The Valley’s heavily used Orange Line, which runs from Chatsworth to North Hollywood, is poised for some upgrades in the years to come, says The Source.
Two projects that will bring changes to the Orange Line are underway now following the passage of the half-cent sales tax increase Measure M, including a study aimed at speeding the buses though intersections. The other is analyzing five crossings on the route to see which is the best spot for grade separation, removing the bus from the street level. (An underpass or an elevated path are two examples of how this might happen.)
Metro is assessing intersections at Fulton and Burbank, Woodman and Oxnard, Van Nuys, Sepulveda, and Reseda. Once the best spot is chosen, the project would be built “to rail standards” so that it’s easier to ultimately convert the line to rail, says The Source.
Officials are planning for a 2019 groundbreaking on the grade separation project. The ultimate goal of making the Orange Line a rail line has a much more distant expected start date—2051.
The BRT (bus rapid transit) line runs at street level in a dedicated lane. According to Metro data, last year, the Orange Line saw just under 25,000 boardings a day on weekdays.
Metro is also studying an array of changes and upgrades to the Orange Line, with the aim of implementing some but not all of them:
- grade crossing improvements
- new, battery-electric powered buses that produce zero emissions to replace current natural gas-powered buses
- travel time improvements
- a shuttle in Warner Center Shuttle
- a “shortline” route for Reseda Station
For a full rundown of the possibilities for the shuttle and shortline, read The Source’s full post.
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