Reminder: bus service changes coming Dec. 12

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Metro issued a news release on Monday about the upcoming bus service cuts and changes going into effect on Sunday, Dec. 12. Here’s the release:

Effective Sunday, December 12, Metro is making bus service changes to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the Metro system through better use of resources.

Four local lines are set to be discontinued and five Metro Rapid lines will be cancelled with service realocated to limited and local service operating along those corridors. In addition some Saturday and Sunday service will be cancelled with some of the service being augmented by local service on the weekends.

The bus service changes are being made to reduce unproductive service, reduce duplication of service along key travel corridors and to rightsize the Metro Rapid Corridor service. Metro staff looked at several Metro Rapid corridors where the average passengers trip length on the service were not much longer or faster than the local service currently being provided. For these specific corridors, Metro Rapid service (Lines 711, 714, 715, 753 & 920) will be discontinued and replaced with additional trips on the Local/Limited service (Lines 311, 14, 115, 53 & 720) as warranted to meet demand.

Below is a complete list of the Metro Bus service changes to be implemented on Sunday, December 12.

  • 42/42A–LAX City Bus Center to Downtown LA/Union Station via La Tijera Bl, Stocker St, ML King Bl. Operate as a branch of Line 40 (refer to Line 40 timetable). Line 42A via La Cienega Bl operates evenings/nights only.
  • 68/287– Monterey Park via Cesar E Chavez Av/El Monte-Indiana Gold Line Station via Garvey Ave. Discontinue Line 287 service between The Shops at Montebello & Indiana Gold Line Station. Extend selected trips on Line 68 to replace service between Atlantic Bl & The Shops at Montebello.
  • 71–Los Angeles – Cal State LA via Wabash Av & City Terrace Dr. Discontinue portion of route to Outpatient Clinic behind the hospital. Route will serve hospital on Marengo Ave. only.
  • 121– Imperial/Wilmington Station-Whitwood Mall via Imperial Hwy, Telegraph Rd & Santa Gertrudes Ave. Operate as a branch of Line 120 (refer to Line 120 timetable).
  • 165– West Hills-Burbank Station via Vanowen St. Discontinue route deviation from Empire Av to Thornton Av & Hollywood Wy near Bob Hope Airport. Service will remain on Empire Av.
  • 168– Chatsworth Station- via Lassen St & Paxton St. Discontinue service. Alternate service available on Lines 158, 167 and a portion of Lines 233, 761 and 902.
  • 177– La Canada-Sierra Madre Villa Gold Line Station via 1-210 & California Bl & Walnut St.
  • Retain AM and PM peak hour service only and reduce the number of trips.
  • 202– Willowbrook-Compton-Wilmington. Reduce service to every 60 minutes between Willowbrook through Compton to Wilmington.
  • 206– Athens-Hollywood via Normandie Ave. Change turnaround loop in Hollywood. Board southbound buses on Vermont Av at Sunset Bl facing north or on westbound Hollywood Bl at New Hampshire Ave.
  • 214– Artesia Transit Center-Broadway/Main St Loop-Harbor Freeway Station.
  • Discontinue service. Alternate service provided on Lines 45, 52 and Torrance Transit 1.
  • 220– Beverly Center-Culver City via Robertson Bl. Discontinue Saturday service. Alternative service provided on Line 105 and Big Blue Bus 12.
  • 212/312– Hawthorne-Hollywood via La Brea Av Local/Limited. Operate Line 312 limited stop service in peak hours only, northbound in the AM and southbound in the PM (discontinue midday limited stop service).
  • 256– Commerce – Altadena via Eastern Av & Hill Ave. Modify route at Hill Av & Washington Bl. Route travels via Washington Bl & Lake Av to current terminal at Lake Av & Mendocino St. Discontinue segment north of Washington Bl on Hill Av, Holliston Av and Mendocino St.
  • 311– LAX City Bus Center-Norwalk Green Line Station via Florence Ave. New limited stop service replaces discontinued Line 711.
  • 439– Culver City Transit Center/Fox Hills-Downtown LA/Union Station via La Cienega & Santa Monica Fwy. Retain weekday AM and PM peak period service only and operate all trips via Green Valley Circle. Discontinue segment on Sepulveda Bl south of Culver City Transit Center/Fox Hills Mall. Service on Sepulveda Bl provided by Culver City Line 6 and Rapid 6.
  • 607– Inglewood-Windsor Hills-Inglewood. Discontinue counter clockwise service, maintain clockwise service.
  • 608– Crenshaw Connection. Discontinue service.
  • 620– Boyle Heights via Cesar Chavez Av & State St. Reduce service to 60-minute frequency.
  • 625/626– Green Line-World Way West via Imperial Hwy (625), LAX City Bus Center-Green Line (626). Discontinue Line 626 and extend select Line 625 trips to Superior Court.
  • 711– Inglewood TC-Bell Gardens via Florence Ave. Discontinue service and replace with enhancements to Line 111 service and with a new Line 311 limited stop service.
  • 714– Downtown LA-Beverly Hills via Beverly Bl. Discontinue service and replace with enhancements to Line 14 service.
  • 715– LAX City Bus Center-Downey via Manchester Av, Firestone Bl. Discontinue service and replace with enhancements to Line 115 service.
  • 750– Warner Center Transit Hub-Universal City Station via Ventura Bl. Discontinue weekend service and replace with enhancements to Line 150 service.
  • 753– Downtown LA-Imperial/Wilmington Station via Central Ave. Discontinue service and replace with enhancements to Line 53 service.
  • 762– Pasadena-Artesia Blue Line Station via Fair Oaks Av & Atlantic Bl. Discontinue Saturday service and replace with enhancements to Line 260 service.
  • 780–Pasadena-Washington/Fairfax Transit Hub via Colorado Bl & Hollywood Bl & Fairfax Ave.
  • Discontinue weekend service and replace with enhancements to Line 180 service.
  • 920– Wilshire Rapid Express. Discontinue service and replace with enhancements to Line 720 service.

