Metro Rapid / Frequent Network Map

[jeisenbe]

Continuing the theme of frequent networks (Inspired by www.humantransit.org/2010/09/montreal-the-pleasure-of-maps-by-hand.htmlthis post at Human Transit; also see the Long Beach Transit Frequent Network map: transittalk.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=muni&action=display&thread=934 ) I made a map of frequent, rapid services in Los Angeles County.

It includes all BRT, limited-stop bus, and rail rapid transit services with frequency of 15 minutes or better during the day, on week-days:

maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=102764232639575421873.00048ff698a913603d036&ll=34.050384,-118.255463&spn=0.290148,0.571976&z=11

I was surprised how few routes qualify; notice that the Harbor Transitway is too infrequent to show up. Basically, it's the 5 rail lines, 2 BRT lines, and Metro Rapid buses 704, 720, 733, 754, and 770. (Santa Monica Blvd, Wilshire and Whittier Blvd, Venice, Blvd, Vermont Blvd, and Cesar Chavez) Note that 733 only became a Rapid this year, but was always pretty frequent and day-long.

Only Metro routes are shown, because they are the only ones that qualify, as far as I know. All the frequent Municipal services (like in Long Beach, Santa Monica, LADOT, etc) are local-stop or peak-only.

Compare to the Metro 12-minute map, which also includes local-stop (slower) buses with service every 15 minutes or better:
www.metro.net/riding_metro/maps/images/12_min_map.pdf

[jeisenbe]

If you stretch the frequency cut-off to "15 to 20 minutes" mid-day, two more bus routes qualify: 760 on Long Beach Blvd all the way to Artesia Blvd, and 745 on Broadway to the Green Line. Both of these are pretty heavily used routes. Perhaps Metro should bump up the service, to keep it at 15 minutes all day.

I will add these two routes as thin, faint lines, for reference.

A longer cut-off of 20 minutes would add 728, 730, 750, 751, 757, 761, and 780, but I really feel 20 minutes is too long to wait for real "rapid transit" service. For trips under 5 miles in length, you would probably do better to catch the soonest bus (likely a local) rather than waiting 10 or 15 minutes for a Rapid, on these routes.

However, if you are using this map to consider which routes deserve and upgrade to BRT, LRT or subway, these 7 additional routes are still some of the best transit service in the city.

They include Fairfax, Los Feliz and Colorado Blvd (LA to Pasadena via Glendale, 780), Van Nuys Blvd (761) and Ventura Blvd (750) in the Valley, Soto St (751) in East LA, Western Ave from Hollywood to Manchester (757), Pico to Mid-City (730), and Olympic to Century City (728)

[jeisenbe]

Human Transit reports (http://www.humantransit.org/2010/09/frequent-network-maps-by-routefriend.html) an automatically-generated map of frequent bus service has been made at Routefriend: routefriend.com/frequencymap.html

It only shows routes with a maximum scheduled wait of 15 minutes, between 8 am and 6 pm on a weekday; this excludes some routes that "usually" run every 15 minutes, but have a 16 or 17 minute break once or twice, due to adjustment for traffic. But it is a nice map to have:

[LAofAnaheim]

I've always wondered about why Vermont and Western are our 2nd and 3rd busiest bus corridors in LA county. Do you think it's because of the Red/Purple line stations that made them that busy? Was Vermont and Western the 2nd and 3rd busiest bus corridors before the Red Line opened? Does anybody happen to know these figures/facts?

Because, I believe that with the Purple Line extension, bus ridership on La Brea, Fairfax, and La Cienega will significantly increase.

[metrocenter]

Vermont and Western have been super congested for as long as I can remember. By which I mean, 30 years ago, pre-Metro Rail, riding in the back of my parents' car.

But alas, I have no hard statistics. I would guess the cause of the high traffic through those boulevards is the lack of alternative north-south streets.

[masonite]

Nov 12, 2010 15:33:48 GMT -8 LAofAnaheim said:

I've always wondered about why Vermont and Western are our 2nd and 3rd busiest bus corridors in LA county. Do you think it's because of the Red/Purple line stations that made them that busy? Was Vermont and Western the 2nd and 3rd busiest bus corridors before the Red Line opened? Does anybody happen to know these figures/facts?

Because, I believe that with the Purple Line extension, bus ridership on La Brea, Fairfax, and La Cienega will significantly increase.

Vermont and Western are both major arteries serving some of the most dense parts of the city. Vermont was traditionally a major streetcar route and Western was traditionally the major north-south street of the "Westside". Also, the neighborhoods along this corridor are dense and generally not affluent. In Koreatown, it always gets me how slow the traffic is along Vermont. Once you go along these Blvds., it becomes pretty apparent that they would have some of the highest bus ridership in the County.