Metro to Implement Four New Bus Lines Including Two New Metro Rapid Lines, a New Freeway Express Bus Line and Other Service Modifications Effective Sunday, June 26; Some Late Night Metro Rail Service Eliminated

Metro will implement four new Metro Bus lines including two new Metro Rapid Bus Lines and a freeway express line as part of service modifications set to begin on June 26.

Some late night service on the Metro Green Line, Metro Gold Line and the Wilshire/Western portion on the Metro Red Line will be eliminated effective June 26. Metro Rail changes are being made because of low ridership during late night hours and as a cost-cutting effort to balance a tight budget.

Two new Metro Rapid Bus Lines will be implemented on Monday, June 27 operating on Beverly Boulevard (Line 714) and along Fairfax Avenue (Line 717). Additionally, Santa Monica’s Big Blue Bus will begin operating a rapid bus line that will operate between Santa Monica and LAX primarily along Lincoln Boulevard.

Metro also will implement a new freeway express bus Line 450X from the Artesia Transit Center operating along the Harbor Freeway Transitway into downtown Los Angeles to the 7^th Street Metro Red Line Station and the Financial District. Service will operate during peak morning and afternoon periods only Monday through Friday.

In the San Fernando Valley, Metro will begin operating new shuttle bus service Line 645 from Warner Center via Topanga Canyon, Mulholland, Valley Circle, Vanowen, Fallbrook, and Sherman Way to West Hills Medical Center to replace the canceled segment of former Line 245. Weekend service along this segment will no longer be provided. This service is being implemented as part of service modifications being made in anticipation of the opening of the Metro Orange Line later this year.

Some service cancellations also are planned on a few Metro Bus Lines as part of the service modifications. Midday service will be cancelled on Line 211/215 (Prairie Ave./Inglewood Ave.) and Line 202 (Willowbrook/Compton/Wilmington). Saturday and midday service will be cancelled on Line 168 (LassenStreet/Paxton Street).

In addition to the new services being implemented, numerous Metro Bus Lines will undergo service modifications. Service changes also are planned on the Metro Rail system. Those service changes include:

Metro Rail System

Metro Green Line: The last trip from Redondo Beach to Norwalk will leave at 11:55 p.m. instead of 12:55 a.m. Westbound the last train will depart Norwalk at 12:34 a.m. instead of 1:34 a.m.

Metro Red Line: The last westbound trip on the Wilshire/Western branch of the line only will leave Union Station at 11:27 p.m. instead of 12:27 a.m. The last eastbound train from Wilshire/Western will depart at 11:42 p.m. instead of 12:42 a.m.

Metro Gold Line: The last northbound train from Union Station will depart at 11:52 p.m. instead of 12:52 a.m. The last southbound train from Sierra Madre Villa station will depart at 12:31 a.m. instead of 1:31 a.m.

SOUTH BAY SERVICE SECTOR

Line 40 (Hawthorne Blvd./L.A. Union Station)

New northbound short line will terminate some trips at 7^th and Broadway.

Line 108 (Slauson Ave.)

New westbound short line turnaround established at Slauson Ave. and Crenshaw Blvd.

Line 110 (Gage Av. – Centinela Ave./Fox Hills Mall)

Extend route to Playa Vista and establish new west terminal weekdays only at Jefferson Blvd. and E.A. Way (close to Lincoln Blvd. approximately a third of a mile west of Alla Rd.)

Line 115 (Manchester Ave./Firestone Blvd.)

Service to operate straight on Manchester Ave. in the Westchester area. Route segments on Loyola Blvd., 80^th St., and Emerson Ave. will no longer be served except for selected trips to Wright Middle School.

Line 119-126 (108^th St./Manhattan Beach Blvd.)

Route change to Line 119 in the south Inglewood area. Buses will be rerouted to Century Blvd. between Prairie Ave. and Crenshaw Blvd. where the route segments on 108^th St. and 110^th St. will no longer be served.

Line 202 (Wilmington/Compton/Willowbrook)

Cancel midday service.

Move north terminal at Imperial/Wilmington/Rosa Parks Station from East Roadway to West Roadway.

Line 207-357 (Western Ave.)

New north end turnaround loop established in Hollywood via Gower Ave. and Franklin Ave. All buses will be removed from Garfield Pl. Discontinue service on 120^th St. from Western and Imperial to 117^th St. and Figueroa.

Line 211-215 (Prairie Ave./Inglewood Ave.)

Cancel midday service.

Improve peak period service frequencies to every 30 minutes.

Line 305 (Crosstown Bus)

Service will operate 7 days per week approximately every 30 minutes in peak hours and every 45 to 60 minutes at other times.

