Metro Expo Line – Pico Stn

I like this station because of its proximity to to Staples Center. It’s very convenient and very clean. I really do like it for the most part. I do however think that there should be sheriffs or metro employees working on nights when there’s a Kings game or any other type of event at LA Live. I say this because when there are herds of people only trying to get into only the first two carts, it adds gridlock to the entrance of the station, blocking the highest number of folks from making it on the train. It’s too bad there isn’t another entrance to this station, that would definitely alleviate this issue. I also think the station and the walk up to it should be better lit.

Walking distance to the Staples Center, LA Live and LA Fashion District makes this station the gem! Kept mostly clean and well-​lit.

This station is super visible, right in the middle of the street, with Staples in the background. There’s a tap card machine to purchase your fares and add more money to your card. The card is $ 1 and it’s $ 1.50 each stop.
I’ve never used the metro downtown so I bought my card, stared at the helpful maps to navigate myself to where I wanna go, hopped on the next train (only a few minutes in between each one), and no one anywhere checked my tap card!
To get back into the station downtown I needed it though, get one just in case, as there are millions of signs telling you to have it on you at all times or bad things will probably happen.

Needs security improvements. .too many hustlers and other obvious «non passenger» types on the expo line, I believe they get on at Pico

Took this line to the Natural History Museum. It was easy to use and in close proximity to the building. This way you can avoid the traffic and parking fees.

ALL of the stations within the USC/​Staples Center area are really easy to find
and to use – and they don’t have that feeling of claustrophobia bordering on
assault which seems to permeate Metro Center. Part of the problem at the 7^th st. Station is that there are TOO many people for the physical space, at rush hour and you don’t know what the protocol is, with the various people of race and cultural
background who make up the majority of the users. Most don’t seem to know the
phrase ‘excuse me; and if, like me, you have a balance issue, it can be quite a terrifying experience. This is NOT true at the Pico or the USC stations which are’outdoors’ and seem to have an unwritten code of at least some effort at
being ‘polite.’ On the other hand ANY transportation that is available for
the publican in LA and doenst require a car, is, I think, worth the aggravation.
Most of the time. Since I started with the BLUE LINE when it first opened and’take a parental kind of pride in seeing the growth and extension of service, I can’t really complain TOO loudly. And for the most part, trains run on time (We;ll ignore the broken down train this morning tha threw earthing off or the seemingly regular break down
of the Blue line, other because some fool has tried to jump the tracks Get
with it Angelenos and use crosswalks-they;re there for a reason
I do feel compelled to add, however, that METRO has yet to make the use
of the PASS easy to comprehend-​i could spend my life trying to explain
to people, even those who speak English, what is involved and sometimes’even I have no idea how to get to Chapman College (you take the train to Norwalk and then th ebus I THINK) or what the Silver LINE really does…

I ride the Expo line weekly into Culver City on a Nightly basis from work. It’s interesting to see most sports fans as I catch the train usually towards about the same time games at Staples Center are over. LA Lakers, Clippers, or my favorite LA Kings fans catching the trains. Same thing with concerts. These nights, the aroma of bacon wrapped Hot Dogs usually fill the air. On the nights there are no events at Staples it’s usually quiet here with an occasional random Crazy person yelling at nothing/​no one or just talking to himself.

Nice enough station. You don’t have to pass any gates so the potential for the free ride is still game here. Just saying ;)

This is my home station so I come here a lot. It’s one stop from the 7^th St Station and is a block away from the LA Convention Center, Staples Center and LA Live and supports both the Blue Line to Long Beach and the Expo Line to Culver City.
I recommend using the trains when ever you can to come to DTLA and avoid traffic, parking and save a few bucks too.

Marisa L. and I have been using the Metro for Clipper and Laker games lately to avoid fighting Downtown LA traffic. Here’s how we do…
I can’t believe this stop puts you so close to Staples/​LA Live. It’s a 3 minute walk to Staples. The only reason I cant give 5 stars is because after every Clipper game there are thugs there yelling stupid stuff like «F the Cippers» or «This is Laker Town» or «The Clippers are shitty» and it just takes away from the fact that you just went to a sporting event and hopefully your team won. I’ve never felt in danger although there are some shaky characters there, there is also lots of people so it’s ok. I would highly suggest taking the Metro for any activities in this area.
Will I again? Oh yeah, love the Metro

Fantastic location right next to the Convention Center. Will definitely be using this line more often in the future!

I used this line recently to slide down there to Galen Center from the LA Convention Center and it worked like a charm. A charm, I tell you.
Bought the ticket, got on, got off, walked to my destination. Rinse, wash, repeat on the way back. Only cost me $ 3 round trip. It was so easy that no one even checked my ticket either direction. (I know thank goodness LA is changing that. It’s bad enough we barely have a subway system but we let people ride it free.)
The most notable part of my journey was seeing some guys practicing climbing electrical poles to service lines. Must be a DWP service training area along the route and they’re practicing climbing up and down them with safety harnesses so they don’t fall on their heads out in the field. Reminds me of an awesome lumberjack show I saw at SeaWorld when I was a kid — yeah, still memorable. Phenomenal. I should have gotten off and made my way back there for the free stunt show.
I haven’t really explored this back neighborhood between downtown and USC since I played «L.A. Noire» on Xbox 360 last year. Interesting nooks and crannies down there for sure. Don’t go at night. Still a bit scary from recent news.
If I had nothing but free time on my hands, I could probably see a lot more of the city riding the rails and doing that thing called walking that New Yorkers do

I can’t wait til the expo line reaches the beach. That will be a monumental day for those visiting and living in LA. In the meantime, this line is so slow and constantly stops at intersections with no right of way over cars. It needs to go faster.
Luckily metro is planning to coordinate the intersection lights so the line doesn’t stop at EVERY intersection.

Metro’s new Expo Line to/​from Culver City shares this at-​grade (street-​level) station with the Metro Blue Line to/​from Long Beach. Pico station is closest to Staples Center & LA Live; walk that direction for a Silver Line station (to/​from the Harbor Gateway area).
The Expo Line opened on Saturday April 28, 2012 with free rides for the first weekend, be sure to have a paid fare for rides beginning Monday April 30, 2012. Silly Metro still requires riders to pay a separate fare each time they board a light rail train, so if you are going anywhere else, a day pass beats buying multiple 1-​way 1-​line trips. No permanent signs for Expo Line yet. Be careful crossing the tracks!