Wilshire BRT

Earlier this week I shared the latest on the Wilshire BRT and Gateway Plaza busway station projects.

As far as I can tell two recent agency reports with updated information on the status of important transit-related improvements went straight under the radar with nary a word in the blogsphere or mass media (much like the poorly publicized TAP cards sold by bus operator pilot project I wrote about previously). Belatedly let me share you the latest on the Wilshire Bus lane project and the Patsaouras Gateway Plaza busway station:

This morning, Mayor Villaraigosa's last term as Chair of the Metro Board of Directors got off to an efficient and relatively controversy-free start as Supervisors passed motions on studying the impacts of Metro's bus cuts and Bus Rapid Transit expansion, a second study on the costs and benefits of a bike share program, the approval of a green construction program and even a preferred route for California High Speed Rail.  The only real debate among the Board Members came when Director Diane DuBois challenged Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas on the definition of "local" in the local jobs program and on whether or not to give free Metro passes to uniformed Girl Scouts during the group's 100th birthday party.

Next week, the County Board of Supervisors will meet to vote on the Wilshire Bus Only Lanes proposal to decide the county's official position on the three potential routes.  However, the main drama over the proposal ended earlier today when the Los Angeles City Council approved alternative A1 for the proposal, the 7.7 mile route along Wilshire Boulevard excluding Beverly Hills, Condo Canyon and Santa Monica but including Brentwood.

(While we initially reported the Bus Only Lanes hearing would be on Wednesday, it was moved to Tuesday at the request of one of the Councilmen who couldn't make the Wednesday hearing. - DN)

(Thanks to Sunyoung Yang at the Bus Riders Union, Bart Reed with the Transit Coalition, and Ray Klein with the Brentwood Community Council for help researching this article.  Also, The Source had a review of the meeting up yesterday for more background.)

When a decision on a proposed budget that assumes the cutting of another 72,000 hours of bus service is the third most controversial item on the agenda, you know it's going to be a long meeting.  Highlighting the agenda, which will include discussion of diversifying options for buying weekly passes and the HOT Lanes transponder issue are: a vote on the Crenshaw Subway and Leimert Park Station motion, a decision on the Wilshire Bus Only Lanes route, and passage of the FY2012 Budget.

Flanked by allies, transit advocates showed a united front in the battle to bring the Wilshire Bus Only Lanes to West Los Angeles in front of the Veteran's Administration hospital on Wilshire Boulevard earlier today.

This month's Metro Board of Directors Meeting, and their Planning and Programming Sub-Committee, will vote on how many miles of Wilshire Boulevard will be repaved and restriped for the popular Wilshire Bus Only Lanes project.  Following the restriping, there will be two lanes in each direction to accommodate 60,000 rush hour car riders and one lane for 80,000 bus riders.  Metro staff is recommending a 7.7 mile route for the lanes, from Downtown Los Angeles to the Beverly Hills border.  The route will be picked up west of Westwood and will run through Brentwood to the Santa Monica border.  Regardless of the chosen route, funds for the project will come from a federal grant.