Glendale councilman Najarian, other Metro officials ride Route 501

Glendale City Councilman Ara Najarian, who is a member of the L.A. County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, took a ride Thursday on the “NoHo to Pasadena Express” service, Route 501, that launched last month for a 180-day trial run.

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In October, Metro officials approved starting the $1.2-million route, which links the North Hollywood Red and Orange Line station to the Memorial Park and Del Mar Gold Line stations in Pasadena, stopping along the way in Burbank and Glendale, where passengers will be able to transfer to the BurbankBus or Glendale Beeline.

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Steven Scaffidi of Woodland Hills arrives at the Sanchez Dr. and N. Brand Blvd. on the Metro’s new NoHo to Pasadena Express Line 501 on Thursday, April 14, 2016. Scaffidi boards the bus at the North Hollywood station to go to work in Glendale. The line starts in North Hollywood, stops in Burbank, Glendale and Pasadena before heading back to the North Hollywood station where it begins again.  (Raul Roa / Staff Photographer)

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Glendale city councilman and Metro board member Ara Najarian, center, gets on board at the start of the Metro’s new NoHo to Pasadena Express Line 501 in North Hollywood, on Thursday, April 14, 2016.The line stops in Burbank, Glendale and Pasadena before heading back to the North Hollywood station where it begins again.

  (Raul Roa / Staff Photographer)

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Glendale councilman and Metro board member Ara Najarian, right, talks with Burbank-bound bus rider Lilia Navarrete of L.A., left, at the start of the Metro’s new NoHo to Pasadena Express Line 501 in North Hollywood, on Thursday, April 14, 2016. The line stops in Burbank, Glendale and Pasadena before heading back to the North Hollywood station where it begins again.

  (Raul Roa / Staff Photographer)

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Bus riders pass by the Metro’s new NoHo to Pasadena Express Line 501 in North Hollywood, on Thursday, April 14, 2016. The line stops in Burbank, Glendale and Pasadena before heading back to the North Hollywood station where it begins again.  (Raul Roa / Staff Photographer)

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Glendale councilman and Metro board member Ara Najarian, center, talks with bus rider Steven Scaffidi, left, and L.A. City councilmember/Metro board member Paul Krekorian, right, at the start of the Metro’s new NoHo to Pasadena Express Line 501 in North Hollywood, on Thursday, April 14, 2016. Scaffidi boards the bus at the North Hollywood station to go to work in Glendale. The line stops in Burbank, Glendale and Pasadena before heading back to the North Hollywood station where it begins again.

  (Raul Roa / Staff Photographer)

Service runs from 5:30 a.m. until 9 p.m. weekdays and from 6:30 a.m. until 9 p.m. on weekends — every 15 minutes during peak hours and every 30 minutes during off-peak times and weekends — and travels mostly on the carpool lanes of the Ventura (134) Freeway.

It exits the freeway to make two Burbank stops, one at Hollywood Way and Olive Avenue, near Warner Bros., and another at Alameda Avenue and Buena Vista Street, near Providence St. Joseph Medical Center and Walt Disney Studios.

The route also includes stops in Glendale at Goode Avenue and Brand Boulevard (westbound) and Sanchez Drive and Brand (eastbound).

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Mark Kellam, mark.kellam@latimes.com

Twitter: @LAMarkKellam

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