December
19,
2003
CONTACT:
Dave Sotero/Marc Littman
MTA MEDIA RELATIONS
(213) 922-3007/922-2700
www.metro.net/press/pressroom
FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Metro
Gold Line Best Choice for Traveling to 2004 Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parade
Festivities
MTA
to run trains all night New Year's Eve, urges discretion when bringing
items on board trains, buses
As thousands of revelers prepare to attend the 2004 Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parade festivities beginning New Year's Day, MTA is ready to take them there via the Metro Gold Line.
Large
numbers of people are expected to avoid traffic jams and parking hassles in or
near Pasadena by jumping on board the Gold Line, which will run all night New
Year's Eve to allow people to get an early place on the parade route. All
Metro Rail lines - Gold, Red, Green, and Blue - will operate all night, allowing
people throughout Los Angeles County to connect via the expansive Metro system
to attend parade festivities.
As a public service, no fares will be charged on trains from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m., and on buses from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. Regular fares resume on New Year's Day, during which Metro Rail and Metro Buses will operate on Sunday schedules.
Metro
Bus lines servicing Pasadena will be rerouted near parade-running streets, and
will return to their regular routes following the parade.
The
Metro Gold Line is ideal for accessing all Tournament of Roses activities,
including the parade, Rose Bowl football game and post-parade float viewing in
Pasadena's Victory Park. Four Metro Gold Line stations are just a short walk
from the parade route: Del Mar Station, 230 S. Raymond Ave; Memorial Park
Station, 125 E. Holly St.; Lake Station, 340 N. Lake Ave; and Allen Station, 395
N. Allen Avenue. The Tournament of Roses will provide free shuttles buses to the
Rose Bowl game from the nearby Parsons Engineering Building at 100 West Walnut
Street. Shuttles will run continuously from 10 a.m. until one hour after the
game. For post-parade float viewing, MTA will provide shuttle service from the
Sierra Madre Villa Station to Victory Park Jan. 1 from 12:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. and
Jan. 2-3 from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. The last bus to the viewing area will depart
Sierra Madre Villa Station at 3 p.m. The last bus to the Sierra Madre Villa
Station will depart the viewing area at 5:30 p.m.
Metrolink
is offering limited train service on New Year's Day. The commuter rail service
will run trains on its San Bernardino and Orange County Lines to Los Angeles
Union Station. From there, passengers will be able to use their Metrolink
tickets to transfer to the Metro Gold Line.
MTA
does not allow eating, drinking or smoking on board Metro trains or buses. Due
to the large crowds expected to use the system to attend the parade festivities
and inherent safety risks, MTA prohibits the following: flammable products,
barbecues, or ladders. Any oversized items such as umbrellas, tents, chairs and
coolers will not be permitted on the trains that day.
To
avoid long lines at the ticket vending machines after the parade, visitors
should remember to purchase a Metro Day Pass in the morning on the way to the
parade. Available starting 2 a.m. New Year's Day, the Metro Day Pass is a
brand new fare medium that allows unlimited rides on the Metro Bus and Rail
system on the day of purchase until 3 a.m. the following day. The pass will make
it easy for people to use the entire Metro system to participate in parade
activities for $3 a day. The pass price is $1.50 for the elderly or disabled.
The Metro Day Pass will be sold on Metro buses and at all Metro Rail ticket
vending machines.
2004
marks the historic return of commuter rail service to the internationally
acclaimed parade for the first time in more than 50 years. In 1951, the last
Pacific Electric Red Cars bringing people to the Rose Parade in Pasadena were
discontinued.
For
more information, visit WWW.METRO.NET or call 1-800-COMMUTE. For
information about post-parade shuttles, viewing hours and admission fees, call
626-793-9911. For more information about Metrolink's New Year's Day service,
call Metrolink at (800) 371-LINK or visit WWW.METROLINKTRAINS.COM
MTA-210