02/18/2007: "Street Closure, Vehicle Location and Bus Detour Resources"

Links to resources to determine street closures for special events, detours due to street closures, and real-time bus locations.

The City of Los Angeles Dept. of Transportation has a page on special events that entail street closures:
http://trafficinfo.lacity.org/html/special_events.html

You can also inquire regarding special events and street closures in the city of Los Angeles by calling (323) 913-4653. An automated announcement of special events can be heard at (323) 224-6534.

For locations in the city of Los Angeles by registering with the Los Angeles Police Dept. E-policing program you will be informed via e-mail when street closure permits (among other items of interest) have been approved that impact the address you register

MTA (Metro) information:
Rail System Service Information: http://www.metro.net/riding_metro/system_delays/default.htm
Arrival information for Metro Rapid lines: http://www.rapidbus.net/DESKMRB/PIS_DESK_MRB.ASPX (note that this only works for the portions of the routes in the city of Los Angeles as it draws data from the Automated Traffic Surveillance and Control (ATSAC) System of the Los Angeles Dept. of Transportation.) MTA also now will e-mail notices of rail and bus service notices by registering via this form

note: Bus Detour informatuion in not currently posted on the MTA website.

The blog MetroRider LA
notes that with little fanfare Metro has introduced a beta version of NexTrip, which offers real-time notices of bus arrival times to web-enabled cell phone users (much like the existing system for Rapid Bus information noted above). A link to NexTrip is discreetly tucked away in the top right corner of the Metro Advanced Trip Planner. Clicking it opens a pop-up window containing the NexTrip interface.

Nextbus provides online vehicle location information for Glendale Beeline and several public transit systems in Ventura County:
http://www.nextbus.com/predictor/stopSelector.jsp

Long Beach Transit has Live Bus Tracking via its website:
http://webwatch.lbtransit.com/webwatch/

Riverside Transit Agency has made available online Live Bus Tracking
http://rtabus.com/

The July/August 2006 issue of Transit California reports customers of Santa Monica's Big Blue Bus can call customer service staff at (310) 451-5444 Monday - Friday 8:00am-5:00pm for real-time information on the location of the bus they are waiting for. Soon next bus information signs will be placed at busy bus stop locations. This information will also be available via an automated phone response system. Signup for e-mail service updates for Big Blue Bus via the form on the agency's website.

Signup for e-mail service updates for Santa Clarita Transit is via this form.

Signup for e-mail service updates for Foothill Transit (including text messaging to cell phones) is via this form.

Rider Alerts are posted on the websites of Long Beach Transit, Omnitrans, Riverside Transit Agency and OCTA.

In addition, Omnitrans will e-mail when notices have been issued by applying to be on a list by using this form.