Bus-only lanes to open on Wilshire Boulevard, lower commute time
New bus-only lanes are expected to open Wednesday, allowing commuters to save time while traveling on Wilshire Boulevard. (Daily Bruin file photo)
By Sujung Hahn
April 8, 2015 8:04 a.m.
Five miles of bus-only lanes on Wilshire Boulevard are expected to open Wednesday morning, officials said.
The lanes will allow bus riders to save as much as 15 minutes of commute time during peak traffic hours from 7-9 a.m. and 4-7 p.m. on weekdays, when only buses and bicycles will be allowed to drive in them.
“Because the bus has its own lane and is synced with traffic lights, it will get there faster than a car leaving the same place at the same time,” said Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti in a press release.
The new bus lanes will open between Selby and Veteran avenues, between the western border of Beverly Hills and Comstock Avenue, between Western Avenue and San Vicente Boulevard, and between Bonsall and Federal avenues.
The new lanes are part of the Wilshire Bus Rapid Transit Project, a $31.5 million plan to improve signals and lanes along Wilshire Boulevard in West Los Angeles.
Other parts of the project include reconstructing curb lanes along damaged segments of the street, new street signage and pavement markings, selective street widening, landscaping near the Veterans Affairs West Los Angeles Medical Center and upgrades to the existing transit signal priority system, Garcetti said in the press release.
Metro will also pilot all-door boarding at key stops along the project’s span, Garcetti added in the statement. Customers will be able to validate their fare in advance and board the bus through any door – front, middle or rear. Boarding is expected to be quicker, and buses won’t have to stop for as long.
Compiled by Sujung Hahn, Bruin contributor.
