The D Line (Los Angeles Metro) subway extension is set to bring rail service from Koreatown, Los Angeles to Beverly Hills, California, with the next segment scheduled to open to the public on May 8. However, the full project remains years from completion, with construction delays likely pushing the final timeline to 2028. The extended timeline has left many riders wondering why the project continues to face setbacks.

Jacob Wasserman, research program manager at the UCLA Institute of Transportation Studies, shared with The LA Local that these delays are not surprising in the context of L.A.’s transit projects. “Unfortunately, it’s pretty common for transportation projects to run over budget and behind schedule… Agencies don’t have the expertise in house to make projects happen on time in part because they don’t do it often enough,” he stated. Wasserman notes, however, that this process may be expedited due to the impending arrival of the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.