Misplaced Pages

#936063

60-627: [REDACTED] The Harbor Transitway (also known as the I-110 Express Lanes ) is a 10.3-mile (16.6 km) shared-use express bus corridor (known as a busway or transitway) and high occupancy toll (HOT) lanes running in the median of Interstate 110 (Harbor Freeway) between Downtown Los Angeles and the Harbor Gateway Transit Center in Gardena, California . Buses also make intermediate stops at 37th Street/USC , Slauson , Manchester , Harbor Freeway , and Rosecrans stations. The facility opened for two-person carpools ( high-occupancy vehicle lanes ) on June 26, 1996, for buses on August 1, 1996 and

120-473: A hub-and-spoke system with a trunk route on the Harbor Transitway, or create a "dual hub" system with a trunk route that served both the Harbor Transitway and the older El Monte Busway . The study took into account that because the Harbor Transitway was a Caltrans project, no additional operating funds were provided to transit agencies in the region to operate over the new facility. Metro staff recommended

180-564: A 1,433 mi (3,711 km ) operating area and 2,000 peak hour buses on the street any given business day. Metro also operates 109 miles (175 km) of urban rail service. The authority has 10,290 employees, making it one of the region's largest employers. The authority also partially funds sixteen municipal bus operators and an array of transportation projects including bikeways and pedestrian facilities, local roads and highway improvements, goods movement, Metrolink regional commuter rail, Freeway Service Patrol and freeway call boxes within

240-533: A flyover ramp. South of State Route 91 to San Pedro, a 9.3-mile (15.0 km) section of the Harbor Freeway was widened from six to eight lanes. On this section of freeway, buses travel in the general-purpose lanes and make stops at new stations on the shoulder at Carson Street and Pacific Coast Highway . The project also built the off-highway Harbor Beacon Park & Ride in San Pedro, originally intended to be

300-679: A head in the 1980s. At that time, the LACTC was building the Blue Line (now A Line) light rail line between Los Angeles and Long Beach , while the RTD was building the Red Line (now B Line) subway in Downtown Los Angeles. It was revealed that due to disputes between the agencies, the LACTC was planning to end the Blue Line at Pico Station , instead of serving the 7th Street/Metro Center station being built by

360-408: A less than 1 ⁄ 4 -mile walk to their bus stop. Section 1 of the D Line Extension will add three new subway stations to the D Line at Wilshire/La Brea, Wilshire/Fairfax, and Wilshire/La Cienega. Construction on Section 1 began in 2014 and is expected to be complete in 2025. Section 2 to Century City is expected to be completed in 2026, followed by Section 3 to Westwood in 2027. Metro

420-425: A state's housing policies, since the living situation of one affects the methods of transportation its residents will take. This transit agency can measure successful projects through key pointers such as low income ridership increase and an increase of favorable environmental and health factors for its public community. Increased low income ridership is a significant factor because that focus group tends to makes up

480-503: A transit center for the city. The project to widen the Harbor Freeway and build the Harbor Transitway was planned and constructed concurrently with the new Interstate 105 (Century Freeway) , which was highly controversial and the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) was required by a consent decree to include HOV lanes and a transitway, which became the C Line . After about 20 years of planning and construction,

540-524: Is $ 1.75. Metro introduced daily and weekly fare caps in July 2023, replacing daily, weekly, and monthly passes. With fare capping, the cost of each trip is credited towards the cost of a daily or weekly unlimited pass, automatically ensuring that all passengers pay the lowest fare possible. Discounted or free fares are available for seniors, disabled individuals, Medicare recipients, low-income individuals, and students. The primary method of payment for Metro fares

600-458: Is $ 7.2 billion. Below is the funding breakdown from Metro's fiscal year 2020 budget: The agency is a public transportation and planning agency that lies under the jurisdiction of the State of California. Although it falls under State regulations, it can also partake in regional and municipal levels of rule during a transportation development project. For example, it can play a role in policies regarding

