Busway on Sunset? Metro Studying Citywide Bus Lane Network

Metro is in the midst of a study called the Los Angeles County Bus Rapid Transit and Street Design Improvement Study--it examines boulevards and streets throughout LA that could accommodate bus rapid transit, i.e., transit corridors where buses have some kind of priority (usually their own lanes). The transit agency is studying dozens of streets, including Santa Monica Boulevard, Sunset, Slauson, Soto, La Brea, Western, Third, Olympic, and Atlantic. The report should be in by June, Streetsblog reports, and it should include a list of 12 corridors perfect for BRT, as well as five corridors where it could be implemented in the "near term." Streetsblog remains dubious about "near term," as there is currently no funding for BRT, not to mention that the Wilshire BRT has dragged on for years and won't include sections in Beverly Hills and Santa Monica when it opens in 2015. Another question is what exactly Metro considers BRT--unlike the Wilshire BRT, the Valley's Orange Line BRT has its own lanes, stations, ticket vending (so people pre-pay and don't hold up others by digging for change), and low boarding (which allows people in wheelchairs to more easily roll onto the bus).
· What Corridors Could Be Best for BRT? Metro's Study Progresses [Streetsblog]