The following is the new timetable for the Orange Line that goes into effect on Monday. The four-mile extension between Canoga station and the Chatsworth Metrolink station opens on Saturday and is running a special schedule this weekend (more on that later in the week).
Here’s a link to the pdf for those who have problems viewing Scribd on their browsers.
I think most riders will be pleased with the new timetable. There remains direct service between North Hollywood and Warner Center, in addition to new service between NoHo and Chatsworth. In addition, during peak hours on weekdays there will be direct service between Chatsworth and Warner Center. In the evenings, buses will travel from NoHo to Warner Center to Chatsworth (and vice versa).
Categories: Projects
Hi there,
I have a problem about the Orange Line Extension grand opening this Sunday.
I live pretty close to the North Hollywood Station.In order to ride the Orange Line to Chatsworth Station, would I be able to ride the Orange Line heading to Chatsworth or do I have to ride the Orange Line from North Hollywood Station to Canoga Station and then make a transfer there?
Please reply as soon as possible.
Thanks! :)-Carl Rowdin
Welcome to the Chatsworth, Carl. The Orange Line now extends to Chatsworth. Board at North Hollywood and enjoy the ride all the way to Chatsworth.
The two links are to the same Web page (HTML); we would like the real link to the PDF too.
For the past couple of weeks, MTA has already been running the schedule above – just that no one is allowed to board north of Canoga. In other words, service to Warner Center has been halved since the June shakeup.
The main problem with this scheme is the confusion for passengers on the stations west of Pierce College, since they have four service patterns (Chatsworth-Warner Center, Chatsworth-NoHo, Warner Center-NoHo, Chatsworth-Warner Center-NoHo). That Chatsworth-Warner Center shuttle, especially, needs to be rebranded ASAP – I suggested the “Pumpkin Line” to sufficiently tell riders that this bus is significantly different from all the others in that it never goes east of Canoga, but my suggestion was not accepted. There needs to be rider education, not just on the web site and schedule, but also on the announcements on the bus, with the automated announcement telling riders that they need to get off at Canoga if they have destinations on the other branch. For the evening schedule, where one bus serves all stations, there needs to be clear announcements that the bus is coming back to Chatsworth once it detours into Warner Center.
Long term, Metro needs to move the buses that serve only Warner Center but not Canoga (there are three – 245, 645, and 750) and have all the buses that lay over at Warner Center today layover near Canoga Station (at Victory and Canoga). Then the stub portion of the Orange Line to Warner Center can be eliminated and replaced with a point-to-point shuttle, and Chatsworth can then get rail-like service during middays and weekends, instead of 20 minute service. Operationally, there needs to be a way to shortline buses on the Orange Line at Sepulveda or Reseda, since 4 minute peak service even to Canoga is excessive.
There also needs to be very clear next bus information at Canoga. You will see people darting around the bus lanes trying to catch the next bus towards North Hollywood. Unfortunately not even the NextBus application seems to do a good job of indicating which platform the next eastbound bus will leave from. If I were a driver, I would avoid that chaos and just park at Pierce College Station.
CORRECTION: I probably should have said “the other big mall”, since Westfield Promenade is already adjacent to Warner Center Station. My thinking is that while on a map Westfield Topanga looks moderately close to both Canoga and Warner Ctr stations, my experience is that the distance is pushing the limits of what might be a desirable walk in triple-digit Valley summer temps or with shopping bags. Just a thought.
Sounds to me like it would be simpler for all buses to go to all stations. If not, a red/purple line concept should be adopted, since in essence, Warner Center Station is an alternate terminus. If the latter, I’d recommend adding an extra station or two to the Warner Ctr spur. A stop at each of the big malls might make sense (and attract shoppers), turning each of these malls into transit-oriented developments!
Yay.
Next up, let’s extend the Orange Line all the way to Simi Valley, Thousand Oaks, Camarillo, Ventura, and hopefully even to Santa Barbara so it’ll totally make financial sense to have riders on the Orange Line pay the same $1.50 price to go from Santa Barbara to North Hollywood as much as going from one “station” stop from Tampa to Pierce College.
How far is “far enough” to the idea of “let’s keep on expanding the system so people can travel farther for the same $1.50 price” boondoggle last? Heck, let’s expand the Gold Line all the way Vegas why don’t you so people can get there for $1.50.
I don’t think platform 2 and 4 should be designed like that. There should be only one platform for buses heading east (North Hollywood). The new platform should be located at the place where the two branches of the busway merge together. This may require a little extra walk, but it may save 10 minutes at the platform.
15 minutes is great from Chatsworth to Warner Center with the peak hour shuttle, but when the off-peak interval is as low as every 20 minutes on each separate section, the poor connection times at Canoga mean that the same trip takes 30 minutes (for just four stops).
It will be even better if Metro can be generous enough to go ahead and offer free rides on the entire Orange Line during the extension opening weekend.