The intersection of Wilshire Boulevard and Westwood Boulevard is where the promise of the Purple Line (D Line) Extension exists. It is a new station that would relieve congestion for Los Angeles residents and commuters. The large banister encircling the soon-to-be metro station promises a new future for transportation. Boasting an efficient 25-minute travel between downtown LA and the Westside, it would be an effective alternative for students and commuters in the area.
With a $9.7 billion budget, the project has been in the works since Jan. 2015 for the initial segment and is estimated to commence in the fall of 2027. In a recent update from the Metro D Line Extension Active Work Notices, it was noted that workers will begin a six-month project in Jan. 2026 in Century Park West. Construction will take place on an underground cross passage between the twin tunnels between Santa Monica Boulevard and Constellation Boulevard. This most recent update is noted on section three of the Westwood/UCLA station of Active Work Notices.
With an extra nine miles of service, the Purple Line Subway Extension Project, including seven new stations, will consist of twin tunnels in three sections. Section one consists of 3.92 miles of stations, including Wilshire/La Brea, Wilshire/Fairfax, and Wilshire/Cienega. Section two consists of 2.59 miles of stations, Beverly Drive and Century City. Section three of 2.56 miles of stations, Westwood/UCLA and Westwood/VA Hospitals. The metro will be a continuation of the current D Line Terminus at the Wilshire station along Wilshire Boulevard.
The project is estimated to accommodate over 49,000 people to board the train daily across the seven new stations in the heart of the bustling LA traffic. The metro is a “zero-emission rail line [that] will reduce travel times, improve access to jobs and education, and support cleaner, more sustainable travel across Los Angeles County,” mentions the Purple Line Extension Project website. The project commenced after extensive planning from 2007-2012 as a part of a project to create an economic and sustainable public transportation alternative. Funded by local, state and federal funding and loans, including LA sales tax Measure R and, in an attempt to accelerate project construction, Measure M. The Measures were approved by voters in 2008 to accelerate transit project completion, adding a half-cent sales tax that provided a significant amount of funding.
The Purple Line Extension will serve the needs of many students on campus and aid in traffic congestion. According to the LA City Planning website, the metro aims to “encourage transit ridership, promote job creation, enhance the urban built environment and focus new growth and housing in proximity of transit and along corridors while protecting the character of single-family neighborhoods.”
Until that fateful day of easy boarding and public transportation, UCLA provides alternatives to explore and utilize. With new restrictions on UCLA daily parking permits commencing on Jan. 1, 2026, students are turning to other means. UCLA Transportation cautions students that student parking passes may reduce or be eliminated according to needs.
More sustainable modes of transportation are available, including the Bruin U-Pass, and Bruin Grad Pass. The Bruin U-Pass is accessible to undergraduate students, providing fare-free access to certain transit agencies in LA, including options to ride the Culver CityBus, Long Beach Transit, Santa Monica Big Blue Bus and more. The Bruin Grad Pass is also available to graduate students and has more extensive access, with unlimited access to all seven transit agencies serving UCLA as well as the Torrance Transit, Gardena GTrans and Foothill Transit lines that don’t serve the campus. Valid throughout the school year and excluding summer, the passes offer an alternative and sustainable means of public transportation in the meantime.
Through the Bruin Commuter Transit Benefit program, students new to riding transit get a free quarterly pass that is valid for all seven transit agencies that serve the campus. Places like the Rose Bowl, SoFi Stadium, Santa Monica Pier, Venice Beach Boardwalk, Universal Studios, Hollywood Bowl and many more are available to students through UCLA’s public transit system.
For more long-distance options, the Metrolink Student Adventure Pass spans counties in SoCal and offers a 50% discount on rides to students. Alongside the Metrolink is the Amtrak Thruway service, a bus meant to connect students to the Van Nuys and Bakersfield Amtrak stations.
The UCLA Trip Planner can aid in finding the best ways to campus. With a plethora of Public Transit Options at UCLA, commuting is more manageable. Although we await the long-desired arrival of the Purple Line Extension to the Westwood area, UCLA offers several options for students to destinations of varying distances and expanses across California.
__
Featured Image Photographed by David Zakaryan/BruinLife
