The Los Angeles Metro D Line, which launched a notably cheeky marketing campaign, officially opened on May 8. Throngs of riders turned out for the opening of the extension, many sporting Metro merchandise with the infamous slogan, “Ride the D,” which carries an unmistakable double entendre. The 3.92-mile D Line extension now connects downtown Los Angeles with Beverly Hills.

The Subway Line That Became A ‘Viral Sensation’

When released on February 27, “Ride the D” Metro shirts sold out within a day. The Los Angeles Times, which termed the buzz around the clothing drop a “viral sensation,” led with its own winking headline: “New ‘Ride the D’ Metro shirts sold out almost immediately. Because of course they did.”

USA Today also led with an arch reference to the slogan: “”LA Metro's 'Ride the D' shirts sell out. We wonder why.”

Los Angeles Metro has been disinclined to address the slogan’s meaning directly, but acknowledged the flurry it has caused.

“Yes, we’ve seen the internet chatter,” LA Metro responded in a statement after the shirts sold out. “We design for transit riders, but we can appreciate that the internet will always do what the internet does.”

D Line rider Nicholas Caputo, wearing a “Ride the D” T-shirt on opening day, called the marketing campaign “funny, irreverent—something that shows L.A.’s attitude toward the new line.” Caputo lives in Hollywood and takes the Metro about four times a week. “The D Line marketing has been fantastic, whatever it takes to get people engaged and talking about public transport,” he said. Interviewed at the Wilshire/La Brea station, Caputo is executive director of Advanced Living LA, a civic reform group geared to improving city life for working people.

Moriah Granados also turned out for the line’s opening with D Line Metro merchandise, available at the Metro store. “Whoever did the marketing campaign for this deserves a raise,” she said in an interview at the Wilshire/Vermont station. “I haven’t seen this many people so excited about public transit in a while, and I feel the merch has a lot to do with it.”

Before the D Line opening, Granados said it was a long bus trip to travel to West Los Angeles. “With the new D Line, the trip will take about 20 minutes,” she said.

Caputo said the extension, with stellar new art at each station, shows off how well LA Metro is doing to build out its system, the largest expanding in the nation. “The neighborhoods that typically block this kind of development start to soften their tone a bit,” he said. “This shifts us culturally a bit more, allowing us to connect more communities within the city.”

The D Line Will Connect Downtown Los Angeles To Westwood

The D Line extension travels through the historic Mid-Wilshire Corridor, the most densely populated stretch west of the Mississippi. The line ferries riders west beyond Koreatown’s current Wilshire/Western station, with stops at Wilshire/La Brea, Wilshire/Fairfax and Wilshire/La Cienega.

When built out via three phases, the D Line will travel about 14 miles, connecting downtown Los Angeles to Westwood. Two more phases will open in the spring and fall of 2027. The stops will serve numerous communities, including Koreatown, Miracle Mile (including Museum Row), Carthay Circle, Hancock Park, Beverly Hills and the Fairfax district.

The openings will be just ahead of the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The Westwood/UCLA stop will be within walking distance of the 2028 Olympic Village at UCLA.

Metro’s Marketing Campaign Signals ‘Peak Transit Culture’

“Give the gift of the D before opening day 5.8.2026!” read an LA Metro post on X, in celebration of the line’s announced opening and related merchandise. The post has received 452,000 views.

“Gonna get odd looks in public, but 100% worth,” a commenter responded. Another wrote: Respectfully… y’all knew what you were doing. And I support the boldness. Purple line energy.” Purple refers to the line’s color.

“Peak transit culture,” read another comment.

That comment references LA Metro’s personality-driven marketing strategy. The Metro’s Instagram and TikTok reels, underscored with trending music, lean heavily on pop culture references—and sometimes mention the high price of gas, climbing to a national average of $4.53 a gallon, and $6.16 in California, according to AAA tracking as of May 9.

Metro’s social media campaign also highlights some of the hassles of driving in car-centric Los Angeles: long commutes, congestion and trying to find parking.

A recent Metro post touted the new 19-minute travel time when taking the D Line from Beverly Hills to downtown. Driving the span takes about 45 minutes, and over an hour during peak rush hour. “Can your Uber driver do that?” it read.