Going to Rose Bowl? Monrovia Residents Can Take Metro Gold Line

MONROVIA, CA -- Monrovia residents planning to attend Monday's Tournament of Roses celebrations in Pasadena can take the metro Gold Line thanks to a 31-mile extension that opened earlier this year, Metro said Tuesday.

To promote Metro Rail to tournament activities, the 2017 Rose Queen, Victoria Cecilia Castellanos, and Royal Court will make a public appearance Friday at the Monrovia Gold Line Station.

The 12-mile extension with five new stops in Arcadia, Monrovia, Duarte/City of Hope, Irwindale and Azusa opened in March and has contributed to significant ridership gains on the 31-mile Gold Line, which in November posted a record of nearly 53,000 average weekday boardings, officials said.

"This year we are tremendously excited to add new San Gabriel Valley cities to our service offerings as we celebrate the spectacle of the 2017 Tournament of Roses," said John Fasana, Metro board chair and Duarte City Council member. "I am especially pleased that my neighbors in the city of Duarte can now leave their cars at home and enjoy all the festivities compliments of Metro's expanding rail system."

Tournament of Roses celebrations on Monday will include the 128th Rose Parade, the Rose Bowl Game featuring USC vs. Penn State, and post-parade float- viewing. The parade is scheduled to begin at 8 a.m., with pregame events at the Rose Bowl Stadium scheduled for 1 p.m.

Metro said it will operate Monday on a Sunday/Holiday schedule with enhanced Metro Rail service for the Rose Parade and Rose Bowl. Pasadena-bound service will begin at 3 a.m. from downtown L.A., and all other service will begin at approximately 4 a.m.

The Memorial Park and Del Mar stations are about two blocks from the parade route, while the Lake and Allen stations are approximately four blocks from the route.

Visit www.metro.net for a list of available parking and shuttles servicing the Rose Bowl festivities. Visit www.tournamentofroses.com to view the parade route and for a list of ancillary events.

-- City News Service contributed to this report. Photo courtesy of Metro Los Angeles