By Eric Jaffe
CityLab
The big trend in U.S. transit bus service is to do more with less—or, in some senses, to do something different with the same. So we see cities like Houstonand Omaha redesigning their bus systems, at zero additional cost, into networks that cover less territory than before but that run more frequently where they do go. That crowd may soon get a high-profile new face: Los Angeles.
At least that’s the service direction indicated by a series of recent documents posted online by L.A. Metro’s Blue Ribbon Committee, a panel tasked with suggesting a new transit vision for the city. Over the course of five meetingsdating back to February, the committee has drafted a service plan that centers around an expanded network of frequent bus—those running at least every 15 minutes. Here’s the proposed map (spotted by Human Transit), with proposed expansions in red and purple:
The plan would give Angelinos something closer to reliable all-day transit service. That’s a great benefit to any city: it reduces car reliance, promotes equitable mobility, and ultimately increases transit ridership. It’s also a great thing for riders, because it means they can more or less show up at a stop without consulting a schedule and know a bus will come soon.
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