A proposed LA Metro project in the heart of one of the most heavily congested areas in the city just got a major boost from the federal government.
On Thursday, May 7, LA Metro announced the Federal Transit Administration, an agency of the U.S. Department of Transportation, had awarded nearly $150 million to the Vermont Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project.
The Vermont BRT is a 12.4-mile north-south runway along Vermont Avenue that will connect Sunset Boulevard in East Hollywood to 120th Street in the Athens neighborhood of South Los Angeles.
Unlike your typical bus line, the Vermont BRT will operate largely in dedicated bus lanes, saving it from the gridlock typical of the busy arterial roadway. LA Metro describes the BRT project as a
The project includes 26 new bus stations with enhanced shelters, increased lighting, safety improvements and real-time bus information, LA Metro said.
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Vermont Avenue has long been considered for a potential public transit thoroughfare, having been identified as a suitable corridor for transit with a projected ridership of more than 45,000 riders per day in 2013. Now that figure is as high as 66,000 daily boardings, LA Metro said, making it among the busiest bus rapid transit routes in the nation.
“The project will improve bus speeds, reduce passenger travel times by up to 24% and increase reliability for all buses that use Vermont,” LA Metro officials wrote on social media. “The project is also a key component of Metro’s mobility plans for the upcoming 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.”
LA Metro has been working to turn a portion of Vermont into a BRT line for years, but secured initial funding for the project in 2016 with the passage of Measure M sales tax for public transportation improvements. It finally selected a route option last March.
The current timeline for its completion is some time in 2028 before the world descends upon Los Angeles for the Summer Olympics and Paralympics. Some construction on the project could begin as early as next week, according to Urbanize Los Angeles.
The Vermont BRT could also be converted into a light rail line in the 2060s, LA Metro says. Other BRT routes in the LA Metro system, namely the G Line in the San Fernando Valley, has also been identified for a potential rail conversion, although it likely won’t happen until the 2050s at the earliest.
In a LinkedIn post, LA Metro thanked U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and the Federal Transit Administration for allocating the cash for the project, as well as Metro Board members, L.A. County representatives in Congress, and the community who “consistently voiced support for the project and helped shape the future of transportation along Vermont.”
LA Metro says the crucial project is estimated to create more than 4,800 jobs and generate more than $95 million in tax revenue.
LA Metro has several projects in the works
This is just the latest instance of Los Angeles’ active planning to expand and improve its public transportation options.
Other projects that could be completed in the coming years include another BRT line connecting North Hollywood to Pasadena with service in Burbank, Glendale and Eagle Rock along the way. That BRT line is also expected to be open in time for the Olympics.
Elsewhere in the Valley, major construction work is currently in progress on the East San Fernando Valley Light Rail Transit Project, which will run primarily on Van Nuys Boulevard through the Valley before detouring onto San Fernando Road where it will come to an end at the Sylmar Metrolink station.
That project is tentatively scheduled to be completed by 2031.
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The news about the Vermont BRT being awarded a major funding chunk from the DOT comes just hours before LA Metro welcomes the region to its three newest subway stations. On Friday, LA Metro’s underground D Line will finally be extended west toward the edge of Beverly Hills with service in Mid-Wilshire and Miracle Mile. In the coming years, also shooting for a Summer Olympics deadline, the D Line will extend into Century City before reaching its conclusion at the Westwood VA Hospital.
In honor of Friday’s grand opening, all fares across the LA Metro system will be waived over the weekend.
