Skip to Content
Streetsblog Los Angeles home
Streetsblog Los Angeles home
Log In
Metro

Some Good News for Bus Riders, Rapid Buses Come to Venice Blvd.

6_29_10_rosendahl.jpgA quick pose before the bus ride. For more pics, visit our Flickr page.

There was a little good news for bus riders in advance of the fare hikes coming on Thursday.

For literally as long as I've known him, Councilman Bill Rosendahl has been hectoring Metro for better rapid bus service along Venice Boulevard.  Rosendahl, who lives literally a couple of blocks from the bus stop at Centinela and Venice, argued that if Metro could cut twenty minutes from the bus trip from the Westside to the Downtown, that people would use the service and the bus would be full.  Nearly three years after the first time I saw him hector Metro's intergovernmental affairs director Art Henry at a City Council meeting, that Metro rapid line is a reality.

On Sunday, Metro Rapid 733 debuted, replacing the less-than-stellar 333 Line that provided a very limited express trip.  The 733 runs from Arizona Boulevard in Santa Monica all the way to Union Station.  While it doesn't rival the Wilshire rapid bus experience just yet, Rosendahl was celebrating today not just the new bus line but also his vision of the future of transit on Venice Boulevard.

The Councilman explains his vision for rapid buses from the Westside to Downtown:

My big hope is that if we can scientifically point out between 7 and 9 o'clock. that we can fill up a bus with Santa Monica, Venice and Mar Vista then maybe at Fairfax we can get right back on the 10.

You can watch the full interview with the Councilman, before he got on the 733 for the first time, at our You Tube site.

The service will run every ten minutes during rush hour, and every fifteen minutes the rest of operation.  That may not sound like much, but for riders getting on at Centinela, that's the difference between a fifty minute ride to Union Station and an hour and ten minutes.

For the full schedule and list of stops, download the official schedule here.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog Los Angeles

Duarte Station Area is Adding Transit-Oriented Multi-Generational Housing, plus Walk Improvements

Just north of Duarte's light rail station, 600+ luxury apartments are under construction - some completed - and 100+ affordable units are on the horizon

September 13, 2024

Eyes on the Street: Crosswalk Upgrades in Glendale’s Adams Square

"Where we meet" is a series of art crosswalks designed by local artist Keith Knueven as part of the city of Glendale's Creative Crosswalks program

September 13, 2024

Thursday’s Headlines

Vermont Ave. bus lanes, Move Culver City, TAP-to-exit, oil, and fire, fire, fire

September 12, 2024

Wednesday’s Headlines

In addition to Southern California hillsides ablaze, today's headlines also touch on sidewalks, bus shelters, the 710 and 14 Freeways, Pasadena, Big Blue Bus, high-speed rail, and more

September 11, 2024
See all posts