The Red Line subway extension to North Hollywood and Universal City, due to open on June 24, could shrink trips between the Valley and downtown to a mere 20 minutes. But naysayers allege that car-loving Angelenos won’t take the train, no matter how bad traffic gets. So the Business Journal asks:

Will you be using the new Red Line extension?

Terry Smith

Director of

Educational Programs

Five Acres Child Abuse

Treatment Center

I’m all for any alternatives to taking the freeway to get downtown. It just gets so bottlenecked, especially around Dodger Stadium. But given where I live Pasadena it doesn’t make much sense to take the Red Line because I’d have to drive over to Universal City to catch it. So for now I’ll be driving. I believe they’re talking about extending the Blue Line out to where I live, however, so I would definitely use it if and when they put it there near me.

Christopher C. Martin

Co-Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

AC Martin Partners

If I had to be up at CityWalk or at one of the studios for a meeting, I’d definitely jump on the train. There’s a stop right underneath our building. I think this is great. The problem with the Red Line was that it didn’t go many places, so the move toward the use of it has been slow. Now it will actually provide cross-town commuting capabilities. Probably 10 percent of the people at my office are already commuting to the office via the subway or Metrolink, and I expect that some employees who live out in the Valley will also start to ride.

Imelda McCann

Owner

Shamrock Imports

I’m ashamed to say that I usually drive places. I sell jewelry gift boxes and kits, so I do go downtown a lot to buy supplies around Seventh and Eighth streets. But I usually get at least three boxes of stuff there, enough that I need a dolly just to get it to my car, let alone on the train. I do have a nephew coming out from Ireland this summer who’s not old enough to drive. I’m sure he’ll be using it to get around.

Loretta Dash

Co-Owner

Davis & Dash

It’s not convenient for me, since I live and work in the Valley. My husband is definitely going to use it. He can’t wait he is literally counting down the days! He works as a judge downtown, so it will give him the opportunity to read the paper on the way to work. He’s even driven to Hollywood to try it out. But I will use it for when a group of us go downtown instead of renting a bus, which is what we usually do.

Ed Jones

Branch Manager

Laidlaw Transit

I wouldn’t use it to get to my job. But I would use it for something like a day trip, to go downtown for festivals or concerts. A lot of my staff here would probably use it the same way. With traffic being as bad as it is, if you’re going down to the city it seems like a good idea to take the train.

David Zaslow

CPA and Partner

Roth Bookstein &

Zaslow

I live in Encino, so I would love to use it if I knew I could park locally and be dropped off close to my destination downtown. I just don’t have enough details about the subway system to know if there are stops that are walking distance from the Music Center or the restaurants. I think that’s a matter of doing adequate marketing and promotion to potential riders. It’s a good start traffic is only going to get more congested.