Metro may remove Orange Line stop at Warner Center

Metro detailed this week a proposed adjustment to the popular Orange Line rapid bus line that travels between Chatsworth and North Hollywood.

In a short presentation at a public hearing Wednesday, the agency laid out plans for replacing the bus route’s stop at Warner Center with a shuttle service that would ferry riders around the area before dropping them at the Canoga station.

As the presentation indicates, the Warner Center station is one of the less popular stops along the line, even though it’s close to shops and housing complexes. It also requires the bus to make something of a detour, dipping south before circling back to Victory Boulevard.

Two possible routes for the shuttle service have been proposed. One would make a simple loop bounded by Canoga Ave, Oxnard Street, Owensmouth Ave, and Vanowen Street. The other would take a more complicated path, extending further south to connect with Burbank Boulevard and Kaiser Hospital.

Via Metro

Via Metro

Meanwhile, Metro is planning future upgrades to the Orange Line, including the introduction of an all-electric bus fleet and grade separation projects at five intersections along the route to speed up service.

Eventually, the agency plans to convert the entire route to light rail. Included in the project list associated with Metro’s Measure M ballot measure, the conversion is currently scheduled to get underway in 2051. As with other Measure M projects, however, the agency is exploring ways to speed up that timeline

• Metro is upgrading the Orange Line, anticipating line’s conversion to rail [Curbed LA]
• Here are the “shovel ready” projects Measure M will fund first [Curbed LA]
• Watch how Measure M would grow LA’s rail network [Curbed LA]