk the walk

January 18, 2018 10:40 AM

I'll keep this brief. I'm currently visiting Los Angeles and would like to participate in the Women's March here on Saturday. I'm a tourist staying in Venice Beach with a rental car and a bike. What would be the best way to get downtown and back for the march? I've asked around and heard horror stories from last year about the transit options: impossible parking and traffic, trains too crowded to board, overstressed Uber and Lyft systems. Are there shuttles I should know about? Better times for the trains? Any ideas would be welcome! Thanks!
posted by fiery.hogue to Travel & Transportation around Los Angeles, CA (10 answers total)

The upside for you is that if you get on the Expo line in Santa Monica, you'll be on early enough in the route there'll be room for you.
I would probably take one of the Rapid express (red) buses, maybe along Wilshire - you'll avoid having to change trains where it'll certainly be very busy.

Paging Room 641-A to better advise on getting across town.
posted by ApathyGirl at 11:00 AM on January 18, 2018 [2 favorites]

I live on the Westside (not far from Venice) and I'm personally just gonna bite the bullet and drive down there early ... but it will be a challenge, no matter how you slice it. Earlier is better in general, even if it means you have to kill an hour or two at a coffeeshop nearby.

I think your best bet is to take the light rail from downtown Santa Monica. It's a straight shot and you won't have to deal with any changes or transfers. You can Lyft over to the station from wherever you're staying in Venice.

The march starts at 9am. Per Metro.net, it takes about 45 minutes on the Expo Line to get to the 7th Street/Metro Center stop from the Downtown Santa Monica light rail station. Then it's a 0.41 mile walk to Pershing Square.

The 6:19 from Downtown SM arrives at Metro Center around 7:05.
The 6:31 arrives around 7:17.
The 6:55 arrives around 7:41.

I wouldn't push it any later than that.
posted by mykescipark at 11:02 AM on January 18, 2018

My experience last year was that the trains were fine very early in the morning (7:30), though already crowded. If you're coming from Venice, you're near an end point of the Expo line so it's not going to be so much of an issue getting on a train. Metro has also pledged to put more trains on schedule this year. I'd still recommend going early.

Get off at the end point of the Expo line and walk to Pershing Square, or you can hop on the Purple line for one stop.

Take a Lyft or bus home. The trains were pretty bad all afternoon last year and people got cranky.

See you there! Let's kick some ass.
posted by queensissy at 11:05 AM on January 18, 2018

I agree with all of the above. Get on the train early and hang out downtown. A friend who is pretty high up in METRO said that they are planning for more people than last year, so there will definitely be more trains. There will also be an anti-choice march downtown starting at Olvera Street at 11, just so you're aware.

See you there!
posted by Sophie1 at 11:21 AM on January 18, 2018

Your general mantra should be to start any train journey at the first stop. Not close to the first stop... the very first stop! If you're somewhere in the middle of a line, consider riding it in reverse to get to the starting point. Same goes for when you depart. The trains will fill up at Union Station and you won't be able to get in at Pershing Square, etc.

Also consider sharing Lyfts. Not officially through the app, but if you see someone hailing one ask if they're headed to the march. That's what I ended up doing last year as the buses were all full.
posted by acidic at 11:21 AM on January 18, 2018

How much use do you make of that bike? In your situation, I would bike the 15 miles, which is maybe an hour and a half, and then I'd stick around and eat / drink for a couple hours after the march, then take the Expo Line home.

Venice Blvd has long stretches of bike lanes, and is nice to ride on in my experience.
posted by kensington314 at 2:18 PM on January 18, 2018

I think taking the 33 bus would also get you downtown - you'll need to grab a bus North a mile or so once you get there, but I think this might be preferable to the train on Saturday.
posted by kensington314 at 2:21 PM on January 18, 2018

I'm currently planning on driving from the westwide, as I may need to head elsewhere after the march, but if I were taking the Metro, I'd heed others' advice to get on the Expo Line in Santa Monica.

Here is Metro's own guide to Saturday
posted by estherbester at 2:42 PM on January 18, 2018 [1 favorite]

I would not recommend biking to it, at least on Saturday. Downtown is not going to have a good safe place to park it, and the trains are going to be too crowded to accommodate bikes.
posted by queensissy at 3:40 PM on January 18, 2018

In the morning, get on at the beginning of the Expo Line at 4th Street in Santa Monica. Then ride to the end (7th/Metro). Don’t bother with the Purple Line and just go up to the street and walk the 3 blocks to Pershing Square, the beginning on the march.

On the way home, assuming you make it all the way up to Grand Park/City Hall, I’d walk west to Flower and then south to Wilshire. I’d then walk down Whilshire and get on the first bus going west that had enough room to fit onto. After a mile or so, I’d get off and Lyft back to Venice. Or, if you want to walk a bit more, I’d go from City Hall all they way down to the Jefferson/Expo stop at USC and try to get on a train going back to Santa Monica.
posted by sideshow at 8:54 PM on January 18, 2018 [1 favorite]