In addition, minor changes will be made to all other bus schedules with the exception of Lines 125, 128, 265, 442 and 450. Please check for revised timetables on metro.net, or on board buses. For specific bus route information call 323.GO.METRO, (323) 466-3876.

Categories: Policy & Funding

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23 replies ›

  1. For those of you who speak of the changes without checking your facts or commenting only about your personal experience without seeing the reality of what is, really need to take a closer look at what is going on out there! As for reasons of some of these changes:

    The 30/31 issue, has anybody seen the people on the El Sol shuttle which covers half of each portion of the former 30 on Floral and the 31 on 1st? The portions that are not covered, nobody was getting on or off in those areas!!!

    As for the rapids, those never achived the ridership levels that were anticipatied(some of you may think otherwise, but the trips outside of the ones you may have caught were actually empty!) plus, those corridors were not meant for rapid service(i.e Central, Beverly, Manchester)

    The 439 has died over the years. I take that bus at least twice a week for the last 15 years and I have seen fewer and fewer people ride that line with the exception of rush hour. Also, since the Flyaway bus started leaving from Union Station, fewer people went from Downtown to the airport on that bus and almost nobody is on that line on weekends. The ridership drops off at Culver City on this one!

    I don’t want to get statrted on the 920!!!

  2. The 439 was not a heavily used line but what Metro fails to acknowledge is that, along with the former 220, provided connections to the airport from the north. Combined with past reductions on the 120 and it just seems that Metro doesn’t really care about providing service to the LAX/Westchester area. Yes there is a need to have coverage on certain routes to give riders some dignity but when the time comes and jobs start to return many riders will be out of luck as there will no longer be the level of reliable transportation that Los Angeles once had. By the way, how many Westside residents will appreciate being directed to take lines 111/115/117 as connections to serve itineraries formerly serviced by the 439? Metro wastes money on “marketing” and the new rail gates that could be devoted to transit service.

  3. I’m all for change, if it is in fact for a good and legitimate reason. My bus line 256 is discontining service north of Washington Bl. on Hill Av and rerouting to Lake Avenue to go up the hill to Mendocino. There is no other bus that goes all the way up Hill Avenue. Why not reroute the bus route to go all the way up Hill Avenue and turn left on New York Drive rather than eliminate the only route of transportation we have going up Hill Avenue to Lake/Mendocino? Nonsensical and there is no good reason for this other than hearing through the grapevine repeatedly that there have been complaints on Holliston from residents who don’t like hearing the noise from the bus. If you don’t like noise, don’t live in a City. Think about the elderly who can’t navigate easily and who will be greatly affected by this and the work commuters and students at PCC who rely on this bus to get to work and school. Thanks for a supremely ridiculous change to an otherwise enjoyable and reliable Metro route that has functioned wonderfully for the residents of Pasadena for many years and Merry Christmas to you too. All interested/concerned parties should attend the December 13th, 5pm meeting in El Monte at Metro Headquarters to MAKE YOUR VOICES HEARD!

  4. And the 439 in particular…every time I’ve been on that bus it’s been people cheek to jowl. The Culver City 6 and Rapid 6 are also very crowded all the time.

    So what’s going to happen when that line goes away? Is Culver City supposed to strain their system’s budget to add extra 6 buses to accommodate the overflow of riders? Or are riders supposed to be even more packed into the bus and miserable?

