LACMTA Orange Line
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The Metro Orange Line is a dedicated busway operated by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority. It travels fourteen miles between Warner Center and the North Hollywood Metro Red Line subway station in the San Fernando Valley. In May 2006, it averaged 21,828 weekday boardings. The loading factor has continue to grow in the interval,so that in many of the peak periods, the coaches depart the North Hollywood station completely packed with little standing room for points west. Studies of the use suggest that most riders are long haul and in fact come to & from the Red Line subway service. This "extension" effect of Red Line, is more "traffic productive" than from boarding and droping off a passenger along the bus line. Creating better service with more frequency, or longer coaches on the Orange Line, will further stimulate traffic on the subway.
The Orange Line is designed with similar characteristics of an urban light rail system such as a dedicated right-of-way, more broadly dispersed stations approximately one mile apart, platform ticket machines for faster boarding, public art, park-n-ride lots and other amenities.
Because of its many differences from a standard bus service, the authority has branded the transitway as part of the region's network of light and heavy rail lines. It appears on the Metro Rail System Map. Orange Line vehicles, Metroliners, are painted in the silver and gray color scheme of Metro Rail vehicles. Likewise, it is the authority's only bus line that has been marketed with a color designation rather than its line number (901). In addition, the Orange Line is also built on the former Southern Pacific Railroad Burbank Branch right-of-way.
The busway's color name, the Orange Line, references the many citrus trees that once blanketed the San Fernando Valley. The name was adopted in January 2004 by the board of directors. In the planning stages the busway was known as the "San Fernando Valley East-West Transitway," and later the "Metro Rapidway."
Vehicles
The unusually large, high tech looking buses have been dubbed "Metro Liners" by the LACMTA. Metro Liners are twenty feet longer than the standard forty-foot bus which enables them to hold up to 50% more passengers. Because of this length the buses are articulated in the center. They have three doors for faster boarding and alighting. Like most L.A. Metro buses, the Metro Liners are made by North American Bus Industries and run on Compressed Natural Gas.
Ridership
The average for the first five full months of operation, to March 2006, was 16,766 boardings per weekday. The strong upward trend, from January 2006, suggests that ridership for the first full year of operation might fall between 5.5 million and 6 million annual boardings. In May 2006, the average rached 21,828 boardings per weekday, a ridership high the Orange Line was not expected to reach until 2020 [link]. Annual passenger traffic density is a more useful indicator than crude boarding counts for comparison between modes, lines, and systems. This is calculated by dividing annual passenger-miles (or km) by the line length. The result, expressed as "passenger-miles per mile of route" (or "passenger-km per km of route"), is simply a measure of the number of passengers who, on average, travel over each mile (or km) of line length. (Although seldom used in the U.S., annual traffic density is an important measure of line capacity and is a major determinant of operating expense.)The estimated number of boardings for the first full year of operation, based on actual results for the first four months of operation, is 5.25 million. The reported average travel distance per boarding is 6.5 mi (10.5 km) on the busway. (It should be noted that the majority of passengers arrived in North Hollywood by Red Line or regular bus and are using joint route fares in many cases.) The Orange Line is 14 miles (23 km) long. These statistics imply an (annual) traffic density of 2.4 million pass-mi (km) per mi (km) of route per year.
The accompanying (weekday) traffic density figure, based on results for March 2006, is 8,500 pass-mi (km) per mi (km) of route per weekday.
Comparative figures for MTA rail lines, based on ridership carried between July 2005 and March 2006, are:
Red Line: 11.7 million pass-mi (km) per mi (km) of route per year; 41,000 pass-mi (km) per mi (km) of route per weekday.
Blue Line: 8.6 million pass-mi (km) per mi (km) of route per year; 28,000 pass-mi (km) per mi (km) of route per weekday.
Green Line: 3.8 million pass-mi (km) per mi (km) of route per year; 13,000 pass-mi (km) per mi (km) of route per weekday.
Gold Line: 3.0 million pass-mi (km) per mi (km) of route per year; 8,600 pass-mi (km) per mi (km) of route per weekday.
