Upgraded Bus Stops Opened Along Metro Rapid Route

A dozen new Metro Rapid bus stops with umbrella canopies and computerized 19-foot billboards were unveiled Tuesday along Ventura Boulevard by Mayor Richard Riordan and Metropolitan Transportation Authority officials.

Riordan cut a ribbon as a red-and-white, 50-passenger bus pulled up to the curb at Ventura and Sepulveda boulevards. Computerized red billboard 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, he said.

Each shelter is equipped with 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. The shelters were designed to fit on the sidewalk without blocking businesses, Gephart said.

The Ventura Boulevard line, served by 20 buses, runs 16 miles, stopping 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 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 MTA. “We’re calling for an aggressive expansion of the Metro Rapid system across Los Angeles County.”

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

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

Buses, which are painted a distinctive red, have signal-changing transponders to keep traffic lights green, low floors for quicker boarding and video cameras for security, Gephart said. Travel time is reduced by 25% by Metro Rapid, and ridership has increased by 30%, he said.