  5. I came across the Metro Silver Facbook & found a very vital alert for all Metro Silver Line Riders: Starting December 19, 2010 minor station stop changes to the Silver Line will take place. Figueroa/Exposition stop will be moved to the 37th/USC Station on the Harbor Transitway and the existing Figueroa/Adams stop will split into Figueroa/Adams (for Northbound/Eastbound trips to El Monte) and Flower/Adams (for Southbound/Westbound trips to Artesia Transit Center).

    Its very inconsistent that this change is not mentioned in the December 12, 2010 changes. If someone can please ask metro to add this notice to the changes would greatly be appreciated. No wonder why the Silver Line has a low ridership. Many people don’t know about it. There are no signs/.

  6. Metro, with all the money WE as customers put into OUR buses, from our daily fares, to an extra cent for Measure R, yet you still want to cut service.. WHY? Where is all the money going?
    Amy is right, US the customers need our buses all over, we are all over Los Angeles if you haven’t noticed.
    Metro thank you for keeping US in mind,
    it never fails, we see it every June and December, more money goes out of our pocket and right into yours.

    We are paying or service we desperately need, yet we see NO form of gratitude from you.
    Thanks for cutting the 620 to an hour,
    I’ve been happy with its service and operators for over 10 years…
    Thanks for cutting the 287, I’ll never get home on time.
    Along with the other lines, they don’t deserve there cuts,
    but who am i to say.. it happens whether we voice or not.

    By the way, who ever comes up with these ideas to cutting service, take in mind, have you ever rode the line yourself?
    I doubt it, once again everybody..
    Go Metro, but remember your not getting very far. :]

  7. But Los Angeles is a large city. Are you really proposing that bus service should only be available in “dense” areas and that there are no people in the other parts of the city that require mass transit?

  8. Anybody here commentating about how they are upset about the bus they use, should really look around their seats when on the bus over the next week…is it efficient to run this line? These buses perform nowhere near (or even half) of levels seen on the 733, 720, 704, 33, 28, 728, 316, 16, etc… where it’s usually standing room only for certain points. If the area where the bus service was more dense (like certain areas of downtown, westside, hollywood), then additional service is warranted.

  10. what is going to happen to the 439 on weekends? there is no viable route south to the culver city transit center. are u guys pitching for us to go out and buy cars?

  11. “Discontinue Saturday service and replace with enhancements to line 260 service.”

    What exactly does “enhancements” mean in this case?

  13. I’ll be glad they cancel the 714 Rapid IF Metro runs more of the 14 buses to ease rush hour overcrowding.

  14. I think discontinuing such services as bus
    lines #214, 753, and 715 is absurd. It’s
    unfair and doesn’t make any sense at all.
    I’ll miss riding those buses because of
    this. You people should come up with a
    better idea than this like adding more
    bus lines rather than discontinuing them.

  15. What is the difference between “discontinue” & “cancel”?? How about ‘will no longer be in operation'(?),
    You need to clarify. We know how to adapt.

    • Hi Gloria.

      Good point. There is no difference and “no longer in operation” is also correct.

      Thanks for reading and writing,

      Steve Hymon
      Editor, The Source

  16. What happened to all the additional revenue generated by the transit sales tax increase? Who’s pocket did all that money go into?

    • Hi Carl;

      Here’s the expenditure plan for Measure R and here’s the latest progress report from September. Twenty percent of Measure R is devoted to bus operations, but that money is split between Metro and other transit agencies in L.A. County. Metro used some of the money for the fare freeze that postponed the last increase until this past July. Other Measure R money is being used to freeze fares for seniors, students and Medicare recipients until July 2013. The bus cuts that go into effect on Dec. 12 are about 3.7 percent of Metro’s overall bus service. The idea isn’t just to cut spending — it’s to eliminate bus service that has relatively few riders or is duplicated with nearby service and to help make Metro more efficient with the money it spends.

      Steve Hymon
      Editor, The Source

  18. Shouldn’t Metro at least return the 315 Limited Service on Manchester and Firestone?

  19. I am very furious about this change because it effects a lot of buses that i take everyday. with these budget cuts, they should not take out so many lines with these cuts. I would like for metro to keep lines 68, 71, and the 206!

  20. Man, this is pretty grim.

    I feel like this post is packed with euphemisms. For example “reduce unproductive service”, “rightsize”, “discontinue”, as opposed to “cut” or something.

    When all of these cuts and adjustments are made, how many “revenue service hours” of transit service will there be, compared to the present number?

    Also, what’s the reason, generally speaking? Less money to spend?

  21. So will the 30/31 be reinstated to a full line beyond Indiana Station like before with the elimination of the 287 beyond Atlantic? How will one get from 1st/Atlantic to 1st/Sunol?(31/287) or Floral/Atlantic to Floral/Eastern?(30/287) .The Gold Line nor the 68 does not conveniently serve these areas, like has been in place.