Line 450 (Artesia Transit Center /7^th/Metro Center - Express)

Establish new faster express service from the Artesia Transit Center to 7^th/Metro Center in downtown L.A. via the Harbor Transitway with one stop at the Harbor Green Line Station, operating weekday peak periods.

San Fernando Valley Service Sector

Line 94 (L.A./San Fernando)

Adjust selected weekday bus trips to connect at Olive and San Fernando Road.

Line 152 (Fallbrook Ave./Roscoe Blvd./Vineland Ave./Burbank)

Adjust weekday/midday frequency of service from 20 to 25 minutes.

Line 154 (Burbank Blvd./Oxnard St.)

Relocate western terminal from Porter Ranch to Reseda/Ventura. Combine Tampa Ave. with Winnetka Ave. route segment and delete Northridge Metrolink route deviation.

Line 158 (Devonshire St./Woodman Ave.)

Improve weekday peaks period frequency of buses.

Line 161 (Thousand Oaks/Warner Center)

Relocate eastern terminal from Owensmouth and Vanowen to Warner Center Transit Hub.

Line 164/165 (Victory Blvd./Vanowen St.)

Relocate midday shortline terminals to Warner Center and make minor schedule adjustments. Add night trips on Vanowen.

Line 168 (Lassen St./Paxton St.)

Relocate western terminal from Nordhoff and Topanga to Chatsworth Metrolink Station. Modify route to serve Northridge Fashion Center and implement minor reroute from Arleta Ave. to Laurel Canyon and Van Nuys Blvd. Midday and Saturday service will be canceled.

Line 242/243 (Tampa/Winnetka Ave.)

Combine Tampa Ave. with Winnetka Ave. route segment and delete Northridge Metrolink route deviation along Tampa Ave. The segment of the route operating along Tampa Ave. and Ventura Blvd. will operate as new line 242 and the Winnetka Ave. segment will remain as Line 243. Improve weekday peak period frequency.

Line 244/245 (De Soto Ave./Topanga Canyon Blvd.)

Combine Topanga Canyon Blvd. segment, north of Ventura Blvd. with De Soto Ave. route segment. The segment of the route operating along De Soto Ave. and Ventura Blvd. will operate as new Line 244 and the Topanga Canyon Blvd. segment will remain as Line 245. No service will be provided along the De Soto Ave. segment on Sunday.

Line 418 (Roscoe Blvd./Laurel Canyon/North Hollywood Station Limited)

Change to Line 353 and reroute from Laurel Canyon Blvd. to Lankershim Blvd.

Line 426 (Sherman Way/North Hollywood Red Line Station) Renumber route to Line 363.

Line 645 (Warner Center/Muholland Dr./Valley Circle Blvd.)

Replaces former Line 245 route segment between West Hills Medical Center and Warner Center. Service provided along Valley Circle Blvd., Mulholland Dr. and Topanga Canyon Blvd. to Warner Center on weekdays only. Improve weekday peak period frequency.

Gateway Cities Service Sector

Line 270 (Monrovia/El Monte/Whittier/Santa Fe Springs/Norwalk)

Implement a new route to connect Whittier College, Whittier Depot, Presbyterian Hospital and the Norwalk Station of the Metro Green Line.

Line 102 (East Jefferson Blvd./Coliseum St.)

Move early morning and late evening layover zone to Coliseum.

Line 611 (Huntington Park/Maywood/Bell/South Gate/Walnut Park Loop)

Reroute portion of line via Compton Blvd., Vernon Ave. and Florence Ave.

SAN GABRIEL VALLEY SECTOR

Line 70/370 (Los Angeles/El Monte via Garvey Ave.)

Shorten late night owl trips in downtown Los Angeles at 7^th Street and Spring Street.

Line 268 (Washington Blvd./Baldwin Ave.)

End weekend service at Woodbury/Lincoln and change midday turn-around loop.

WESTSIDE/CENTRAL SERVICE SECTOR

Line 714 (Beverly Blvd. Metro Rapid)

Implement peak-hour only Metro Rapid Service on Beverly Blvd.

Line 717 (Fairfax Metro Rapid)

Implement Metro Rapid Bus service on Fairfax replacing Line 317 local limited stop service.

In addition, Metro will make minor adjustments to the frequency of Metro Buses operating on the following: Lines 18, 26, 45, 46, 51, 52, 53, 55, 60, 65, 66, 81, 102, 105, 152, 168, 170, 176, 200, 201, 264, 265, 267, 268, 305, 352, 360, 362, 366, 381, 460, 446, 447, 611, 612, 681, 705, 720, 745, 750, 754, and 780.

For specific route and schedules call 1-800-C-O-M-M-U-T-E or visit Metro’s web site at www.metro.net.

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