660-571: Is also operating a substantial number of battery electric buses , notably on the G Line busway which has seen all CNG buses replaced with battery electric ones, and has plans to convert into a fully electric bus system. Buses feature on-board visual displays and automatic voice announcement systems that announce the next stop. The Metro Rail fleet is broken down into two main types: light rail vehicles and rapid transit cars (commonly called subway cars in Los Angeles). Metro's light rail vehicles, used on

SECTION 10

#1732859037937

720-775: Is charged regardless of socioeconomic status and the working poor thus suffer greater financial burden, although some states offer tax deductions or rebates to low income individuals for toll payments. Supporters of HOT lanes counter with the fact that because HOT lanes encourage the use of public transit and ride sharing, they reduce transportation demands and provide a benefit for all . However, HOT lanes have demonstrated no guarantees in eliminating traffic congestion, bringing into question their fundamental usefulness aside from raising funds for private institutions and local governments. Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority ( LACMTA ), branded as Metro ,

780-646: Is charged. California Highway Patrol officers have in-vehicle devices which display the declared occupancy of a vehicle, which they can verify visually and cite any driver(s) with fewer occupants than declared (and tolled for). The new system proved itself to be highly effective in reducing the rate of lane-use violations, with it falling to 40-50% of the violation rates of other comparable California highways, from more than 20-25% (nearly one out of four or five) to just 10% (one in ten). Other transportation officials in California took note of this, subsequently leading to

840-528: Is constructing an extension of the A Line to Pomona–North station . The first phase of this extension, to Azusa , opened on March 5, 2016. Groundbreaking for the second phase to Pomona occurred on December 2, 2017, with construction starting in July 2020. The project is expected to be completed in January 2025. Metro, in partnership with LA Aerial Rapid Transit Technologies LLC, is currently proposing to construct an aerial gondola system to connect Dodger Stadium and

900-493: Is currently implementing its "NextGen Bus Plan," a major restructuring of the agency's routes. The plan eliminates most of the Metro Rapid routes and low-performing Metro Local lines to invest in the remaining routes. Metro says the plan will double the number of frequent bus lines (defined as a bus every 10 minutes or better) and expand midday, evening, and weekend service while ensuring that 99% of current riders continue to have

960-410: Is displayed prominently at entry points to the lanes, is adjusted in response to demand to regulate the traffic volume and thereby provided a guaranteed minimum traffic speed and level of service . The Los Angeles Metro ExpressLanes HOT system requires vehicles to be fitted with manually "switchable" transponders where the driver selects the number of occupants, based on which the appropriate fee

1020-450: Is overseen by Chief Executive Officer Stephanie Wiggins. Metro is a joint powers authority governed by a board of directors with 14 members, 13 of whom are voting members. The Board is composed of: While the Metro board makes decisions on large issues, they rely on Service Councils to advise on smaller decisions, such as on bus stop placement and over bus service changes. To enable this work,

1080-483: Is that the latter charges two-person carpools the posted toll during peak hours. The Metro J Line bus rapid transit line runs on the Harbor Transitway from Harbor Gateway Transit Center to Downtown Los Angeles and continues to El Monte Bus Station . The line operates daily with frequent service. In addition to Metro J Line, other Metro bus and municipal bus routes also operate on the Harbor Transitway. They include Los Angeles Metro Bus express lines 460 and 550 ,

1140-688: Is the TAP card , a contactless stored-value card . TAP cards are valid on Metro buses and trains, and on 25 other transit agencies in Los Angeles County. TAP cards are required for Metro Rail trips, free bus transfers, and fare capping; however, single-ride bus fares can still be paid in cash. TAP cards can be purchased at station fare machines , local vendors, online, and at Metro Customer Care Centers. Fare gates are installed at all B, C, D and K Line stations, along with select A and E Line stations. Fare gates were added after 2007 to reduce fare evasion . At

