Public Outcry Greets Plan to Connect L.A. to Pasadena via Bus Rapid Transit

Voters might have approved transit funding multiple measures by wide margins in Los Angeles County in recent years, but actual project proposals still have trouble appealing at the hyper-local level.

2 minute read

June 24, 2019, 9:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Bus Rapid Transit

A previous draft of a bus rapid transit proposal to connect North Hollywood and Pasadena included several route alternatives. The decision to route the BRT on surface arterials, instead of the 134 Freeway, has angered some residents along the route. | Metro / NoHo to Pasadena Transit Corridor

Steve Scauzillo reports on the recent controversy over a proposed bus rapid transit route that would connect the neighborhood of North Hollywood, in Los Angeles, to Pasadena, located to the east.

The controversy was on full display at a recent hearing of the Eagle Rock Neighborhood Council's Land Use Committee, when 100 residents and business owners from the neighborhood that lies about halfway along the route in Los Angeles showed up to voice concerns about the project.

"Members of a two-week-old group, with a website www.eaglerock411.com, were very concerned about the possibility that the rapid transit busway would use up the grassy median along a 2.3-mile stretch of Colorado Boulevard in Eagle Rock. They are also opposed to turning general traffic lanes in both directions into dedicated bus lanes and removing parking on both sides of the boulevard," reports Scauzillo.

The controversy has erupted since the Board of Directors at the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority decided recently not to run the route along the 134 Freeway, and instead chose a route along streets in Eagle Rock. "After holding several meetings in 2017 and 2018, Metro determined that community members in Eagle Rock, a neighborhood of Los Angeles just west of Pasadena, as well as Glendale and Burbank wanted a bus rapid transit line that would maximize street stops and stop at local shopping areas and workplaces," according to Scauzillo.

More details of the opposition's opinions on the proposal are included in the article.

Wednesday, June 19, 2019 in Los Angeles Daily News

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 9, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Green vintage Chicago streetcar from the 1940s parked at the Illinois Railroad Museum in 1988.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails

Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

July 13, 2025 - WTTV

Bend, Oregon

Bend, Oregon Zoning Reforms Prioritize Small-Scale Housing

The city altered its zoning code to allow multi-family housing and eliminated parking mandates citywide.

6 hours ago - Strong Towns

Blue and silver Amtrak train with vibrant green and yellow foliage in background.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail

The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

7 hours ago - Smart Cities Dive

Green Skid Row mural satirizing city limit sign in downtown Los Angeles, California.

LA Denies Basic Services to Unhoused Residents

The city has repeatedly failed to respond to requests for trash pickup at encampment sites, and eliminated a program that provided mobile showers and toilets.

July 14 - Los Angeles Public Press