Parking Lots
The large North Hollywood parking lot is completely filled, early mornings, by inward bound, Red Line users. Parking in various Orange Line parking lots, along the route will provide more capacity and traffic for both Orange & Red Metro lines. This will also take many cars off of the freeways, and surface streets. At present, the parking along the Orange line is being utilized at below 10% capacity. There is no signage on most busy arteries directing car-using, potential Orange/Red Line customers to the huge free parking lots! Studies show that an increasing number of Simi Valley, Northridge, and Sylmar auto commuters are begining to use these parking lots. If a reduction of Freeway, and cross-valley arterial auto traffic results from using the parking lots, a new major public convenience purpose will be achieved.Construction Delays
During construction the contractor experienced several delays. There was a body found tucked in a barrel along the alignment and toxic soil had to be removed.Twenty-two months after construction had begun, on July 19, 2004, the California Court of Appeals ordered the temporary halt of construction activity on the Orange Line. This action was the result of a successful appeal by a citizen group known as C.O.S.T (Citizens organized for Smart Transit), which claimed a network of Rapid Lines should have been studied as possible alternative to the Metro Orange Line. The 30-day shut down cost $70,000 per day.
On October 22, Metro issued a Revised Final Environmental Impact Report (RFEIR) that concluded that the Metro Orange Line was superior to each of three Rapid Bus Alternatives studied in the revised report. The RFEIR studied:
- Three East-West Rapid Bus Routes Alternative (Sherman Way, Vanowen Street and Victory Boulevard)
- Five East-West Rapid Bus Routes Alternative (Sherman Way, Victory Boulevard, Oxnard Street, Burbank Boulevard, and Chandler Boulevard)
- Rapid Bus Network Alternative (as submitted by Citizens Organized for Smart Transit, this network of nine Rapid Bus routes would consist of three east-west routes and six north-south routes)
- The Metro Orange Line would attract substantially more new riders than any Rapid Bus alternatives.
- The Metro Orange Line would result in the greatest system-wide travel time savings.
- The Metro Orange Line would maintain the most consistent travel time, which would not be compromised over time as the result of increasing traffic congestion.
- The Rapid Bus alternatives would all have lower capital costs than the Metro Orange Line because of their minimal construction requirements. However, because the Rapid Bus alternatives would attract fewer new riders than the Metro Orange Line, the Rapid Bus alternatives exhibit poor cost-effectiveness measured on a per-new-rider basis.
- The exclusive transitway operation of the Metro Orange Line has distinct land use benefits that would encourage transit oriented development at/around stations and is consistent with adopted local planning documents.
- Operating costs for the Rapid Bus Network Alternative would be up to $10 million more each year than the cost to operate the Metro Orange Line
Collisions
During the first few months of operations on the Orange Line, there were several collisions, approximately one per week. In each case, the driver of the vehicle other than the MetroLiner was determined to be at fault. There were several injuries but no fatalities. The issues were remicient of the Blue Line, which currently has the highest fatality rate in North America[[Citing sources citation needed]]. Like the Orange Line, this is because most of the line runs at-grade and is thus open to driver mistakes.The LACMTA has noted that the Orange Line had about the same accident rate as other bus lines in the city on a per-mile basis. http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/3547699.htmlhttp://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/938332601.html?dids=938332601:938332601&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Dec+8%2C+2005&author=Caitlin+Liu&pub=Los+Angeles+Times&edition=&startpage=B.3&desc=Six+Hurt+in+Latest+Orange+Line+Crash
Some residents have protested the Orange Line, saying that the buses should have been painted orange to be more noticeable (instead of the silver scheme they currently have). Others have concerns that the busway does not employ railroad crossing-style arms or lights (or grade separations) to prevent motorists from crossing that roadway while a bus approaches, relying instead on traffic lights and warning signs.
On October 27, 2005, two days before the line's official opening, a motorist driving with a suspended license ran a red light and collided with an eastbound bus at Vesper Avenue. There were no injurieshttp://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/917884311.html?dids=917884311:917884311&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Oct+28%2C+2005&author=Caitlin+Liu&pub=Los+Angeles+Times&edition=&startpage=B.3&desc=Car+Hits+Bus+on+Transitway+Test+Run%2C+Raising+Concerns+for+Safety.
