Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority Wilshire Boulevard Bus Rapid Transit Project COMMUNITY MEETINGS November 2008
Agenda Introduction Proposed Project Overview Participating Agencies Project History Elements of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Environmental Process Project Scope Traffic Study Intersections Other Transit Projects & Studies Project Goals Project Funding Study Schedule Upcoming Meetings
Introduction Wilshire Boulevard Key east/west travel corridor One of the most important transit corridors in Los Angeles County Approximately 93,000 weekday bus boardings Average bus speeds have declined steadily over the past 20 years Project study area includes most of Wilshire Boulevard From just west of downtown Los Angeles to the Santa Monica City line Excludes the City of Beverly Hills Metro has commenced work on an Initial Study/ Environmental Assessment (IS/EA)
Proposed Project Overview Implement bus lanes: Operate only during weekday peak periods (7-9 AM & 4-7 PM) In both directions In the curb lane Open to all vehicles making right turns Open to all vehicles in the off-peak period Improve street infrastructure: Repave curb lanes Widen selective segments Improve traffic signal timing Improve bus signal priority Minimize parking impacts
Participating Agencies Planning and Design City of Los Angeles Department of Transportation Bureau of Engineering Bureau of Street Services Mayor s Office City Council Offices County of Los Angeles Department of Public Works County Supervisors Metro Construction City of Los Angeles Los Angeles County Funding Federal Transit Administration City of Los Angeles Metro
Project History March 2004 Peak period bus lanes began operation as a one mile Demonstration Project along Wilshire in West LA Jointly implemented by Metro & City of Los Angeles Resulted in improvements in bus speed & reliability through the segment November 2006 City of Los Angeles began studying the feasibility of implementing end-to-end bus lanes on Wilshire City of Los Angeles & Metro began Wilshire Bus Speed Improvement Study April 2007 Los Angeles City Council recommended implementing peak period end-to-end bus lanes on Wilshire
Project History (Continued) August 2007 Demonstration Project was suspended by LA City Council LA City Council directed that the bus lanes be reinstated when integrated into a larger bus lane project September 2007 Metro & City of Los Angeles submitted Very Small Starts funding application to the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) for Wilshire BRT Project December 2007 FTA issued pre-award authority to begin Project Development activities June 2008 Metro & City of Los Angeles began Initial Study/ Environmental Assessment
Elements of BRT High capacity buses Branded buses and stations Bus signal priority Frequent service Headway-based schedules Simple route alignment Less frequent stops Integrated with local bus service Level boarding and alighting Bus lanes Off-vehicle fare payment Currently operating on Wilshire Proposed Not Under Consideration
Environmental Process Initial Study/Environmental Assessment (IS/EA): To examine Wilshire BRT feasibility To determine if further environmental review is necessary Evaluate potential impacts including: Traffic & Parking Air Quality Noise Environmental Justice/Community Impacts Historic Resources/Parklands Cultural Resources
Project Scope
Traffic Study Intersections
Traffic Analysis Study intersections: 17 on Wilshire Boulevard 57 on parallel corridors For all 74 study intersections: Traffic counts are being collected Future traffic forecasts will be developed Potential impacts on congestion will be identified Potential parking impacts will be evaluated
Other Transit Projects & Studies
Project Goals Improve bus passenger travel times Improve bus service reliability Improve traffic flow along Wilshire Boulevard Repave the curb lanes along damaged portions of Wilshire Boulevard Encourage shift from automobile use to public transit Improve air quality Minimize impacts to existing parking
Project Funding City of L.A. $3.3 million 10% Metro $4.9 million 16% FTA $23.3 million 74% TOTAL PROJECT = $31.5 million
Study Schedule Community Meetings Draft Technical Studies Draft IS/EA for Public Review Metro Board Consideration 2008 2009 Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Oct If Metro Board Approves IS/EA Seek FTA Approval Begin Design & Construction
Upcoming Meetings Wednesday, November 12 Wilshire United Methodist Church 4350 Wilshire Boulevard All Meetings: 6:00-8:00 PM Monday, November 17 Westwood Presbyterian Church 10822 Wilshire Boulevard Tuesday, November 18 Southwestern Law School 3050 Wilshire Boulevard, 5 th floor Wednesday, November 19 Felicia Mahood Center 11338 Santa Monica Boulevard
Contact Us Internet: www.metro.net/wilshire Presentation Submit Comments Phone: (213) 922-2500 Mail: LACMTA One Gateway Plaza Mail Stop: 99-23-1 Los Angeles, CA 90012 Attn: Martha Butler E-Mail: WilshireBRT@metro.net Please submit comments by December 12, 2008
Questions & Comments