Expo Line Transit Service Interface Proposal

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In an Open Source Transit similar to the one for the Eastside Gold Line, here are some changes I am proposing for bus systems to connect to the Expo Line.

Part I, for Culver CityBus, is now at MetroRiderLA.

Note, at the request of Bart, I've included part of the note here. You'll have to click on the link to read the rest.


In a nutshell, Culver CityBus has the potential to become a much bigger player in Los Angeles transit. It will be thrust in this role anyway, as it will see an influx of ridership when the Expo Line opens and has been operational for a while. The more modest changes involve relocating the services from the “West Los Angeles Transit Center,” that depressing bus stop and layover area beneath Interstate 10, to Culver Junction. The more ambitious changes involve green buses taking over the orange buses operated by Metro. A couple of the changes will not connect with the Expo Line, but are added here because it would make sense to restructure services at the same time.

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Part II looks at Santa Monica's Big Blue Bus.



Santa Monica’s proposals would not grow the system as much as the line changes posited for Culver City. Some changes are included here to be concurrent with the first phase of Expo, even though the lines themselves would not connect with the train until it is extended to Santa Monica. Most of the changes that do connect with the Expo Line would focus more activity around the western end of the line.

This signals the end of the forced transfer at Crackton. It also means a concerted effort to get a one-seat ride along Pico Boulevard, ending almost 50 years of dumbassery, by merging Big Blue Bus Line 7 with Metro lines 30/31. For the other services, they would be rerouted to originate at the Expo Line. The Expo Line would also allow for a single transfer bus connection to such important Westside destinations as Century City, UCLA, the Westside Pavilion and Santa Monica College.

Santa Monica would offer nearly 20 lines, but with service levels closely approximating what is available now. You can see what the service looks like now on its existing system map. As a reminder, these proposals are not official by any agency and are not endorsed by them.

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The Expo Line is coming, but it may be in 2011. The bus service changes below are suggested to help both bus and rail riders.
Photo by Alan Weeks and uploaded by Metro Library and Archive on Flickr; used with a Creative Commons license

Phase 2 is at the centerpiece for the initial segment of the Expo Line, as you will see below. One of the most important suggestions of the bus lines proposed is … wait for it … a Phase 2 Gold Line emulator.

You are probably reading this and rolling your eyes. One criticism I am expecting is: “You want this to end up like Line 632’s rise and fall?” That is the last thing I want. Here’s the difference. The Expo Emulator would be planned along with regular service, not put together on the fly. Second, it is going to last for at least four years, so it has some time to build a ridership base. Third, it would emulate the path of Expo Phase II but follow a slightly different path. Fourth, the Expo Emulator is a pre-emptive solution to what is bound to be a major Expo Line problem: What to do about all those passengers transferring from Expo and heading west, particularly on Line 33/333 — on which ridership is extremely heavy now, and unable to handle a swarm of passengers hoping to transfer when the rail line opens.

The other proposal also suggests the turnover of some Metro services to Santa Monica or Culver City. These are only requests to see if the munis are willing or capable of taking on additional service. Both the blue and green buses can operate services about 10 percent cheaper than Metro, according to figures on the National Transit Database. This is especially helpful for low-performing, high-cost lines. Some of the Metro lines proposed for municipal turnover include 4, 30/31, 35, 38 and 534.

There are also some service improvements suggested for the Westside that do not tie in directly with the Expo Line, but would be helpful to plan for them concurrently. I have also reposted some of the route changes that would affect the Expo Line TSIP routes mentioned before in the Eastside Gold Line TSIP. I can’t cut and paste routes from one map to the other, but I can add the original route proposals here as a refresher.

Compare the existing Metro system map with the changes proposed on the Google Map. As a reminder, these proposals are not official by any agency and are not endorsed by them.

See it all at MetroRiderLA.

[rajacobs]

Kaiser Permanente Medical Center, West Los Angeles is within eyesight of the the La Cienega station on the Expo Line. An opportunity exists to reduce traffic to that large facility if a shuttle plan could be designed and funded.

I've walked the distance and feel that at 15 - 20 minutes, with crossing both Washington and Venice required, only the hardiest will do it.

Nonetheless, proximity to the station suggests that a quarter hourly shuttle between the facility and the Expo Line's La Cienega station would improve access to the facility for both staff and patients.

[Gokhan]

I think, for Kaiser, one of the easiet ways to transfer to the Expo Line would be through the Venice/Robertson Station and 33/333 buses on Venice Blvd. I agree that it's a little too long walk for most at 1 mile (20 minutes) either from La Cienega or Venice/Robertson. I'm not familiar with the buses on La Cienega, but I'm sure that they will also be greatly needed for transfers to the Expo Line.

[erict]

That's to bad Expo is not closer to Kaiser as the Red line has an entrance directly into Kaiser Los Angeles and Vermont/Sunset. A shuttle is a great idea, it must be a heavy employment center (and patients as well).

[Gokhan]

Well, eventually, there will be a light-rail line on Venice Blvd as well, between the Crenshaw Line (San Vicente Blvd) and Venice Beach. Perhaps, it will happen in 50 years from now, but it will happen.

So, perhaps, it will be funded by Measure Rx (pun intended).