Two collisions involving Orange Line buses occurred on November 2, 2005:
- A 65-year-old female driver illegally made a right turn against a red light and struck an Orange Line bus near the crossing at Corbin Avenuehttp://www.latimes.com/media/graphic/2005-12/20765161.gif in Reseda, at about 11:15 a.m.. A fare inspector on the bus was taken to a hospital for minor injuries.
- At about 2:00 p.m., at the crossing near Woodman Avenue and Oxnard Streethttp://cbs2.com/topstories/local_story_306174843.html in Valley Glen, a 78-year old woman driving a Toyota Camry ran a red light and slammed into a bus that had nearly cleared the intersection. The Camry spun around and hit the bus a second time. Officials say that 37 people were aboard the bus, and at least 15 passengers were injured; the driver of the Camry was critically injured.
At 6:30 a.m. on December 1, 2005, a pickup truck and an Orange Line bus collided at the intersection of the busway and Kester Avenue in Van Nuys. There were no injuries in the pickup truck, but one passenger on the bus was seen being loaded onto a gurney by paramedics and two other passengers were moderately injuredhttp://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/935473191.html?dids=935473191:935473191&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Dec+2%2C+2005&author=Amanda+Covarrubias+and+Caitlin+Liu&pub=Los+Angeles+Times&edition=&startpage=B.1&desc=4th+Crash+on+Orange+Line+Busway+Injures+3+Passengershttp://community.livejournal.com/la_transit/55226.html.
On December 3, 2005, a driver made a right turn from Victory Boulevard onto Mason Avenue and crashed into the bus. The car's driver and one passenger said they felt some discomfort after the collision, but they declined medical treatmenthttp://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/936622091.html?dids=936622091:936622091&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Dec+4%2C+2005&author=&pub=Los+Angeles+Times&edition=&startpage=B.13&desc=5th+Crash+on+Orange+Linehttp://cbs2.com/local/local_story_337230217.html.
At 11 a.m. on December 7, 2005, an SUV ran a red light, crashing to the side of an Orange Line bus. The driver of the SUV said that her brakes failed. Six people were injured on the bus, including the bus operator and a passenger. Both complained of neck pain. Four of the injured passengers denied medical helphttp://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/941019751.html?dids=941019751:941019751&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Dec+14%2C+2005&author=&pub=Los+Angeles+Times&edition=&startpage=B.9&desc=Motorist+Hurt+When+His+Car+Hits+MTA+Orange+Line+Bus.
At 5:07 p.m. on February 13, 2006, a driver skidded into an Orange Line bus as a result of brake failure. The collision occurred between Corbin Avenue and Winnetka Boulevard near Warner Center. One passenger complained of leg pain and declined treatment; no other injuries were reportedhttp://cbs2.com/topstories/local_story_044213234.html.
At 4:30 p.m. on February 18, 2006, a car ran a red light and crashed into the side of an Orange Line bus at the intersection of the busway and Woodman. Several people were seen being loaded onto ambulances by paramedics and the driver of the car was visibly upset.
At approx. 10:30 a.m. on April 12, 2006, a car ran a red light and was struck by an Orange Line Bus at the intersection of the Busway and Van Nuys Boulevard. No one was hurt, and the driver got out of his badly damaged new Lexus after several minutes. All airbags were deployed in the car.
On June 5, a motorist ran a red light on DeSoto Avenue in Winnetka, hitting an Orange Line bushttp://cbs2.com/topstories/local_story_165200356.html.
