Public Transit Policy, Analysis, Advocacy and Education
Newsletter of the Southern California Transit Advocates
Vol 8, No. 1, January 2000

Disclaimer: The Southern California Transit Advocates is not affiliated with any governmental agency or transportation provider. Names and logos of agencies appear for information and reference purposes only. 

At 11 p.m. we gathered at 7th and Broadway in downtown Los Angeles to catch line 45 during the line-up. The bus was a CNG Neoplan (#6576). At 11:12 p.m. it departed, carrying 13 passengers (all ride counts exclude SO.CA.TA members). By Venice Bl. the passenger load had increased to 20. At we continued southward gradually the number of riders dwindled. The area we traveled thru was commercial/industrial. I saw some markets that were still open and fast food outlets with open drive thru windows. Around 85th Street a club had a large crowd gathered in front of it. Soon the surroundings began to be more residential. By Century we had only 8 passengers. No one boarded or alighted at the Green Line station. As we turned onto Avalon the bus converted to being a line 446 and continued south on Avalon.

At Carson Plaza we were discharged with three other passengers. This is the location for transferring from line 446 to line 646 . No benches or bus stop sign were at this location. Nothing to signify service south existed. One passenger revealed he had in the past walked to work and had never been told the 646 existed. Another stated the 646 is often late, up to 30 minutes or sometimes doesn't show up at all. And indeed despite arriving on time at 11:50 p.m. the 646 didn't show up until 12:17 a.m. We boarded the 16 seat cutaway bus (which are also used for routes 218 and 603). Our first stop was a deviation for the gentleman who previously walked to Wilmington/Carson. He thanked us for helping him save 30 minutes. Next we picked up a passenger at the Carson/Avalon bus stop. Then we had a pick up at the 223/Avalon bus stop. Next at a bus stop near Lomita/Avalon (who was dropped along Avalon) . Then a pick up at a bus stop on Anaheim/Avalon. A deviated pick up at a store at Gaffey and Channel who had a deviated drop off. This was followed by a bus stop pick up and a deviated drop off. We picked up 3 passengers along Pacific at bus stops (two at 5th and 1 at lst). This was followed by another deviated drop off and one final bus stop drop off. At 1:12 a.m. we returned to Avalon near Carson Plaza (with two passengers) to catch line 446 back to downtown Los Angeles. At least this location had a bench! 3 minutes later (and on schedule) line 446 picked us up and we enjoyed an uneventful trip back to downtown.

Two lessons we learned: the southbound pick up start point needs some improvements so passengers can use the 646 without having to rely on fellow passengers or a bus operator to learn it exists (a bench would be nice, also). And we wonder whether further marketing isn't called for. It was an active bus - on our trip (much like Ed Buckley's just after the service started) most riders boarded and deboarded at fixed route bus stops. Charles Powell noted deviation makes it very hard to meet schedules, which may account for the problems we heard from the passenger who boarded with us at Carson Plaza. Certainly a lesson that should be taken into account in any plans to operate similar shuttles in the future.