MTA to Launch Rapid Bus Line Service in June

The Metropolitan Transportation Agency on Thursday unveiled its new “rapid bus” and officials said the distinctive red-and-white vehicles will provide a sharp contrast with the transit agency’s regular buses.

The rapid bus system is designed to offer faster travel times along Ventura, Wilshire and Whittier boulevards. The frequent buses will make fewer stops, spaced farther apart, than regular MTA buses.

Rapid bus service will be launched on Ventura Boulevard in the San Fernando Valley, and from the Westside through downtown Los Angeles to the Eastside on June 24--the same day the MTA opens the final leg of the Metro Rail subway from Hollywood to the San Fernando Valley.

The natural gas-powered buses are equipped with electronic equipment that can keep a traffic light in the green phase to speed the vehicle’s passage through intersections. Faster boarding is anticipated because the buses have low floors, eliminating the need for passengers to climb steps to get aboard.

The MTA board on Thursday approved a $4-million program to install special rapid-bus stops and passenger shelters at 89 locations along the new routes. The new shelters, however, will not be in place when the service starts.

MTA directors decided last month that the rapid bus service will be free during the first week of operation to encourage the public to try it out. If it proves successful, the rapid bus concept could be expanded to other transit corridors.