In December 2005, MTA called for the installation of red-light cameras at many of the Orange Line's intersections, specifically, Burbank Boulevard and Fulton Avenue; Woodman Avenue and Oxnard Street; Woodley Avenue; Balboa Boulevard; White Oak Avenue; Lindley Avenue; Reseda Boulevard; and Wilbur, Tampa, Corbin, Mason and De Soto avenueshttp://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/941675721.html?dids=941675721:941675721&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Dec+15%2C+2005&author=Caitlin+Liu&pub=Los+Angeles+Times&edition=&startpage=B.6&desc=After+Crashes%2C+Red-Light+Cameras+to+Be+Installed+at+12+Orange+Line+Crossings. As of May 2006, installation is still continuinghttp://mta.net/news_info/press/metro_107.htm, and the cameras are supposed to be operational by August 2006.
Future Expansion
A future station at Canoga Ave. is currently under construction. This would be the second station, after Warner Center, en route to the Red Line station. Representative Brad Sherman has called for a 4-mile extension of the Orange line to the district of Chatsworth. The plan has not met any opposition and Sherman says he hopes contsruction will begin in 2007, after an approval sometime this year. The Chatsworth station would probably be open by early 2009. The fact that the LACMTA owns the former Southern Pacific Railroad right-of-way reduces the gap between approval and groundbreaking.
In addition, another possible extension of the Orange Line often proposed by transit advocates is an extension from North Hollywood station to Bob Hope Airport in Burbank, which would approximately go up Vineland Avenue and Vanowen Street to the airport, to connect with the Metrolink station.
Conversion
Many opponents of the Orange Line call the collisions unacceptable and call for the conversion of the busway to light rail. They say that keeping it a busway is unacceptable after the collisions, and conversion to heavy rail is not feasible. They say that the conversion will not take up time or money. They believe it can be done in 2 years or less. However, they say that they will not oppose the expansion of the Orange Line to the Chatsworth Metrolink Station via Canoga Ave.
There is also concern that the Orange Line will soon reach its engineered capacityhttp://www.thetransitcoalition.us/newspdf/dn20060610a.pdf. During peak hours, the signaling system is designed to balance the Orange Line buses with vehicle cross traffic. Adding more buses would either cause bus bunching or shorter green times at cross streets. The other practical alternative would be purchasing bi-articulated (80 foot long) buses as used in Curitiba, Brazil.
Stations
From East to West,
| Station | Connections |
|---|---|
| North Hollywood | LACMTA Red Line Metro Bus: 152, 154, 156, 166, 183, 353, 363 |
| Laurel Canyon | Metro Bus: 156, 230 |
| Valley College | Metro Bus: 156, 167 LADOT Commuter Express: 549 LADOT DASH: Van Nuys/Studio City |
| Woodman | Metro Bus: 154, 158 |
| Van Nuys | Metro Bus: 154, 156, 233, 237 Metro Rapid: 761 LADOT DASH: Van Nuys/Studio City Santa Clarita Transit: 793, 798 |
| Sepulveda | Metro Bus: 234 Metro Rapid: 734 |
| Woodley | Metro Bus: 164, 237 |
| Balboa | Metro Bus: 164, 236, 237 LADOT Commuter Express: 573, 574 |
| Reseda | Metro Bus: 240 |
| Tampa | Metro Bus: 242 |
| Pierce College | Metro Bus: 164, 243 |
| De Soto | Metro Bus: 164, 244 Santa Clarita Transit: 796 |
| Warner Center | Metro Bus: 150, 161, 164, 245, 645 Metro Rapid: 750 LADOT DASH: Warner Center |
References
- [Orange Line bus Collides With Car] by Amanda Covarrubias and Megan Garvey, Los Angeles Times, November 2, 2005, retrieved November 2, 2005
External links
- [Orange Line official web site]
- [Orange Line schedule]
- [Orange Line history]
- [A Bus by Any Other Name Is Still ... a Train?] - the problems of designing buses to resemble light rail trains. Mentions the problem of calling the "San Fernando Valley Busway" the "Metro Orange Line."
| Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority ([website]) | |
| Metro Buses | Metro Local – Metro Rapid – Metro Express |
| Metro Busways | Orange Line – Harbor Transitway – El Monte Busway |
| Metro Rail | Red Line – Blue Line – Green Line – Gold Line – Expo Line |
| Connecting rail | Amtrak – Amtrak California – Metrolink |
| Other information | Union Station – Transportation of Los Angeles |
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