With about a half-million people expected downtown on Saturday and another 100,000 on Monday for anti-Trump protests, Metro said Wednesday it is planning on providing extra service and security on those days.
Metro also advised anyone heading to either of the events to buy TAP cards and load them with fares in advance, and to arrive at stations early to avoid the expected crowds.
The Immigrants Make America Great March is scheduled to take place on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., beginning at Pershing Square and ending at Los Angeles City Hall.
The “Not My President’s Day Rally” is scheduled for Monday at City Hall from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Metro officials said that on the day of the Women’s March in January, the most significant crowding at stations occurred in the morning around 7 a.m. and an hour or two after the march’s conclusion, around 5 p.m.
Metro also noted that while trains were full on the day of the Women’s March, bus ridership was similar to a normal Saturday and had room for more riders. However, due to the large crowds, police closed down many downtown streets, so riders are reminded to plan to get off just before downtown on Saturday or Monday.
Metro trains carried a total of 592,000 boarding passengers on the day of the Women’s March, or 360,000 more riders than on a typical Saturday. Organizers of the event estimated the crowd size downtown at 750,000.
—City News Service