The San Fernando Valley's Orange Line bus rapid transit enjoys solid ridership. For an area of the city especially under-served by trains, investing in light rail might be a viable option.
Since its opening in 2005, L.A. Metro's Orange Line bus rapid transit "has since become the busiest bus route in the Valley, carrying about 30,000 riders a day between Chatsworth, Warner Center and North Hollywood. That's a sign, advocates say, that it's finally time for the busway to become a rail line."
Los Angeles is in the midst of a transit rail renaissance, with several lines currently in the works. But service remains patchy in many areas. "Some elected officials and advocates argue the county's rail-building boom over the last three decades has shortchanged the Valley, home to nearly 20% of county residents. The sprawling and largely built-out suburb, with its own large employment and commercial centers, has just two of Metro's 80 rail stations."
BRT infrastructure already in place (such as bridges able to bear trains) will reduce the upgrade's overall cost by about 25 percent. Still, finding the funds will require another local tax bump. "Money for such a project was not included in Measure R, the half-cent sales tax for transportation projects passed by Los Angeles County voters in 2008. That measure has provided local financing for the bulk of the county's recent rail construction."
FULL STORY: Metro to study converting busy Orange Line busway to a rail line
Funding for Two Transit Projects Approved for the Valley in Los Angeles
Local funding for a new light rail line and upgrades to the G Line (née Orange Line) bus rapid transit route have been approved for the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles.
Why Replace Successful BRT With Rail?
The Orange Line, a bus rapid transit line running through Los Angeles' San Fernando Valley, has been a success. To those calling for an expensive conversion to rail, several experts say, why bother?
Controversial BRT Plans Revised in Los Angeles
The proposed changes to plans for a bus rapid transit route on Colorado Boulevard are an attempt to compromise between competing community concerns.
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.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths
Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.
Florida Home Insurers Disproportionately Dropping Low-Income Households
Non-renewal rates are highest in inland counties, not the coastal areas most immediately vulnerable to storms.
Half of Post-Fire Altadena Home Sales Were to Corporations
Large investors are quietly buying up dozens of properties in Altadena, California, where a devastating wildfire destroyed more than 6,000 homes in January.
Opinion: What San Francisco’s Proposed ‘Family Zoning’ Could Really Mean
Mayor Lurie is using ‘family zoning’ to encourage denser development and upzoning — but could the concept actually foster community and more human-scale public spaces?
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Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
JM Goldson LLC
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
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Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Jefferson Parish Government
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