1200-741: Is the county agency that plans, operates, and coordinates funding for most of the public transportation system in Los Angeles County, California , the most populated county in the United States . The agency directly operates a large transit system that includes bus , light rail , heavy rail (subway) , and bus rapid transit services. Metro also provides funding for transit it does not operate, including Metrolink commuter rail, municipal bus operators and paratransit services. The agency also provides funding and directs planning for railroad and highway projects within Los Angeles County. In 2023,

1260-833: Is the primary bus operator in the Los Angeles Basin , the San Fernando Valley , and the western San Gabriel Valley . Other regions of Los Angeles County, including the Antelope Valley and the eastern San Gabriel Valley, are served by separate bus operators, which receive some funding from Metro. As of June 2023 , the Metro Bus system includes 117 routes, serving over 11,000 bus stops. Most Metro Bus lines are local services, stopping at marked stops approximately every two blocks. Limited-stop Metro Rapid services stop only at major intersections, and Metro Express services utilize

SECTION 20

#1732859037937

1320-464: The Bay Area officials of Alameda County to adopt a similar system for the (then) planned Interstate 580 . Implementation of these systems can be prohibitively expensive, due to the initial construction required—particularly with regard to providing access to and from the express toll lanes at interchanges. However, the long-term benefits—the decrease in delay to able motorists and increased funding for

1380-909: The Dodger Stadium Express , the city of Gardena's GTrans line 1X , LADOT Commuter Express routes 438 , 439 and 448 , along with Torrance Transit route 4X . Metro line 550 operates only during weekdays peak hours. Torrance Transit line 4, and Gardena Transit line 1X operate only during weekday peak hours. Metro Express line 460 operates daily along with the Metro Silver Line. Busway bus lines originate from Downtown Los Angeles and El Monte , with final destinations in Disneyland , and Disney California Adventure Park located in Anaheim , Knott's Berry Farm , Artesia , Fullerton , Gardena , Hawthorne , San Pedro and Torrance . FlyAway buses use

1440-560: The Metro ExpressLanes . The Silver Line began operations on December 13, 2009, with Metro planning to refurbish the aging stations along both corridors over the coming years. The electronic toll collection equipment for the HOT lanes on the Harbor Transitway went into service on November 10, 2012. The El Monte Busway's HOT lanes opened on February 22, 2013. Stations along the Harbor Transitway were improved between early 2011 and late 2012 with

1500-533: The Metro Headquarters Building , a 26-story high-rise office tower located next to Union Station , a major transportation hub and the main train station for the Los Angeles metropolitan area, which it has also owned since purchasing it in 2011. The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority operates the third-largest public transportation system in the United States by ridership with

1560-573: The Orange Line , a new busway in the San Fernando Valley, Metro decided to rebrand the county's other busways in an attempt to increase awareness. In March 2006, Metro decided that the Harbor Transitway would be colored bronze and the El Monte Busway would be colored silver on Metro's maps and the two would be marketed as a "Combined Transitway Service." No changes were made in the operations of

1620-763: The Southern California Rapid Transit District (SCRTD or more often, RTD) and the Los Angeles County Transportation Commission (LACTC). The RTD was founded on August 18, 1964, to operate most public transportation in the urbanized Southern California region, including Los Angeles, San Bernardino , Orange , and Riverside counties. RTD replaced the major predecessor public agency, the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transit Authority , and took over eleven failing other bus companies and services in

1680-400: The A, C, E, and K Lines, are 87-foot (26.52 m) articulated , high-floor double-ended cars, powered by overhead catenary lines , which typically run in two or three car consists. Metro's subway cars, used on the B and D Lines, are 75-foot (22.86 m) electric multiple unit , married-pair cars, powered by electrified third rail , that typically run in four or six car consists. Metro

1740-596: The City of Los Angeles) in the City of Long Beach, the Long Beach Police Department and in the City of Santa Monica, California the Santa Monica Police Department . Interactive Metro Rail and Busway map Metro Rail is a rail mass transit system with two subway and four light rail lines. As of November 2024 , the system runs a total of 109 miles (175 km), with 102 stations . Metro

