L. A. Metro is eager for people to take their soon-to-be-opened rail line extension and has launched a wildly popular marketing campaign to spread the word—a new line of merchandise proudly emblazoned with the cheeky phrase, “Ride the D.”
The shirts, available both as full-length tees and crop tops, have become a viral sensation, with the initial release selling out in just one day. But those eager to own their own need not despair. Shortly before 3 p.m. on Friday, the transit system announced that a limited batch was back in stock.
“If you neeeeeeeeD it GO NOW,” L. A. Metro wrote in an Instagram post announcing the restock. The T-shirt is priced at $21, while the crop top is $20. Fans were encouraged to snap them up quickly before they sell out again.
The release of the shirts on Thursday coincided with the announcement that the first phase of the Metro D Line subway extension will open on May 8, featuring three new stations connecting Downtown Los Angeles to Beverly Hills. The new stations are located at Wilshire/La Brea, Wilshire/Fairfax, and Wilshire/La Cienega, and will collectively serve Koreatown, Miracle Mile, Hancock Park, Carthay Circle, the Fairfax District, and Beverly Hills.
In an X (formerly Twitter) post announcing the T-shirt launch, Metro urged Angelenos to “Give the gift of the D before opening day 5.8.2026!” The post has been viewed more than 400,000 times and sparked plenty of conversation in the comments section.
“Congrats on extending your D line,” wrote the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System on X. “I hope you see lots of Angelenos riding the D for pure enjoyment!”
Another user poked fun at the delays in opening the new extension, commenting, “The problem is that y’all had performance anxiety and still haven’t even gotten it up yet.”
The 3.92-mile D Line addition, budgeted at $3.7 billion, marks the first phase of a project that broke ground more than a decade ago. However, when it came to embracing the merch’s double entendre, Metro played it shy.
“Yes, we’ve seen the internet chatter,” the agency said in a Friday statement. “We design for transit riders, but we can appreciate that the internet will always do what the internet does.”
Metro explained that the shirts are part of a series encouraging riders to “show a little love” and pride for their favorite line. Their online store offers similarly designed “Ride the” shirts for other major lines as well.
“Whether you ride the A, the K, or any letter in between, we’re just happy people are excited about public transit,” the transit agency added.
Looking ahead, once all three phases of the planned extension are complete, the D Line will span roughly 14 miles, connecting L.A. Union Station to Westwood.
Phase two of the extension, currently slated to open in spring 2027, will continue the line’s westward expansion, adding stations at Beverly Drive and Century City. Metro intends to complete the final phase in fall 2027, adding stations at Westwood/UCLA and Westwood/VA Hospital.
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2026-02-27/metros-new-ride-d-shirts-quickly-sold-out-of-course-they-did