After 1,200 name submissions and nearly 4,500 votes from the public, LA Metro’s poorly-named “West Santa Ana Branch” light-rail project, which will take riders from Artesia to Los Angeles — not to Santa Ana or Orange County — got a new name on Monday, Jan. 22.
The Southeast Gateway Line was born amid shouts of joy, jazz music and a half-dozen speeches from dignitaries during a rebranding ceremony in Bellflower. The conclusion of a nearly six-month renaming effort may have reversed years of criticism aimed at LA Metro for the confusing name that officials say caused the light-rail line to lose billions in federal and state grant dollars.
“This is not the grand opening. And it’s not the ribbon-cutting. But it is important,” said Whittier Mayor Pro-Tem and LA Metro Second Vice Chair Fernando Dutra. He explained that 10 years ago Metro named the project “West Santa Ana Branch” after an existing Pacific Electric Red Car right-of-way that once took passengers from L.A. all the way to Santa Ana in Orange County. That line has not run since 1961.
“We can all agree it was time to jettison this legacy name,” Dutra said. “I love this new name. I think it is appropriate and something that is going to stick and one we can go forward with.”
The public contest was launched in August. A panel of judges whittled the choices down to about 12 names. The Southeast Gateway Line received the most votes and was declared the winner on Monday.
The renaming effort was led by Fourth District L.A. County Supervisor and Metro Board First Vice Chair Janice Hahn, whose district includes much of the right-of-way corridor. Hahn had criticized Metro when the project got zero funding from a recent state transit funding cycle. It also confused L.A. Mayor and LA Metro Board Chair Karen Bass in August, when she thought the project being considered was going to Orange County.
“For too long, this project has had a terrible name — the West Santa Ana Branch….
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