Post by bzcat on Nov 10, 2010 16:50:37 GMT -8
The FlyAway bus has been a good addition to LA's transit scene. However, I think LAWA's single mindedness of moving people from fixed locations to LAX has undermined some of the potential value of this service. Here are some of my observations and suggestions for improvements:
1. Westwood bus avoid the 405 during rush hour.
The Westwood bus in particular seems to slavishly follow the 405 which renders its express service pointless during peak traffic hours. You can reach Westwood almost as fast on Culver City's Rapid 6. How about LAWA approve some alternate routes for the Westwood bus (like Sepulveda or Sawtell) that drivers are allowed to take if there is congestion?
2. The Downtown bus needs to add a stop at 7th Street Metro Center.
Union Station is a great terminal but a good number of the Downtown office building riders would be better served with a stop near financial district. Having FlyAway bus stop at Fig/7th (in bound) or Flower/7th (out bound) also makes sense for tourists and visitors staying at hotels near Southpark and Financial district. There is really no reason not to do this... the FlyAway bus passes by Metro Center anyway on its way in and out of Downtown so it doesn't add that much to the service time.
3. The Van Nuys bus needs to add a stops at Van Nuys Metrolink and Orange line stations.
I think the value of having FlyAway link to Van Nuys Station and Orange line to create a network is pretty self-explanatory. The problem is of course that LAWA, Metro, and Metrolink are different agencies and they don't talk to each other.
Adding the Metrolink stop will open up access to Ventura County with a simple timed-transfer a couple of times a day when the Metrolink Ventura County line arrives. This will cut total travel time significantly vs. taking Metrolink to Downtown and catching the FlyAway from Union Station.
Adding the Orange line stop will allow everyone between North Hollywood and Warner Center a 1-transfer ride to LAX.
4. The Irvine bus needs to add a stop at Long Beach Airport.
The Irvine FlyAway has low ridership and will probably be the first one to get axed if LAWA runs out of money. We can address this problem by enlarging the catchment area for the service: Orange County has no public transit link to Long Beach Airport; And Long Beach/Habor area has no direct public transit to LAX (Blue-Green line transfer is available but the train doesn't go to LAX... you have to transfer to LAX shuttle G again). Long Beach Airport is a good addition to this line because LGB has plenty of parking (Park & Ride) and is also conveniently located right off the 405 Lakewood Blvd exit so you can add this stop without stretching the running time beyond reason. It also allows OC residents easier access to JetBlue flights at LGB. The problem of course is that LGB is run by City of Long Beach and they clearly do not have any interest in working with LAWA.
1. Westwood bus avoid the 405 during rush hour.
The Westwood bus in particular seems to slavishly follow the 405 which renders its express service pointless during peak traffic hours. You can reach Westwood almost as fast on Culver City's Rapid 6. How about LAWA approve some alternate routes for the Westwood bus (like Sepulveda or Sawtell) that drivers are allowed to take if there is congestion?
2. The Downtown bus needs to add a stop at 7th Street Metro Center.
Union Station is a great terminal but a good number of the Downtown office building riders would be better served with a stop near financial district. Having FlyAway bus stop at Fig/7th (in bound) or Flower/7th (out bound) also makes sense for tourists and visitors staying at hotels near Southpark and Financial district. There is really no reason not to do this... the FlyAway bus passes by Metro Center anyway on its way in and out of Downtown so it doesn't add that much to the service time.
3. The Van Nuys bus needs to add a stops at Van Nuys Metrolink and Orange line stations.
I think the value of having FlyAway link to Van Nuys Station and Orange line to create a network is pretty self-explanatory. The problem is of course that LAWA, Metro, and Metrolink are different agencies and they don't talk to each other.
Adding the Metrolink stop will open up access to Ventura County with a simple timed-transfer a couple of times a day when the Metrolink Ventura County line arrives. This will cut total travel time significantly vs. taking Metrolink to Downtown and catching the FlyAway from Union Station.
Adding the Orange line stop will allow everyone between North Hollywood and Warner Center a 1-transfer ride to LAX.
4. The Irvine bus needs to add a stop at Long Beach Airport.
The Irvine FlyAway has low ridership and will probably be the first one to get axed if LAWA runs out of money. We can address this problem by enlarging the catchment area for the service: Orange County has no public transit link to Long Beach Airport; And Long Beach/Habor area has no direct public transit to LAX (Blue-Green line transfer is available but the train doesn't go to LAX... you have to transfer to LAX shuttle G again). Long Beach Airport is a good addition to this line because LGB has plenty of parking (Park & Ride) and is also conveniently located right off the 405 Lakewood Blvd exit so you can add this stop without stretching the running time beyond reason. It also allows OC residents easier access to JetBlue flights at LGB. The problem of course is that LGB is run by City of Long Beach and they clearly do not have any interest in working with LAWA.
are noted but as already pointed out, most of the FlyAway Downtown bus riders start their trip in the Financial District. The Metro Center stop actually cuts their trip time considerably.