1800-612: The County of Los Angeles. To increase sustainability in transportation services, Metro also provides bike and pedestrian improvements for the over 10.1 million residents of Los Angeles County . Security and law enforcement services on Metro property (including buses and trains) are currently provided by the Transit Services Bureau via contract, in conjunction with Metro Transit Enforcement Department , Los Angeles Police Department (Union Station and all LACMTA rail services within

1860-521: The HOT lanes is required to carry a FasTrak Flex transponder, with its switch set to indicate the number of the vehicle's occupants (1, 2, or 3 or more). Solo drivers may also use the FasTrak standard tag without the switch. Drivers without any FasTrak tag will be assessed a toll violation regardless of whether they qualified for free. The difference between the Harbor Transitway and the El Monte Busway

Harbor Transitway - Misplaced Pages Continue

1920-535: The Harbor Transitway opened on June 26, 1996, at a cost of $ 498 million. Because of uncertainty on the opening date, buses would not start using the facility a few weeks later on August 1, 1996. Opening of the final one-mile elevated section from 39th Street to Adams Boulevard (including 37th Street/USC station) was delayed until July 28, 1997. The Harbor Freeway shoulder stations would open on November 18, 2000. Even before opening, Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) staff recognized that there

1980-473: The Harbor Transitway was radically lower than expected: Caltrans had projected that 65,200 passengers would travel along the Harbor Transitway each day, but after 10 years ridership fell far below those predictions, with the route seeing just 3,000 passengers per weekday in 2004. That amount is low compared to the El Monte Busway, which had 32,000 boardings a day in November 2000. After the very successful launch of

2040-523: The Harbor Transitway, the Harbor Freeway also has two stations on the shoulder of the highway, Carson station and Pacific Coast Highway station which opened on November 18, 2000. The Harbor Transitway project built 10.3 miles (16.6 km) of new lanes (two in each direction) for buses and two-person carpools ( high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes ) between Downtown Los Angeles and a new transit center in Gardena, California . The most visually striking part of

2100-490: The J Line. Pre-payment of fares and all-door boarding reduces the time buses need to remain stopped at stations. As of August 2022, the high-occupancy toll (HOT) lanes are a 24/7 service . Solo drivers are tolled using a congestion pricing system based on the real-time levels of traffic. Carpools with two or more occupants are not charged. All tolls are collected using an open road tolling system, and therefore there are no toll booths to receive cash. Each vehicle using

2160-542: The Metro system had a total ridership of 284,901,000, and had a ridership of 963,000 per weekday as of the third quarter of 2024. It is the largest transit agency by ridership in the state of California , and the third-largest in the United States. The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority was formed on February 1, 1993, by the California State Legislature which merged two rival agencies:

2220-412: The RTD six blocks north. LA Metro has assumed the functions of both agencies and now develops and oversees transportation plans, policies, funding programs, and both short-term and long-range solutions to mobility, accessibility and environmental needs in the county. The agency is also the primary public transit provider for the city of Los Angeles , the second largest city in the United States, providing

2280-466: The Southern California region. Services outside of Los Angeles County began to be divested in the early 1980s. The LACTC began operation in 1977 after a state requirement that all counties form local transportation commissions. Its main objective was to be the guardian of all transportation funding, both transit and highway, for Los Angeles County. The bickering between the two agencies came to

2340-805: The United States and 163 corridor-miles under construction. The first HOT lane implementation in Canada was along the Queen Elizabeth Way (QEW) freeway in Ontario . Existing high-occupancy vehicle lanes were redesignated as HOT lanes for a 16.5-kilometre (10.3 mi) stretch of the QEW between Oakville and Burlington . The initial system consisted of $ 180 permits valid for three months, though HOT lanes with electronic tolling infrastructure were announced as part of forthcoming expansions to Ontario Highway 427 . Some systems are reversible, operating in one direction during

