Azusa residents furious as LA Metro repeatedly dumps homeless people overnight
A California city is demanding answers from Los Angeles Metro after residents accused the transport agency of dumping passengers on their streets overnight, with allegations of break-ins, stolen parcels and public urination.
Furious officials in Azusa say the practice of forcing passengers off late-night trains is placing an unfair burden on residents and police, despite the A Line continuing beyond their city to its terminus in Pomona.
Resident Anthony Lujan, who lives near the APU/Citrus College station, has been documenting activity around his home since March.
“We have seen an influx of homeless people being kicked off the train at a certain time and then they’re just roaming into the community, which is terrorizing our neighbors,” he told KTLA.
Surveillance footage supplied by Lujan reportedly shows people climbing over a metal gate into a residential complex, while one man appears to defecate outside a front door.
Lujan said neighbours had also experienced package thefts and attempted break-ins.
But Metro insists the overnight clearances are necessary to allow crews to clean trains and perform essential maintenance before services resume in the morning.
The agency says the final two A Line trains stop in Azusa because continuing to Pomona would leave workers with only about 45 minutes to complete their tasks.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department confirmed deputies routinely clear passengers from trains at Azusa when services end.
Azusa Mayor Edward Alvarez said the arrangement was placing additional pressure on a city without the resources to manage the situation.
“An ideal solution honestly would be to get fare gates and to stop kicking off all the riders here in Azusa,” he said.
“We don’t have the resources to support them.”
City Manager Sergio Gonzalez questioned why trains could not stop at other stations, including Glendoraor San Dimas, before reaching Pomona.
“If the trains start up again at 4am and the last train here is at 1.30am, the maths doesn’t add up,” he said.
Gonzalez has called for fare gates and stronger enforcement, declaring: “We don’t need studies anymore, we need action.”
Alvarez said the city had written three letters to Metro without receiving a satisfactory response.
Azusa’s dispute echoes complaints from Long Beach, where residents and business owners raised similar concerns about Metro’s end-of-line policy in 2022.
A Metro assessment cited in a board motion found an average of 39 people experiencing homelessness were forced off the final two trains in Long Beach each night, when accommodation and support services could be difficult to access.
Residents complained the policy was shifting the burden of homelessness onto neighborhoods surrounding the station, prompting calls for Metro to reconsider its approach.
The controversy led to board-level discussions about the impacts of overnight train clearances and potential outreach services.
In response to recent complaints from Azusa residents and officials, Metro says it is considering fare gates at the station and has stepped up cleaning, security and outreach efforts along the A Line.
Its HOME outreach teams engage with people experiencing homelessness and offer services, while security and law enforcement partners conduct fare-compliance checks.
Metro also says its partnership with Pomona provides five dedicated beds for care teams to connect people with services.
“We are committed to continuing the tremendous benefits of the A Line while addressing the concerns about what happens around stations during late-night hours,” a spokesperson said.
The backlash has spilled online, with locals questioning why passengers are being forced off trains before reaching the line’s terminus and whether the problem extends beyond Azusa.
“Why isn’t the cleaning and maintenance of the trains being done at Pomona since that’s the last stop anyways?” one commenter asked.
Another claimed the issue was not unique to Azusa, writing: “Welcome to Long Beach! They do the same thing.”
A meeting between city managers and Metro representatives was reportedly scheduled for November 5, as Azusa officials push for fare gates and changes to overnight train clearances.
“We want action and they’re not taking any action,” Mayor Edward Alvarez said.
Posts
