SO.CA.TA Transit Advocate Transit Update April 2003 April 2003

Public Transit Policy, Analysis, Advocacy and Education
Newsletter of the Southern California Transit Advocates
Vol 11, No. 4, April 2003

Copyright 2001-2004 Southern California Transit Advocates. Permission is freely granted to reproduce or reprint ORIGINAL articles, provided credit is given to both the author and the Southern California Transit Advocates. In all other cases, permission must be secured with the copyright holder.

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Transit Update April 2003

SO.CA.TA

Due to safety concerns (MTA wanted to take more time to test the rail cars), the Metro Gold Line to Pasadena will not open on June 21 as planned. In fact, it may not open until as late as October...Meanwhile, all of the bus route changes will take place at the June 22 shakeup except that #401 (LA-Pasadena Express) will not be cancelled. In addition, a temporary bus service, serving all the Gold Line stations, will operate until the Gold Line opens.

MTA route changes for June (based on latest staff recommendations):

Deletion of the Beverly Hills portion of #3 (largely duplicated by #14)
#58 and #76 will serve the Chinatown Gold Line station.
#176 will serve the Av. 57 Gold Line station
#177 will serve the Del Mar and Allen Gold Line stations.
#92 will lose its short segment north of Glenoaks. #93 will be cancelled, with #603 taking over its portion of Allesandro Bl. Also #410 will be cancelled.
All-day, 7-day service on limited stop #304 and #333. #304 will be rerouted to serve Union Station, while #333 will end at 7th/Main. (The routes of #4 and #33 will not change, though)
#22 will be cancelled (duplicates Santa Monica #4)
#236 will be extended from Granada Hills to Sylmar, via Balboa and Foothill (Cascades Business Park).
#243 will run Saturday
In Pasadena, #260 will run along Fair Oaks instead of Los Robles. Service along Los Robles will be operated by new #687.
#264 would extend to Duarte via current #188 route. Current #264 south to Montebello would be operated by Montebello Bus Lines.
#418 and 426 will lose their Downtown LA segments and terminate at the North Hollywood Red Line station. They will be renumbered #352(?) and #363, respectively, and will provide peak-hour limited stop service.
#561 will be replaced with new Rapid Bus #761 on Van Nuys Blvd. The portion of #561 south of Westwood (via I-405 to LAX) will be deleted.
Additional Wilshire Rapid Bus #720 service will be provided between Downtown LA and Westwood. Also, more late night service will operate.

The Los Angeles Dodgers are providing a new shuttle bus route between Union Station (Pat Plaza) and Dodger Stadium. It will operate for all Friday night games. Roundtrip fare is $2 (no passes or transfers accepted). Buses will leave Union Station every 10 minutes or less from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Return service from Dodger Stadium will begin no later than the top of the 8th inning. The last bus will leave 30 minutes after the last out, but no later than 11 p.m.

Long Beach Transit is getting some new 60' articulated buses. Although they will run on all routes, look for them primarily on their limited-stop "ZAP" line on 7th St.

All three MAX (South Bay-El Segundo commuter bus) routes have been extended to serve the County Courthouse at Sepulveda and Imperial. The routes will also stop at the Aviation Green Line station as well.

Ventura County's VISTA plans a fare increase to $1.25 (to match SCAT)

Foothill Transit continues to accept MTA tokens, but due to a recent fare increase customers must now also deposit 20 cents in the farebox along with the token to pay base fare.

North County Transit District held a contest to name the DMU rail line it is building between Oceanside and Escondido. The winner? "Sprinter".

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