Retro Friday: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Promote the Blue Line

It was 20 years ago this month that rapid transit finally returned to Los Angeles, via the RTD (now MTA) Metro Blue Line. The train, which began service on July 14, 1990, connects L.A. with Long Beach, and is now a part of a service that includes the Metro Red, Green, Purple and Gold lines (as well as the Orange Metroliner bus line and the upcoming color-free Expo Line).

Explaining the concept of trains to L.A., 30 years after the Red Cars were yanked off the rails (including much of the Pacific Electric right-of-way that the Blue Line now uses), apparently required some bizarre marketing methods. Like this video: Watch as the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are called upon to defeat the evil Gridlock, who will do anything in his power to stop Angelenos from riding rapid transit.