2400-611: The addition of real-time arrival signs, new wayfinding signage, improved lighting, and soundproofing. The Harbor Gateway Transit Center also received bathrooms and a law enforcement substation. Usage of the Harbor Transitway has significantly increased with the implementation of the J Line, with ridership across the entire route reaching 19,277 boardings a day in February 2020. Transit Access Pass (TAP) card ticket vending machines were added to most stations (except Carson and Pacific Coast Highway) in early 2017 to support all-door boarding on

2460-614: The available capacity, as it was found that HOV lanes were underutilized compared to general purpose lanes. Most implementations are currently in the United States. The first practical implementation was California 's formerly private toll 91 Express Lanes , in Orange County, California , in 1995, followed in 1996 by Interstate 15 in northern San Diego . According to the Texas A&;M Transportation Institute, as of 2012 there were 294 corridor-miles of HOT/Express lanes in operation in

Harbor Transitway - Misplaced Pages Continue

2520-450: The bulk of such services. even though the city's own Los Angeles Department of Transportation LADOT operates a smaller bus only public transit system of its own called DASH within the MTA service area in the city of Los Angeles, often overlapping with some Metro Bus routes and stops in several neighborhoods primarily in the central part of the city. Since 1995 the agency has been based out of

2580-519: The buses routes operated on the lines. The changes were criticized as being difficult to understand for irregular and new riders. Metro returned to its plan for a dual-hub route in 2009, proposing a new bus rapid transit service called the Silver Line (now J Line) utilizing both the Harbor Transitway and the El Monte Busway. The new higher frequency service would be funded by converting both corridors into high occupancy toll (HOT) lanes, to be branded as

2640-444: The councils call and conduct public hearings, evaluate Metro programs in their area, and meet with management staff. There are five Service Councils, each representing a different region: Gateway Cities , San Fernando Valley , San Gabriel Valley , South Bay , and Westside/Central . Each council is led by a board composed of a political appointees. Members of Metro staff also sit on the boards of other joint powers authorities across

2700-453: The dual hub proposal, saying that it would be the most efficient and cost less to run. Ultimately, the Metro Board of Directors decided to largely continue running bus routes as they had before. Because most of the buses traveling on the Harbor Freeway served commuters' needs, service was frequent along the corridors during the weekday peak hours but infrequent during other times. Ridership on

2760-468: The extensive Southern California freeways to provide nonstop service between regional destinations. Metro Busway is a bus rapid transit system with two lines operating on dedicated or shared-use busways . The system runs a total of 55.7 miles (89.6 km), with 29 stations and over 42,000 daily weekday boardings as of May 2016. The Metro Busway system is meant to mimic the Metro Rail system, both in

2820-498: The layout of busway stations and safety signage on the roadways leading into the station areas. As a result of that investigation, Metro added concrete-filled metal bollards to all stations on the Harbor Transitway and the El Monte Busway to prevent vehicles from entering the platform and additional markings were added on roadways leading into stations. High occupancy toll lane The HOT concept developed from high-occupancy vehicle lane (HOV) systems in order to increase use of

2880-479: The majority of public transit ridership. Favorable environmental and health factors are also relevant factors because they indicate a positive relationship within the space developed and its residents. Most of Metro's bus fleet is powered by compressed natural gas (CNG), the largest such fleet in the United States. Using CNG reduces emissions of particulates by 90%, carbon monoxide by 80%, and greenhouse gases by 20% compared to diesel powered buses. The agency

2940-419: The morning commute and in the reverse direction during the evening commute. The toll is typically collected using electronic toll collection systems, automatic number plate recognition , or at staffed toll booths . Exempt vehicles typically include those with at least two, three or four occupants, those that use approved alternative fuels, motorcycles, transit vehicles and emergency vehicles. The fee, which

3000-646: The project were the 2.6 miles of viaducts that elevated the transitway directly above the regular freeway traffic. The project also included new stations in the median of the transitway at 37th Street/USC , Slauson , Manchester , Harbor Freeway , and Rosecrans along with the Harbor Gateway Transit Center (then called the Artesia Transit Center) located southeast of the Harbor Freeway/State Route 91 interchange and connected by

