Westside/Central Service Sector meeting and opinions on service changes
Metro is holding its meeting tonight for Westside/Central service sector changes. The meeting begins at 5 p.m. at the La Cienega Tennis Center, 325 S. La Cienega Bl., Beverly Hills. The meeting can be reached by Metro Rapid lines 705, 720 and 728; Express line 550; Limited line 305; and Metro local lines 20, 28 and 105.
If you cannot attend the meeting, you can send Metro an e-mail or regular mail to:
Metro Customer Relations
Attn: June 2009 Service Changes
One Gateway Plaza, 99-PL-4
Los Angeles, CA 90012-2932
My positions follow the jump.
I support rebalancing Line 14 and 714 service, and in fact would recommend cancellation of Line 714 and trying Line 716 — a 7-day-a-week Rapid service along Third Street.
For Line 30, I recommend considering trying my Line 16 crosstown proposal from the Eastside Gold Line Transit Service Interface Proposal. Pico buses would terminate in downtown L.A. and Line 16 would operate from East L.A. College to Century City on overlapping shortlines: Century City to Rowan Avenue & Dozier Street and Cedars-Sinai to East L.A. College.
I oppose the cancellation of Line 220. This line must be preserved, as it will become crucial when the Expo Line opens.
I oppose turning Line 704 into shortlines in Westwood. This positions is similar to one adopted by the Southern California Transit Advocates.
Also, in the same vein, I concur with Socata over Line 730. The line is too short to provide a significant time savings. It should be canceled and resources transferred to create Line 733. Metro should also formulate a plan to have a single Pico Boulevard service (no Crackton transfer) between downtown L.A. and Santa Monica by the time the Expo Line opens.
I propose Line 920 to be modified to provide point-to-point express service. One version would stop at Fairfax Avenue, La Cienega Boulevard, Beverly Drive and Century City. The other version would stop at Westwood Boulevard and downtown Santa Monica.
Discussion
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Please keep discussions civil: exercise Troll Controll.




I don’t think this would happen, but it would be nice to have the 728 continue to Santa Monica via Olympic blvd and Century City. There are a lot of people who transfer at Century Park East to the Big Blue Bus 5, that I think a continuation of 728 down Olympic to the ocean would be great. Also, instead of going to Santa Monica blvd, the 728 can take Century Park East to Constellation Blvd and return to Olympic blvd via Century Park West.
If the 920 stopped at Century City between Beverly Dr. and Westwood, it would basically be following the route of the Purple Line when it is finished. I think adapting the 920 in this way would bring up ridership levels and be very helpful with the design of the Purple Line.
How would the 920 make a detour to Century City? I assume the west bound bus will have to make a left turn at Wilshire/Santa Monica to Century City? Then it will turn right on Beverly Glen or Westwood follow but another left turn back on Wilshire. I assume that will add too much travel (wait) time to make 920 useful.
I think the real solution is to split the line into 920 and 921, which I think is what Wad is proposing… From DTLA, 920 will follow the current route and take the detour at Century City and then stay on Santa Monica Blvd all the way to the ocean. A new 921 follow the current 920 route but take a detour at Mid City to Beverly Center but bypass Century City and stay on Wilshire to Westwood and then all the way to the ocean.
That is a very interesting proposal, Bzcat. Why not have the 921 go up to the Grove and then cut over to the Beverly Center?
Is there any usefulness is having Rapids which follow the proposed Subway routes?
For example, one Super Rapid bus (920) could go from Vermont/Wilshire to Santa Monica with a veer to Century City and then back up to Wilshire/Westwood and onto the beach; and another Super Rapid Bus (921) could go from Hollywood/Highland to LaBrea/SantaMonica, then over to La Cienega/SantaMonica, then down to the BeverlyCenter, then joining the 920 route in BeverlyHills towards Century City, Westwood and SantaMonica. The 704 and 720 would continue as they currently are.
I cannot help but think that a bus that goes from Vermont/Wilshire to Century City without a transfer would be an interesting experiment.
I’ve been asking for that for years! I was hoping BBB Rapid 7 would be the answer but it didn’t happen. We really need something that goes from Santa Monica to Century City to Wilshire/Western all on the same bus.