Valley-to-Westside express bus will use 405 Freeway carpool lanes

A new bus route will use the 405 Freeway's new carpool lanes to shuttle commuters between the San Fernando Valley and West Los Angeles.

Dec. 12, 2014 1:17 PM PT

Los Angeles County commuters seeking to avoid gridlock on the 405 Freeway will soon have another way to travel between the San Fernando Valley and Westwood on weekdays, officials said Friday.

Starting Monday, the Valley-Westside Express will shuttle Metropolitan Transportation Authority passengers through the Sepulveda Pass in the 405’s new carpool lanes during peak commuting periods.

------------

FOR THE RECORD

An earlier version of this post said the shuttle would run nonstop between Sherman Oaks and Westwood. It will actually go between Van Nuys and Westwood.

-------------

The route, which will be nonstop between Van Nuys and Westwood, is expected to be about 20 minutes faster than current bus service, officials said.

Buses will arrive every 15 minutes from 5 to 9 a.m. and 3 to 7 p.m. The route will not be available during off-peak hours.

In the San Fernando Valley, the bus will stop at the Panorama Mall in Arleta; the Van Nuys Metrolink station; the Van Nuys Civic Center; and the Van Nuys and Sepulveda Basin Orange Line stations. Both Orange Line stations have free parking lots where drivers can leave their cars.

In West Los Angeles, the buses will stop at the Federal Building and UCLA.

“The new Valley-Westside express is targeted at one of L.A.’s most notorious choke points,” said Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, the Metro board chair, in a prepared statement. “It will not only cut 40 minutes of commute time for its riders, it’ll reduce the number of cars on the 405 to reduce congestion for us all.”

Metro hopes to extend the express route south through the Mid-City area to connect with the second phase of the Expo Line, which is slated to open in 2016.

In a prepared statement, Los Angeles City Councilman and Metro board member Paul Krekorian said the buses will “make it easier for commuters to get where they need to be.”

A one-way Metro fare costs $1.75, and includes two hours of free transfers.

For more Los Angeles transportation news, follow @laura_nelson on Twitter.