Dan is in southern California fairly often, and ride both the subway system (B Red and D Purple), and the light rail system, particularly the E Expo line from downtown Los Angeles to Santa Monica. Of course the subway system has level boarding, as does every subway system I’m aware of, but so does the light rail system, at least at most stations.
Though I have the idea that I spend most of my time when visiting places taking photos of transit and bicycling facilities and sidewalks, when I search through my photo archives for just the right photo to illustrate what I’m talking about, I find I don’t have them. I’ll do better next visit!
The two photos below show the Western Station on the E Expo light rail line. The first shows the station without a train (mine), the second with a train (New Yorker article).
Western Station, E Expo light rail line
Culver City Station, E Expo light rail line
In the first photo, the platform only accesses the eastbound train, because the station for the westbound train is on the other side of the intersection. This is a common configuration, allowing narrower stations in the road right of way. The station is at more or less street level, but definitely not in the street. In the second photo, the station serves eastbound and westbound trains, with an elevated station. In both cases, the platform height is 14 inches above top of rail, for true level boarding. The railcar is, I think, an AnseldoBreda, though Metro also uses Siemens and Kinki Sharyo.
I have seen a number of riders with mobility devices using the light rail system, and have never seen any of them having difficulties or needing extra time.
Most of Metro’s light rail stations are designed for access from one or both ends, so riders enter beyond the train (and that is where the TAP payment readers are), and then walk the platform to their desired position. The elevated trains have stairs and elevators. Though I have probably been through every station on the entire system, I have not used more than perhaps one-fourth of them, so there may be other configurations I’m not aware of. I believe that the A Blue line still has some street running stations, but have not ridden it since it was reconstructed.
For previous posts on level boarding, see tag ‘level-boarding‘.
Sacramento Transit Advocates and Riders (STAR) 