A host of city and federal officials today celebrated this week’s planned opening of five more miles of dedicated bus lanes that will provide buses with traffic-free routes along Wilshire Boulevard during morning and afternoon rush hours.
Phase Two of the Wilshire Bus Rapid Transit Project will officially open Wednesday morning, with bus-only lanes operating from 7 to 9 a.m. and 4 to 7 p.m. The new lanes will stretch from Western Avenue to San Vicente Boulevard, from the western border of Beverly Hills to Comstock Avenue, from Selby Avenue to Veteran Avenue and from Bonsall Avenue to Federal Avenue.
“We’re boosting Wilshire Boulevard’s transit usage by turning L.A.’s most active corridor into a fast and reliable bus route for tens of thousands of riders traveling daily between downtown and the Westside,” said Mayor Eric Garcetti, who chairs the Metro board of directors. “In the car capital of the world, we’re working to ease traffic flow and cut air pollution by giving Angelenos multiple option for getting where they need to go.”
The new lanes will connect with 1.8 miles of lanes that opened in June 2013 between Western Avenue and Park View Street near MacArthur Park. Metro officials said the lanes will save bus riders as much as 15 minutes in commute time, while helping to improve traffic flow on Wilshire.
Other motorists will be able to use the lanes during non-peak hours.
The $31.5 million project will ultimately cover about 12.5 miles along Wilshire Boulevard from Valencia Street near the Harbor (110) Freeway to Centinela Avenue at the Santa Monica city line.
“Enhanced bus service along Wilshire Boulevard will make a huge difference for the thousands of Angelenos who rely on public transit to travel throughout this busy corridor — to jobs downtown, school at UCLA, medical care at the VA Hospital in Westwood and other important destinations,” Federal Transit Administration acting administrator Therese McMillan said.
