MetroRiderLA

For my first two entires in the What a Rush series, I used Commuter Express service in the San Fernando Valley. One is a hard-working line very familiar to thousands of commuters on US-101; the other is a fading relic of mid-to-late 20th century transportation planning.

There are a few more commuter routes in the Valley that I did not try but plan to in the future. Meanwhile, come along on a fantastic voyage. Exact change required.

(more…)

I’ve ridden just about every line on just about every transit system in Southern California. That’s nearly a thousand different routes on over a hundred systems. Yet there is a small yet vast sector of bus services I have never used: peak-hour commuter buses.

Until now. “What a Rush” is a public journal entries of using the suburb-to-job center buses that only operate during morning and evening rush hours. Where do they run? Are they comfortable? How many people ride them? Find out in this occasional series.

There’s another series of important service changes, this time in the San Gabriel Valley. Foothill Transit provides most of the local and express bus service in the region, and it has some key changes in store.

The biggest is replacing its most important route, Line 480, with what seems to be modeled on the Orange Line, a new service called Silver Streak. The page also lists the other route realignments and cancellations.

There are still meetings available throughout July and August. Foothill is also accepting comments by mail, snail mail and fax. Consult the page for meeting dates and addresses.

Metro has posted a list of service changes, that may go into effect as early as December 2006. Others, like some of the suggested Metro Rapid lines, may take longer to implement.

The Westside/Central service changes are not listed.

To sound off on any changes, visit one of the meeting sites listed. Written comments (mail, e-mail and fax) are also accepted and are made as part of the public record. The document has all the relevant addresses. 

If I were to pick a birthday celebration that I am most fond of, I would have to say it is July 13, 1996. The best birthday present I ever got was a subway.

It was 10 years ago today that the Red Line extension to Wilshire Boulevard and Western Avenue opened. Yes, a whole decade has passed by since the subway was extended out of downtown L.A.

(more…)

Note: Edited July 10, 2006, to supply the Ride Report with photos from the June 26 trip. Please excuse the camera-phone-grade quality of the pictures.  

Los Angeles riders have yet another Rapid bus available to them. The newest red-bus service is 734, mirroring local 234 along Sepulveda Boulevard between the Sylmar/San Fernando Metrolink Station and the Sherman Oaks Galleria.

Line 734 is a brand new service; 234 never had a limited-stop counterpart. Line 734 also has very generous service by Valley standards; 10 minutes during rush hour and 20 minutes mid-day. There’s no weekend service yet.

I took a southbound trip leaving Sylmar/San Fernando Station at around 2:30 p.m., just a few minutes after the Princessa-bound Metrolink train left. I snapped a picture of NABI bus 7867 arriving, and driver John Botley (badge #8899, Division 15) greeted me enthusiastically to take me on a fantastic voyage along Sepulveda.

(more…)