Downtown Long Beach station

This article is about the station in California. For the station in New York State, see Long Beach station (LIRR).

Downtown Long Beach station (formerly Transit Mall station) is an at-grade light rail station on the A Line of the Los Angeles Metro Rail system. The station is located in the middle of 1st Street between Pine Avenue and Pacific Avenue in Downtown Long Beach, California, after which the station is named.^[7] It is the southern terminus of the A Line.

Downtown Long Beach
Downtown Long Beach station platform
General information
Location	128 West First Street Long Beach, California
Coordinates	33.7681°N 118.1932°W / 33.7681; -118.1932
Owned by	Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority
Platforms	1 island platform
Tracks	2
Connections	See Connections section
Construction
Structure type	At-grade
Parking	Paid parking nearby
Bicycle facilities	Long Beach Bike Share station[1] and racks
Accessible	Yes
History
Opened	September 1, 1990; 34 years ago (1990-09-01)[2]
Rebuilt	October 20, 2014[3][4] June 1, 2019[5]
Previous names	Transit Mall (1990–2013)
Passengers
FY 2024	2,351 (avg. wkdy boardings)[6]
Services
Preceding station Metro Rail Following station Pacific Avenue toward Azusa A Line 1st Street One-way operation
Location

It is a key part of the Long Beach Transit Mall, which extends along 1st Street between Pacific Avenue and Long Beach Boulevard. As the city's major transit center, this section of 1st Street is closed to private vehicles and only trains and transit vehicles are allowed.

In 2010, a $7 million project was undertaken by Long Beach Transit to upgrade the transit mall. New bus shelters were constructed, with improved lighting and new artwork. The project was completed in spring 2011.^[8][9]

During the 2028 Summer Olympics, the station will serve spectators traveling to and from venues located at the Long Beach Sports Park including handball at the Long Beach Arena, temporary facilities for Beach Volleyball and water polo, along with marathon swimming and rowing in Long Beach harbor.^[10]

Service

Hours and frequency

A Line service hours are from approximately 4:30 a.m. and 11:45 p.m daily. Trains operate every 8 minutes during peak hours, Monday to Friday. Trains run every 10 minutes, during midday on weekdays and weekends, from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Night and early morning service is approximately every 20 minutes every day.^[11]

Connections

The Long Beach Transit Mall is a major hub for municipal bus lines. As of December 15, 2024^[update], the following connections are available:^[12]

• Flixbus^[13]
• Long Beach Transit: 21, 22, 23, 46, 51, 61, 71, 81, 91, 92, 93, 94, 96, 111, 112, 121, 151, 172, 173, 174, 181, 182, 191, 192, Passport
• LADOT Commuter Express: 142
• Los Angeles Metro Bus: 60 (late night only), 232
• Torrance Transit: 3, Rapid 3

Station

The station features the artwork Angel Train by Metro Art commissioned artist Terry Schoonhoven. This expansive mural, located on the station’s upper mezzanine wall, depicts a futuristic vision of Los Angeles where a Metro train soars through the cityscape, merging themes of mobility, progress, and community. The artwork, completed in 1993, reflects the optimism surrounding public transportation and urban transformation at the time of its creation.^[14]

Notable places nearby

See also: Downtown Long Beach tourist attractions and shopping

The station is within walking distance of the following notable places:

• Aquarium of the Pacific
• Long Beach Civic Center
• Long Beach Performing Arts Center
• Pine Avenue Entertainment District
• Rainbow Harbor and Shoreline Village
• RMS Queen Mary
• The Pike Entertainment Complex