Just the Ticket

A dozen new Metro Rapid bus stops with umbrella canopies and computerized 19-foot billboards were unveiled Tuesday along Ventura Boulevard.

Mayor Richard Riordan cut the ribbon as a red-and-white 50-passenger bus, designed for speed and efficiency, pulled up to the curb at Ventura and Sepulveda boulevards. Computerized red letters announced “Next Bus Arriving--Metro Rapid Bus.”

“It’s an important day,” said Rex Gephart, project manager for Metro Rapid. “Ventura Boulevard is the very first street for these Metro Rapid bus stops. We can operate service 25% faster than any other bus line.”

The stops, designed by Suisman Urban Design, provide speedier, smoother bus service for drivers and passengers by providing more accessible information, he said.

Each shelter has tall banners and signs that allow riders to easily identify where buses will stop, canopies that shield passengers from rain or sun and information on arrival times, transit maps and the neighborhood. Shelters were designed to fit on any sidewalk, but not to block businesses, Gephart said.

The Ventura Boulevard line, served by 20 buses, is 16 miles long, with stops at 15 major intersections between Warner Center in Woodland Hills and Universal City.

The only other Metro Rapid line runs 26 miles along Wilshire and Whittier boulevards, from Santa Monica to Montebello, where new bus stops are expected to be completed in three months, Gephart said.

“This was a pilot program and it has been very successful,” said James L. de la Loza, executive officer of countywide planning and development for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

“We’re calling for an aggressive expansion of the Metro Rapid system across Los Angeles County.”

In April, MTA will propose 22 more Metro Rapid bus lines in high traffic areas throughout the city, he said.

Metro Rapid bus service began last June with 90 buses on the two routes.

Buses, which are marked by distinctive red paint, have signal-changing transponders to keep traffic lights green, low floors for quicker boarding at stops and video cameras for security, Gephart said. T

ravel time was reduced by 25% for passengers who use Metro Rapid, and ridership has increased by 30%, he said.

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Rapid bus stops

The Rapid station stops on Ventura Boulevard and Wilshire Boulevard were updated with lighting, maps and shelter. A look at a new stop:

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Illustration courtesy of Suisman Urban Design