Metro Los Angeles unleashes prehistoric beast for D Line debut

The first phase of Metro Los Angeles’ D Line extension officially opened — complete with a prehistoric nod to the ancient creatures that once roamed the land beneath one of its new stops.

The three new stops along Wilshire Boulevard — La Brea, Fairfax and La Cienega — came into operation Friday with a slew of Metro social media posts celebrating the launch as well as a giant costumed saber-toothed cat.

The cat, who once roamed the area around the La Brea tar pits — an active fossil excavation site near the Fairfax stop — where natural asphalt has bubbled up from underground for more than 50,000 years.

The asphalt has preserved millions of Ice Age-era remains including dire wolves, saber-toothed cats and mammoths.

Metro’s D Line got a lot of attention when it dropped an X-rated merch line to hype up the public transport extension back in February. T-shirts sold at $21 a pop with the phrase “Ride the D” sold out almost immediately.

“It’s official! Section 1 of the D Line Extension is a historic moment bringing rail transit for the first time to this part of Wilshire Blvd,” the shirt listing read.

The shirt sale urged customers to “Commemorate this Los Angeles transit milestone with this comfy and stylish Ride the D Unisex Heavyweight T-Shirt!” adding that “The unisex garment-dyed heavyweight t-shirt is made of 100% ring-spun cotton and will complement most looks.”

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