According to LAist, perhaps one day you’ll be riding on the Xbox Line. Or maybe you’ll find yourself making a transfer at the Starbucks Stop.
These are exaggerations, perhaps. But there’s now the possibility of that happening, as the Metro governing board approved last week a new advertising policy that would allow the sale of naming rights for its rails and stations.
The “Corporate Sponsorship/Naming Rights Program” will pave way for Metro to hire a marketing company as early as next year to field offers from companies who want their brand on a piece of Metro property.
Per a Metro document from October, the naming rights will fall into short-term and long-term agreements. Long-term agreements will “last a minimum of five years for assets such as transit services, rail lines, stations, buildings, etc.” And short-term sponsorships will go up to “a maximum of 12 months or less for assets such as programs, events, seasonal events, or temporary station renamings.”
The move comes on the heels of Measure M being voted in. The approval paved the way for Metro to start on a large variety of transit projects around the county, ranging from freeway improvements to subway line extensions. While the measure is expected to generate about $120 billion over 40 years to cover the works, the project’s ambitions are indeed large.
So, will we soon be seeing the Starbucks Expo Line stop? Looks like we might, but we’ll have to wait and see.
