The Metropolitan Transportation Authority has announced that the Expo Line extension to Santa Monica will open on May 20. And because the name “Expo Line” is a little on the dull side, Mayor Eric Garcetti coined a new slogan for the light rail line that travels between downtown L.A. and downtown Santa Monica.

“For the first time in 60 years,” the mayor said in a news release, “Angelenos will have a railway to the sea -- taking us from ‘Grand to the sand’ just in time for summer.”

Join the conversation on Facebook >>

Grand to the sand?


Who doesn’t love a good public transit catchphrase, amiright? Subway to Sea was elegant and evocative, even if it wasn’t really true because the Purple Line subway extension now under construction goes to Brentwood, not the ocean.

But, alas, Garcetti’s slogan misses the mark. It doesn’t have the same ring as Subway to the Sea. And the Expo Line touches neither Grand Avenue (which is two blocks away from the 7th Street and Metro Center station downtown), nor the sand. The Santa Monica station is at 4th Street and Colorado Avenue.

Surely someone can come up with a more clever catchphrase for this new transit line? Put your suggestions in the comments or tweet them to @latimesopinion.

Here are a few to get you started:


City Hall to volleyball

Philharmonic to Santa Monic

Union Stotion to the ocean

Skid row to undertow


Macy’s to Bloomingdale’s (look at the map)

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook