Angels Flight Reopening Set for Monday
Ed Fuentes
[Flickr]
One of the two Angels Flight cars is placed back onto the track in a photo from November 1, 2008.
DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES — Closed for nine years since a deadly accident, Angels Flight is set to return to passenger service this Monday morning, according to an announcement sent out today by the Angels Flight Railway Foundation. Service will return at 6:45am.
Twin cars Olivet and Sinai were busy today ferrying invited passengers up and down the incline railway, which is finally able to reopen now that the California Public Utilities Commission has given its blessing to safety tests.
The 108-year-old railway reopened in its current location connected to California Plaza in 1996. It has been closed since 2001.
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Mike Pirone on March 13, 2010, at 06:33PM – #1
They had a "soft" opening today. It was running this morning and has been all day. Got to ride up, walk around Bunker Hill, and then rode back down. Finally, it's up and running!
Nancy Richardson (@nanorich) on March 13, 2010, at 06:34PM – #2
But...but...but...
there was so much to be done!
I guess this means no gala Reopening.
(thanks Jan Perry!)
Ken Hall on March 13, 2010, at 06:52PM – #3
HURRAY!!!!!!!!!....Finally.
Richard Figueroa on March 13, 2010, at 08:42PM – #4
About time!
Guest on March 13, 2010, at 10:22PM – #5
My dad and I rode it this afternoon! Brought back great memories, he use to take me there often when I was a little kid!
Jeff Alu on March 14, 2010, at 10:35AM – #6
Really nice to see this open up again. I'm assuming it's more of a tourist attraction though? Wondering if there are those that will use it on a regular basis...
Guest on March 14, 2010, at 11:04AM – #7
I think it will get a huge lunchtime business from those looking to head down (and back up) for lunch at the Grand Central Market.
LAofAnaheim on March 14, 2010, at 11:17AM – #8
@ Jeff Alu..I work in the California Plaza towers and can tell you the biggest deterrent of going down to Grand Central Market or any of the Broadway shops is truly the walk up. I think anybody in my office can agree on that statement. This is going to be a huge benefit, not just for tourists, but the business people in those Grand Avenue towers!! If you talk to the vendors at Grand Central Market, they will tell you that business really took a hit when the funicular closed in '01; so I'm sure they're the most excited for the return of Angels Flight!!
Jeff Alu on March 14, 2010, at 11:50AM – #9
I'm glad to hear that...I've lived in downtown for a year and have yet to really take advantage of the awesomeness of GCM. Nice to know that it will improve their business because they certainly do deserve it.
Nancy Richardson (@nanorich) on March 14, 2010, at 01:49PM – #10
When I lived at the Museum Tower, Angels Flight was my way of getting groceries up the hill.
It was a huge loss when it stopped, and the DASH trolley ran to rarely to be of much help.
I was driving by AF around noon today, and when saw Olivet at the bottom of the hill, my heart skipped a beat.
It was really wonderful seeing this wonderful and practical piece of history back in business.
Vero Queero on March 14, 2010, at 01:50PM – #11
Anybody know the operating hours?
Ed Fuentes on March 14, 2010, at 02:19PM – #12
Operating hours are being reported to be from 6:45am to 10pm. That is according to KPCC.
Neel Sodha on March 14, 2010, at 04:10PM – #13
^ and seven days a week to boot! Booya!
Jasmijn on March 14, 2010, at 06:55PM – #14
I read this over breakfast today and had to head out right away! Sure enough, Sinai and Olivett are calmly grinding their ways up and down the hill, as though they've been doing so all along since 1901. I was so happy! The operators at the top and bottom of the hill must have both thought I was more than a little touched: I couldn't stop grinning and bouncing up and down waiting for my turn!
At the top, I paid for 2 rides (50 cents!) and I got a souvenir ticket (still dated 2001 on the back). I'm keeping that! There were a lot of people besides me taking pictures as well as riding, though some of the riders had no idea why the rest of us were so excited.
How wonderful!
film rob on March 14, 2010, at 08:03PM – #15
can't wait to ride tomorrow!
Brian Blackwell on March 15, 2010, at 01:19AM – #16
Awesome news -- I plan to use it to make the trek from Hill St up to Disney Concert Hall a little bit easier...
J-M on March 15, 2010, at 09:27AM – #17
Finally!! I'm going to try it out tonight. I couldn't believe it when I saw people riding up and down the hill on Saturday. I'm going to miss the workout, trekking up and down to the Historic Core, but not really :) Hopefully, this will be an incentive for the stores and restaurants at Cal Plaza to stay open later now.
Dana Gabbard on March 15, 2010, at 11:49AM – #18
Kudos to John Welborne for taking on the thankless task of raising the money and enduring all the second guessing as he guided Angels Flight to reopening.
Fie on Jan Perry for dispicable grandstanding and being of no use in making this happen.
J-M on March 15, 2010, at 11:53AM – #19
Er, I wonder if the recent media glare had anything to do with it being opened so suddenly after (9) years of delays?
Nancy Richardson (@nanorich) on March 15, 2010, at 12:04PM – #20
Well....
if it had been turned over to people who actually are competent at fund raising, did not spend so many hours concocting excuses while consolidating power NOT getting the thing fixed...while sending out trolls and elves to bad mouth Jan Perry maybe someone would not be expecting thanks for shouldering a thankless task.
For example, Disney Hall took less time to build.
Heck...getting the Redline built took less time.
But whose counting.
Dana Gabbard on March 15, 2010, at 12:42PM – #21
I suggest taking a look at the NTSB accident report before anyone makes further pronounmcements about the delay in getting Angels Flight reopened.
http://www.ntsb.gov/publictn/2003/RAR0303.pdf
It is easy to badmouth folks with the unenviable task of raising millions after the failures of so many entities (from CRA to the engineering firms) other than the Foundation. Difficulties in such circumstances doesn't mean the fundraising was done incompetently.
And it is a plain fact Jan Perry has been a huge obstacle to the project with her uninformed comments, constant calling for Metro to take it over (anyone who knows anyhing about the local political scene would realize that one was DOA) plus doing ZERO to aid the fundraising. It is not being a troll to speak to facts.
This doesn't even take into account the dithering and continued demands made by the PUC which likely delayed the opening by at least a year.
And as always assumption are the great challenge.
J-M on March 15, 2010, at 02:28PM – #22
Er, sorry to butt in again, but the badmouthing started with you Dana. Before that, everyone seemed happy enough that AF is finally open. We can go back and forth about the fundraising and the insanely long delay, but at the end of the day, AF is open for business again.
PS: if I see that link to the NTSB report in a comments section one more time (here, Downtown News and LA Times), I'll start calling people trolls and elves too.
Dana Gabbard on March 15, 2010, at 02:36PM – #23
I'm sorry but reading "thanks Jan Perry!" made me feel at least the folks who really did the heavy lifting deserved being acknowledged. Sorry about unloading on Perry but she is a sore spot for me.
And I guess the years of second guessing etc. will now fade away in the glow of its resumed operation. I'm glad for John and his associates--it is some achievement what they have done.
J-M on March 15, 2010, at 03:48PM – #24
And the community really seems to be embracing this achievement. It's a good thing.