Late last week, Los Angeles transit riders got a first peak at the proposed NextGen Bus Plan, a system redesign that promises to completely redefine transit access in the county.
Last Friday, the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) released the first draft of its NextGen Bus Plan, first announced in 2017 with hopes of reversing rapidly plummeting ridership on the system.
"In a big step forward for Metro’s efforts to restructure its vast bus system, the agency today released a draft service plan that would greatly improve the frequency of buses across the Metro system," according to an article written by Steve Hymon for Metro's The Source.
The big ticket items of the proposed plan include the following benefits, as described by Hymon:
- Buses would arrive every five to 10 minutes for 83 percent of current riders compared to 49 percent today.
- The number of bus lines running every five to 10 minutes on weekdays would jump from 16 to 29 and from two to 14 on weekends.
- The number of Los Angeles County residents who could walk to bus lines running every five to 10 minutes would more than double from 900,000 currently to almost 2.2 million.
The model for the redesign follows the frequent grid made most famous in the United States by Houston in 2015. In addition to consolidating certain routes, the plan also proposes eliminating stops to speed up bus service, according to the article.
As noted by Hymon, the draft NextGen Bus Plan is expected to evolve after a public engagement process expected to launch in February and March (a schedule is already available).
"Later this month, Metro will also be releasing route-by-route changes and online tools that will better visualize what your bus ride would be like under the draft plan," according to Hymon.
FULL STORY: Frequent service plan released for NextGen Bus Plan
Oregon Passes Exemption to Urban Growth Boundary
Cities have a one-time chance to acquire new land for development in a bid to increase housing supply and affordability.
Where Urban Design Is Headed in 2024
A forecast of likely trends in urban design and architecture.
Savannah: A City of Planning Contrasts
From a human-scales, plaza-anchored grid to suburban sprawl, the oldest planned city in the United States has seen wildly different development patterns.
Washington Tribes Receive Resilience Funding
The 28 grants support projects including relocation efforts as coastal communities face the growing impacts of climate change.
Adaptive Reuse Bills Introduced in California Assembly
The legislation would expand eligibility for economic incentives and let cities loosen regulations to allow for more building conversions.
LA's Top Parks, Ranked
TimeOut just released its list of the top 26 parks in the L.A. area, which is home to some of the best green spaces around.
City of Rochester
Boston Harbor Now
City of Bellevue
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Birmingham, Alabama
City of Laramie, Wyoming
Colorado Department of Local Affairs
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.