3060-1055: The region, including the LOSSAN Rail Corridor Agency , the Alameda Corridor Transportation Authority , the Foothill Gold Line Construction Authority , the Southern California Regional Rail Authority , the High Desert Corridor Joint Powers Agency, and the Inglewood Transit Connector Joint Powers Authority . Chair Vice Chair 2nd Vice Chair Executive Board Members Ex-officio Board Member A complex mix of federal, state, county and city tax dollars as well as bonds and fare box revenue funds Metro. The Metro budget for 2020

SECTION 50

#1732859037937

3120-449: The stadium's surrounding communities to Union Station in Downtown Los Angeles. When completed, the approximate 5,000 people per hour, per direction aerial gondola is expected to transport visitors from Union Station to Dodger Stadium in approximately seven minutes. Additionally, the proposed project would also include several improvements to the nearby Los Angeles State Historic Park. Measure M, passed in November 2016, extends and increases

3180-502: The time, the decision was criticized for its cost and perceived ineffectiveness. Disabled Medicare College Vocational $ 0.75 (peak) Weekday mode share in 2023 The Metro B Line has the highest ridership of all Metro Rail lines and also the lowest operational cost because of its high ridership. The Metro Rail Metro K Line has the lowest ridership of all letter-branded lines. Average daily boardings and passenger miles for all of 2023 are as follows: Day-to-day operations of Metro

3240-531: The transitway to travel between the Los Angeles International Airport and Union Station but do not serve any of the stations. The Harbor Transitway has eight stations. From north to south, they are: On February 22, 2012, a drunk driver on the Harbor Freeway mistakenly entered the bus-only platform area of the Harbor Freeway station . The driver, 51-year-old Stephen Lubin of Sun Valley ,

3300-399: The transitway with stub end to create a provision for a future extension. In 1998, Metro studied the extension but found it expensive and technically challenging, and to date there have been no further efforts to extend the transitway. In 1993, Metro studied how to operate its buses on the Harbor Transitway best and settled on three proposals: continue to run service as it had before, shift to

3360-537: The transportation agency—may outweigh the costs. To offset costs of construction, many transportation agencies lease public roads to a private institution. As a result, construction may be partially or fully funded by the private institution, which receives all of the income from tolling for a specified period. Because HOT lanes and ETLs are often constructed within the existing road space, they are criticized as being an environmental tax or " Lexus lanes" solely beneficial to higher-income individuals, since one toll rate

3420-620: The vehicle's design and in the operation of the line. Vehicles stop at dedicated stations (except for the portion of the Metro J Line in Downtown Los Angeles), vehicles receive priority at intersections and are painted in a silver livery similar to Metro Rail vehicles. The Metro Busway J Line operates over two busways, semi-exclusive roadways built into the Southern California freeway system. These busways are also used by other bus routes to speed up their trips. The base fare for Metro services, including local and express buses and Metro Rail,

3480-431: Was an opportunity to link the operation of the Harbor Transitway to the El Monte Busway , an older but operationally similar facility east of Downtown Los Angeles. During the planning stages, Metro proposed to Caltrans that the transitway be extended from its terminal at 37th Street north for a more direct connection with Downtown Los Angeles or El Monte Busway . That request was not implemented, but Caltrans did construct

3540-552: Was converted to HOT lanes as part of the Metro ExpressLanes project on November 10, 2012. The Harbor Transitway is utilized by the J Line , a bus rapid transit route operated by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority . It is also used by Los Angeles Metro Bus , Dodger Stadium Express , GTrans , LADOT Commuter Express and Torrance Transit bus services, most of which only run during weekday peak periods. South of

3600-449: Was traveling 80 miles per hour (130 km/h), 15 mph (24 km/h) over the freeway's posted speed limit , in his 2009 Honda Fit as he entered the station and encountered a bus stopped at the platform. Lubin swerved to avoid hitting the bus and drove onto the platform where he hit seven people, critically injuring six, before slamming into a pole. After the crash, Metro's CEO Art Leahy asked Metro's safety committee staff to review

#936063