City OKs Extra Buses, New Route to Trains

There’s help on the way for people left standing on the corner by filled-to-capacity Beeline buses, with the City Council agreeing Tuesday to expand the popular transit service.

In addition, the council unanimously approved starting an express shuttle system between the soon-to-open Glendale Transportation Center and business areas.

The council’s action authorized City Manager David Ramsay to seek bids for three new Beeline buses and to apply for Los Angeles County Transportation Commission approval for both projects. Approval by the commission would allow the city to use Proposition A transportation funds for the projects.

Public Works Director George Miller estimated that the new buses and signs for the Beeline will cost about $350,000, plus a yearly operating expense of about $182,000. The Commuter Express Shuttle Service, he estimated, will cost about $106,200 per year.

Miller said ridership on the Beeline has grown so much that, during peak hours, buses with a maximum capacity for 22 passengers often have to leave more than 30 people behind each time they run the popular southerly route. The new buses will hold 40 or more passengers.

He indicated that Beeline ridership has been increasing steadily since the system was introduced in 1984. Introduction of the southerly route in 1991 boosted ridership from 577,000 in 1990 to more than 1 million last year.

If the project is approved by the transportation commission, the city hopes to start two-way service on Central Avenue and Brand Boulevard from Broadway south to the train station by this fall. Currently, buses on this route, known as the dot line, run in a loop, driving north on Central, then returning on Brand.

The Beeline’s northerly routes already have two-way service. The addition of three buses would help handle current overflow of passengers using the southern half of the system and shorten times between buses, Miller said.

The new express shuttle system would consist of two buses, one running from the train station to Glenoaks Boulevard along Brand Boulevard, servicing the downtown businesses; and the other running from the train station along San Fernando Road to the industrial area near Western Avenue. This service would begin in October, to coincide with the opening of the train station.

Councilwoman Eileen Givens suggested changing the bus route designations from dot, diamond and dash to color codes, which she said would be clearer to bus users. Miller said staff members are considering several ways to clarify routes but have not reached a decision.