Metro Service Councils will be holding a series of five public hearings in February to gather public input on a series of proposed Metro bus service changes and enhancements for possible implementation in June.

The proposed changes under consideration may be approved in whole on in part at a date following the public hearings. Interested members of the public are encouraged to attend the upcoming public hearings and provide testimony on any service change proposal. All public comments received will be forwarded to the responsible service council to be considered prior to taking action on the service proposal. If approved, the proposed service changes would take effect on June 17, 2012 or later.

The following are the locations and dates of the upcoming public hearings:

• Wednesday, February 1, 2012 at 6:30 p.m., San Fernando Valley Service Council Hearing, Marvin Braude Constituent Center, 6262 Van Nuys Blvd., Van Nuys.
• Wednesday, February 8, 2012 at 5 p.m., Westside/Central Service Council Hearing, Young Oak Kim Academy, 615 South Shatto Place, Los Angeles.
• Thursday, February 9, 2012 at 2 p.m., Gateway Cities Service Council Hearing, Salt Lake Park Community Center, 3401 E. Florence Avenue, Huntington Park.
• Friday, February 10, 2012 at 9:30 a.m., South Bay Cities Service Council Hearing, Inglewood City Hall, One Manchester Blvd., Inglewood.
• Monday, February 13, 2012 at 6 p.m., San Gabriel Valley Service Council Hearing, El Monte City Hall East, Council Chambers, 11333 Valley Blvd., El Monte.

The public hearings are being held in conformance with federal public hearing requirements outlined in Sector 5307 (d) 1 of Title 49 U.S.C., and public hearing guidelines adopted by the Metro Board of Directors in 1993, as amended.

The proposed changes are after the jump.

The following are the proposed Metro Bus Service Changes/Enhancements under consideration:

San Fernando Valley 

• 163/363 West Hills Medical Center-Sun Valley/North Hollywood Station via Sherman Wy & Lankershim Bl. Discontinue Limited Line 363 and replace with new Line 162, serving all stops on Sherman Way and Lankershim Bl. This change will allow patrons more frequent service at all stops and reduce potential overcrowding on Line 163 during peak travel periods.
• 901 Metro Orange Line. Extend service to Chatsworth Metrolink Station in Summer 2012. Consider four different service concepts between North Hollywood-Warner Center, North Hollywood-Chatsworth, Chatsworth-Warner Center. The extension to Chatsworth Metrolink Station will provide Orange Line patrons more service options with a new link to and from Metrolink trains.

San Gabriel Valley 

• 177 LaCanada-Sierra Madre Villa Station via I-210, California Bl & Walnut St: Discontinue service east of Pasadena City College. As one of six of Metro’s lowest performing bus lines, users of Line 177 recently attended a public workshop, providing input that led to the proposal to add service from Pasadena City College to JPL, and discontinue the portion of the line with the lowest ridership.
• Metro Silver Line El Monte-Los Angeles-Artesia Transit Center: Improve service frequency on daily and weekend schedules. Service continues to grow on the Silver Line, which has seen a 70% increase in ridership since its inception two years ago.

Westside/Central

• 40 Downtown LA-South Bay Galleria via ML King Bl & Hawthorne Bl: Reduce frequency and assign larger articulated buses to maintain seating capacity. Due to bus route modifications when Expo Line opens, articulated buses will no longer be needed on Line 740 and can be transferred to Line 40.
• 620 Boyle Heights Shuttle. Modify route to serve 1^st St and Mott Av. As one of six of Metro’s lowest performing bus lines, users of Line 620 recently attended a public workshop, providing input that led to the proposal of routing the bus by a popular supermarket.
• 710 Wilshire Center-South Bay Galleria via Crenshaw Bl. Assign smaller 40-foot buses and increase frequency to maintain seating capacity. Due to ridership changes on Line 710, articulated buses are not needed and will be transferred to Line 40.
• 740 Downtown LA-Redondo Beach Bl via Hawthorne Bl & ML King Bl. Assign smaller 40-foot buses and increase frequency to maintain seating capacity. Due to bus route modifications when Expo Line opens, articulated buses will no longer be needed on Line 740 and can be transferred to Line 40.

Gateway Cities

• 202 Willowbrook-Compton-Wilmington via Alameda St: Modify route to serve new shopping center on Alameda St across from Metro Blue Line Artesia Station. A new shopping center has opened across from the train station, and the proposed change will provide a safe and efficient way to reach the stores.

South Bay

• 40 Downtown LA-South Bay Galleria via ML King Bl & Hawthorne Bl. Reduce frequency and assign larger articulated buses to maintain seating capacity. Due to bus route modifications when Expo Line opens, articulated buses will no longer be needed on Line 740 and can be transferred to Line 40.
• 607 Windsor Hills-Inglewood Shuttle. Modify route to serve Ladera Center at La Tijera Bl and Centinela Av. As one of six of Metro’s lowest performing bus lines, users of Line 607 recently attended a public workshop, providing input that led to the proposal of routing the bus by a popular shopping center.
• 710 Wilshire Center-South Bay Galleria via Crenshaw Bl. Assign smaller 40-foot buses and increase frequency to maintain seating capacity. Due to ridership changes on Line 710, articulated buses are not needed and will be transferred to Line 40.
• 740 Downtown LA-Redondo Beach Bl via Hawthorne Bl & ML King Bl. Assign smaller 40-foot buses and increase frequency to maintain seating capacity. Due to bus route modifications when Expo Line opens, articulated buses will no longer be needed on Line 740 and can be transferred to Line 40.

Persons unable to attend the public hearings may submit written testimony postmarked through midnight, February 13, 2012 to:

Metro Customer Relations
Attn: June 2012 Service Changes
One Gateway Plaza, 99-PL-4
Los Angeles, Ca 90012-2932

Comments can also be sent via e-mail (with Service Changes June 2012 as the subject) to: servicechanges@metro.net or facsimile at 213.922.6988.