USC Transportation has  been advised by Expo that train testing activities are schedules to start this week and continue in the area for the next several months. Testing will take place intermittently along the light rail alignment.
Safety Tips from Metro:

·        Please obey all warning signs and traffic signals when crossing the tracks.
·        Always look both ways before crossing any street
·        Never walk on the railroad tracks
·        Watch for trains from both directions
·        Use the crosswalks – do not jaywalk across the tracks

For the most up-to-date information regarding the Expo Line project, please visit www.buildexpo.org or call 213-922-3976.

The Expo Line light rail won’t begin service until the fall, but the track likely will be sporting some vehicles by the end of March. So the message is safety first.

Vehicles will be testing the track, clearances and the safety devices from Flower Street at Jefferson Boulevard onto Exposition Boulevard south of the USC University Park campus, according to Jose Ubaldo of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

First, a truck will be riding the rails with a wood frame to simulate the height and width of a rail car. Then an actual train pulled by a truck should take the trip starting in April.

Now and in the future, safety is paramount, USC Department of Public Safety chief Carey Drayton said.

“It is important to note that when jaywalking or operating a bicycle against traffic, a car can stop when a train cannot,” Drayton emphasized.

The Expo Line will travel from downtown Los Angeles and end at either Crenshaw Boulevard or La Cienega Boulevard by fall and continue to Culver City in the first half of 2012, according to Gaby Collins of the Expo Construction Authority.

There could be intermittent street closures, but the USC tram and bus schedule should not be affected.

USC Transportation director Tony Mazza said the light rail will give faculty, staff and students a second option to reach Union Station in addition to USC bus services.

“The light rail gives students an opportunity to get downtown more easily, even if they have a car,” Mazza added.