La Brea Is Losing Rush-Hour Travel Lanes To Make Way For Bus Lanes

HOLLYWOOD, CA — A nearly six-mile stretch of La Brea Avenue is getting bus lanes — and Metro is sacrificing the curbside rush-hour travel lanes in order to do it.

Metro on Wednesday began construction of the project, which will see bus priority lanes installed on each side of La Brea Avenue between Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood and Coliseum Street in Baldwin Hills. The first phase of the project, between Sunset and Olympic boulevards, is expected to be completed within six weeks. A start date has not been set for the remainder of the project, according to a Metro spokesman.

Transit officials say the project could improve bus speeds by 15 percent or more and increase service frequency and reliability. The corridor serves buses including the 212 and West Hollywood Cityline. Buses will run ever seven to eight minute during bus-lane hours, according to Metro.

The bus lanes will serve stops on the E (Expo) Line and B (Red) Line, as well as the future extension of the D (Purple) Line.

The bus lanes will be located in lanes closest to the curb on either side of the street. Currently those lanes are open for all vehicles during morning and evening weekday rush hours and are used for parking at other times.

Once the bus lane signs and street markings are installed, the lanes will continue to be available for parking during off-peak hours.

The first phase of the project, between Sunset and Olympic boulevards, will see the bus lanes in effect between 7-9 a.m. and 4-7 p.m. on weekdays. All other traffic will only be allowed to enter the lanes to make right turns.

The second phase of the project, between Olympic Boulevard and Coliseum Street, is on hold. Metro officials do not have an estimate of when construction will begin on that phase, according to an agency spokesman.

Analysis from the Los Angeles Department of Transportation found that the lanes would not delay car drivers' travel north of San Vicente Boulevard. But the lanes would cause up to a three-minute increase in travel time between Coliseum Street and San Vicente Boulevard.

Metro stats from 2019 show that over 12,000 people board transit on La Brea Avenue each weekday. Some 75 percent of those bus riders do not own a car and rely on public transit. Some 40 percent are living below the poverty line.

More information about the project is available on Metro's website.