Metro's Gold Line extension into the San Gabriel Valley will start running this weekend, soon to be followed by the Expo Line, connecting downtown LA to Santa Monica. The new lines come at a time of declining rail ridership, and it's far from clear if the trains will convince Angelenos to leave their cars behind in favor of public transit. But Zócalo Public Square columnist Joe Mathews says those are secondary concerns. The real measure of success, he says, will be whether the trains take people to places they want to go, and the quality of the experience of getting there.
KCRW
