Los Angeles bus system improvements? (Long Beach, Santa Monica: 2013, transfer, construction)

[BAA17]

I live in LA and have never taken the bus but was so amazed to see a map of it today and how extensive it is but I was also sad to see how long it took to get places even with the new Rapid buses. I think it would be a lot faster if they built bus lanes for the most popular routes especially the Rapid ones. I heard they will be adding some bus lanes in but when?

[munchitup]

Originally Posted by BAA17

I live in LA and have never taken the bus but was so amazed to see a map of it today and how extensive it is but I was also sad to see how long it took to get places even with the new Rapid buses. I think it would be a lot faster if they built bus lanes for the most popular routes especially the Rapid ones. I heard they will be adding some bus lanes in but when?

Wilshire just had the first phase installed, from DTLA through Westlake. I think it is being phased in segments and will take a year or more. I believe the city is currently studying additional streets that could get them too. I would imagine Vermont, Sunset, La Brea, Olympic, Venice, Pico would be atop the list. We need better North-South options, maybe Fairfax, La Cienega, Western, Westwood should also get them, as well as beefed up bus service.

[HaemophilusAphrophilus]

Busway on Sunset? Metro Studying Citywide Bus Lane Network - The Commute - Curbed LA

if they can accomplish a good chunk of this, it would be awesome. Obviously rail is always preferred but I think BRT (or the rapid buses plus dedicated lanes and PAYING BEFORE BOARDING-- or at least tap only) would make the transit system here go from good to great IMO

the main thing id change about the map is making a true PCH lane from at least Santa Monica to Long Beach.

[mayorhaggar]

The Rapid buses suck because they still run in traffic, so it takes like 1.5 hours to go about 15 miles or so. That kind of rapid bus would be ok somewhere like SF or Chicago where a typical trip is like 5 miles max, or just a couple miles. When you have to go 10 miles or more, a bus that still runs in heavy traffic is pretty crappy. For any transit in LA to be effective, it has to be completely separated from running in traffic. The Blue Line for example takes about 1.1 hours to go 30 miles (!) because it's largely separated from traffic except for near downtown LA and downtown LB. LA needs more of that.

[GatsbyGatz]

Originally Posted by mayorhaggar

The Rapid buses suck because they still run in traffic, so it takes like 1.5 hours to go about 15 miles or so. That kind of rapid bus would be ok somewhere like SF or Chicago where a typical trip is like 5 miles max, or just a couple miles. When you have to go 10 miles or more, a bus that still runs in heavy traffic is pretty crappy. For any transit in LA to be effective, it has to be completely separated from running in traffic. The Blue Line for example takes about 1.1 hours to go 30 miles (!) because it's largely separated from traffic except for near downtown LA and downtown LB. LA needs more of that.

Totally agree! Any form of transit that has to deal with traffic and LA's many traffic lights will still suck. Separation from traffic is an absolute necessity in LA. Besides monorails ala Vancouver's Skyway, LA is short on options. Actually, a monorail system might not be such a bad idea...

[BRinSM]

LA's wide boulevards are perfect for adding bus only lanes, but the car-centric culture would never allow for this. i think something like the orange line between downtown and the coast would be a huge hit and also considerably cheaper than the subway extension that is currently under construction. property owners would never let this happen though. the expo line accomplishes this south of the 10, but one of the major boulevards north of the 10 could also use a line that is seperated from traffic, whether if be bus or rail.

[PDF]

I've always been pretty satisfied with the bus system here in LA. More so than the rails. I actually enjoy the Rapid buses, those are the best kind for me. Although a BRT would be great. And then you have other bus transit agencies like Culver City and Santa Monica if you're in those areas. Although I do find that like any other public transit trip here, it works best if you're going a short distance and not across town. Traffic sucks.

[mayorhaggar]

Yeah the buses aren't too bad in LA if your trip is 5 miles or less. If it's more than that then it really sucks because it starts adding on exponentially more time compared with a car trip, especially if you have to make just one transfer. Problem is that everything worth doing in LA is 15 to 20 miles apart from one another.

[munchitup]

Originally Posted by mayorhaggar

Yeah the buses aren't too bad in LA if your trip is 5 miles or less. If it's more than that then it really sucks because it starts adding on exponentially more time compared with a car trip, especially if you have to make just one transfer. Problem is that everything worth doing in LA is 15 to 20 miles apart from one another.

That's not true at all.