LOS ANGELES — L.A. Metro officially launched its 11.5-Mile Gold Line light rail extension over the weekend, bringing the overall route to 31 miles and the agency’s overall rail system to 98.5 miles, NBC4 reports.

The $1 billion Metro Gold Line extension in the San Gabriel Valley extends the line from its current terminus at Sierra Madre Villa Station in East Pasadena 11.5 miles east to Azusa and includes six new rail stations, providing access to locations such as City of Hope hospital, Azusa Pacific University, Citrus College and Santa Anita Racetrack.

The rail extension was funded by Measure R, the half-cent sales tax measure approved by the voters of LA County in 2008. The extension was built by the Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension Construction Authority, an independent transportation planning and construction agency. The extension portion of the line took approximately five years to build, with major construction completed in September 2015. For the full story, click here.