Upgrades to LA Metro’s bus system could provide faster travel times for students
By Martín Bilbao
Feb. 20, 2020 1:08 a.m.
Getting around Los Angeles may become quicker and easier for some UCLA students, according to drafts of planned changes to Metro’s bus system.
Los Angeles Metro released draft proposals of changes to its bus network Feb. 6 as part of its NextGen Bus Plan, an effort by the transportation authority to simplify schedules and improve safety across its 25-year-old bus network.
The proposals show that bus routes connecting to UCLA may have more frequent bus stops and faster trips for riders, allowing students easier access during the day to popular destinations in the area, such as West Hollywood and Santa Monica.
Metro wants to reduce the amount of time passengers must wait for buses, said Robert Calix, project contact for the NextGen Bus Plan and Metro’s transportation planning manager.
“More than 80% of riders will have a 15-minute (service) or more frequent type of service,” Calix said.
Riders can see more frequent buses on routes such as those from UCLA to Sawtelle, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, West Hollywood and Santa Monica.
The following frequency changes are based around weekday departures between the hours of 6 a.m. and 9 p.m., according to the NextGen Bus Plan proposals. And the following trip duration changes are based on departing on a Friday at 5 p.m., according to an online trip planner for the proposals.
Metro Line 720, which connects Westwood to the Sawtelle and Santa Monica areas, is currently planned to merge with the similar Line 20. Buses on the new Line 20 will stop at bus stops every 5 to 7.5 minutes.
Despite more stops along the route, taking the new Line 20 will reduce trip times by eight minutes to Santa Monica and by five minutes to the Sawtelle area, if the plans go into effect.
Metro Line 2, which connects UCLA to the West Hollywood area, is currently planned to merge with Line 302, connect with more routes and feature increased frequency between 7.5 and 15 minutes rather than between 11 and 27 minutes.
A trip to West Hollywood from campus is planned to include more stops, but the commute is expected to be faster by 10 to 16 minutes.
A trip to LACMA, under the new plan, will be possible on a new version of Line 720 between Downtown LA and Westwood that will only run on weekdays during peak hours. The new plan would include more stops on Line 720 to LACMA, but the commute should be shorter by about 10 minutes.
These are just some of the changes planned for Metro’s NextGen Bus Plan. Metro also aims to simplify commutes by including more linked routes and merging lines like the aforementioned Line 720 with Line 20.
Bus lines in the proposal were adjusted to better serve weekend commuters as well, said Conan Cheung, a senior executive officer in Metro’s service development, scheduling and analysis department.
“We really want to create a seven-day-a-week network, not just the Monday-through-Friday 9 a.m.-to-5 p.m. network, so we’re putting a lot of effort to improve service on Saturdays and especially on Sundays,” Cheung said.
A UCLA Transportation statement said the proposals benefit some commuters by increasing service during peak hours on Wilshire Boulevard. However, the university also called on Metro to reconsider its changes to evening and nighttime service.
“These improvements come at the cost of late-night service,” the statement read. “Some students, hospital employees, and researchers who need transit service during the late evening would see a reduction in regular bus service along Wilshire Blvd.”
Metro aims to implement the first phase of this project by December. It is currently seeking public comment from the community on its draft proposals at public workshops until April 4.
Contributing reports from Emmi Deckard, Daily Bruin contributor.
