San Fernando Valley Service Sector meeting and opinions on service changes

Tonight, Metro’s San Fernando Valley Service Sector holds its monthly meeting, also its hearing for service changes it plans for this June. The meeting is 6:30 tonight at the Marvin Braude Constituent Center, 6262 Van Nuys Blvd., Van Nuys.

Transit access includes Metro Orange Line, Rapid Line 761, Local lines 156, 164, 233 and 237; and LADOT DASH Panorama City-Van Nuys and Van Nuys-Studio City.

Metro will also accept written testimony via e-mail, with “Service Changes June ‘09?” in the subject line. Metro also accepts written comments by mail at:
Metro Customer Relations
Attn: June 2009 Service Changes
One Gateway Plaza, 99-PL-4
Los Angeles, CA 90012-2932

All of the changes affect San Fernando Road and Lankershim Boulevard. San Fernando will look as it did before the introduction of Rapid Line 794. Also, Rapid Line 724 is proposed for cancellation, with service hours reallocated to local Line 224. My thoughts on the service changes follows.

I support the changes as proposed to lines 94 and 224 and the cancellation of Line 724. I also support the route extension of Line 794 if it is as close to what was Line 394, its predecessor.

Kymberleigh Richards, a Valley sector board member, makes a strong case for Line 794 to mirror 94 along San Fernando Road and abandon Brand. On Streetsblog, Richards said the line has been an operational nightmare and Glendale opposes it through downtown.

With that in mind, Line 794 should be balanced to have faster operation but still maintain a connection to the Glendale Galleria/Americana at Brand area, which is a major transit destination for shoppers and employees as well as a connection to Rapid Line 780.

I propose the following change: After serving the Burbank Metrolink Station, Line 794 should hop on I-5 at Western Avenue to Colorado Street, then stop at Colorado  and Central Avenue, and run via Central Avenue to where it merges into San Fernando Road and continue via its present route. This would result in the abandonment of existing stops between the Burbank Metrolink Station and the Galleria. This may help with running time issues. If running time is still a problem, Line 794 should be shortened in downtown L.A. to Seventh Street instead of Venice Boulevard.

I also add this suggestion to be considered in the future: If there is protest to the cancellation of Line 724, particularly for northeast Valley residents who would lose a connection to the Red Line, consider extending Rapid Line 750 via Lankershim Boulevard to Sun Valley.

These positions are similar to those adopted by the Southern California Transit Advocates.

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metro • Metro Rapid • rapid bus • san fernando valley