Celebrate the D train extension at this block party in L.A.

After years of construction, delays and endless speculation about whether Angelenos would ever actually ride the subway west, Metro is finally opening the next phase of the D Line extension on Friday.

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Beginning May 8, riders will be able to travel on the expanded D Line through three brand-new stations at Wilshire/La Brea, Wilshire/Fairfax and Wilshire/La Cienega, extending subway service west from downtown L.A. toward Beverly Hills. To celebrate the milestone, Metro is throwing a systemwide party—and offering free rides all weekend.

From 4am on Friday, May 8, through 3am on Monday, May 11, fares will be waived across Metro buses and trains, along with Metro Bike Share and Metro Micro services. Bike Share riders can use the code 050826 for free rides, while Metro Micro users won’t need a promo code at all.

Metro’s Discovery Runs Deep celebration will take place from 12:30 to 4pm on Friday at all three new stations, as well as the existing Wilshire/Western stop. Expect live DJ sets curated by Metro Art and KCRW’s Soundtrips, neighborhood food vendors, family-friendly programming, museum activations and booths from local community organizations.

The expansion is one of the biggest changes to L.A.’s transit system in decades, bringing rail access deeper into Mid-Wilshire and making major destinations along Wilshire Boulevard dramatically easier to reach without a car. The new Fairfax station, in particular, puts riders within walking distance of Museum Row, including the Academy Museum, LACMA and the La Brea Tar Pits.

Metro is also leaning hard into the moment’s inevitable social media appeal by encouraging riders to post photos and videos from their first trip on the new line and tag @MetroLosAngeles as part of the launch festivities.

L.A. is still years (decades?) away from the full western extension to Westwood, but Friday’s opening marks a major leap forward for a project that has reshaped huge stretches of Wilshire Boulevard throughout construction. For commuters, museumgoers and anyone tired of sitting in traffic, the subway’s westward crawl is finally becoming a reality.

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