“I think we’re building a list of projects that we’re not going to be able to fund. “We need to really be careful here,” said Fasana. “We may be stepping a little far afield,” warned board member John Fasana, who pointed out that other projects, such as an extension of Metro’s Gold Line rail route, have recently been plagued by budget issues due in part to rising construction costs. Hahn noted that such an extension would give South Bay riders a direct transit connection to Griffith Park and other attractions.Īt least one member of the board was skeptical of plans to expand upon the project’s original scope. The mayor’s motion, co-authored by board members Jacquelyn Dupont-Walker, Janice Hahn, Hilda Solis, and James Butts, also directs Metro staff to discuss extending the line all the way to Harbor City, where it would link up to the Silver Line at Pacific Coast Highway. “When we first looked at this, there was a lot of activity that wasn’t happening that’s now happening,” said Garcetti.
Garcetti argued that building a line capable of carrying a large number of riders as soon as possible would be a worthy investment, given the amount of development taking place in Exposition Park and other areas along the route. Buses that currently run along Vermont now carry roughly 45,000 riders on a typical weekday.Īgency staffers pointed out Thursday that a rail route could later be constructed, replacing the bus rapid transit project, even if the latter project comes first. And this year, transit ridership numbers are only slightly increasing. In 2020, Southern Californians took 213 million rides on Metro rail or bus, as opposed to 370 million the year before, according to the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Metro estimates that a train along Vermont would attract between 91,000 and 144,000 daily passengers. COVID-19 has sent LA public transit numbers plummeting. Metro staff estimates that with a rapid busway in place, the length of a trip between Hollywood Boulevard and 120th Street would fall up to 24 minutes, from over an hour to as little as 44 minutes.Ī rail route-particularly a subway-would likely be faster, and could carry more riders. The rapid bus, similar in concept to Metro’s successful Orange Line, would travel in a bus-only lane running either alongside the curb or in the center of the street.
The stretch of Vermont between Sunset and Wilshire boulevards is already served by the Red Line subway, but buses without a designated lane are the primary transit option for riders south of Wilshire. but not the same kind of noticeable improvement as with rail,” he said. “What we all don’t want to do is have a busway that’s a little faster.
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