OCTOBER 9, 2003
In February 2003, the Metro Board of Directors approved a number of bus route changes throughout the Metro’s service territory, which were implemented last June. At that time, route Line 460 was restructured between the Norwalk area and downtown Los Angeles. The line was modified to improve its performance, and to comply with the findings and recommendations contained in the Southeast Bus Restructuring Study (SABRE), a comprehensive evaluation of the transportation needs of the southeastern part of Los Angeles County.
The concept to restructure the line was originally identified as part of the findings and recommendations outlined in the SABRE Study. The purpose of the study was to improve bus service within the southeastern portion of Los Angeles County, much of which covers the Gateway Cities Service Sector. The Metro, along with transportation experts from the private sector, the general public, city officials, various organizations and stakeholders within the Gateway Cities area all played a major role in developing the study. In fact, input from local residents and community leaders was instrumental in shaping the final plan.
The Gateway Cities Service Sector Staff conducted Community meetings in late November and early December 2002 to discuss bus service in the Gateway Cities area and to review planned improvements, such as the potential change to line 460. Those community meetings were held in the Cities of Huntington Park, Norwalk and Downey. Following the meetings, a public hearing was held on January 25, 2003 in the City of Huntington Park. Announcements of the community meetings and the public hearing were placed in local and regional newspapers, approximately 100,000 special riders brochures were placed on the buses and trains, information was also made available on the Metro website and at customer service centers. It is important to note that proposed changes to Line 460 were supported by the majority of respondents who commenting on this line.
Prior to the route change, the one-way travel time on Line 460 from Disneyland to downtown Los Angeles took about two hours. Travel time from the 605 Station in Norwalk to downtown Los Angeles ranged from 55 to 66 minutes for many trips. This long ride was often made worse by chronic traffic congestion that was routinely encountered along the former freeway route. Collectively, these conditions served to discourage ridership growth over the years as evidenced by declining patronage, and the high subsidy per passenger cost that was required to operate the line (over $6.00 per passenger boarding, three times the system average).
Last June the route of Line 460 was changed to operate via the I-105 and I-110 freeways between the 605 Station in Norwalk and downtown Los Angeles. In making this change the former route that operated through the city of Downey and via the I-5 freeway to Los Angeles was eliminated. To ensure connections for Downey riders who needed to access Line 460, Line 111 (Florence Ave) was routed to the 605 Station in Norwalk to provide affected riders with direct connections to Line 460.
Subsequent to the Metro Board action last spring, a small group of former Downey riders actively campaigned to reinstate the route of Line 460 along its old alignment. Staff has attempted to work with this group to help mitigate their concerns, such as providing transfer connections between Line 111 and 460 at the 605 Station. Last month, at the urging of this group, the Downey City Council passed a resolution requesting that the Metro consider reinstating line 460 in Downey. It should be noted that bus service within the city of Downey has not been degraded. Metro continues to serve most major streets within the city. These lines provide frequent service seven days a week, including direct service into downtown Los Angeles via the route of Line 362.
Staff has closely monitored the operation of the Line 460 since it was modified. We have conducted a number of schedule checks to determine how effective the line is working. Our preliminary analysis indicates that the new route, which uses the carpool lanes to travel to and from downtown Los Angeles, is working well.
It is noteworthy to mention that one-way travel time from Norwalk to Los Angeles has been reduced to 35-40 minutes for most peak hour trips compared to the former 50-65 minutes along the old route. This reduction in commute times has resulted in real travel time savings for most riders in the range of 30-38%, one way.
This finding has also been verified by some of our patrons who have written to us commending the Metro for making this needed service improvement. Further, independent observations as well as operator reports suggest that ridership is starting to grow as more people become aware of the new route and the faster service it provides between the southeast and downtown.
NEXT STEPS
Effective September 29, staff has made some minor fine-tuning adjustments to the schedule for this line. These are routine adjustments intended to refine the running times for different times of the day as well as to ensure adequate recovery time at the terminals.
In December 2003, staff also plans to begin operating additional trips on Line 111 to the 605 station. This will result in the operation of 25% more service to the station, including additional night trips from Norwalk to Downey. Collectively, the additional trips will further enhance transfer opportunities between Lines 111 and Line 460.
We plan to prepare a written response to the Downey City Council informing them of our planned actions. Although we are sensitive to the individual transportation needs of their residents and are making every effort address those personal needs, we must also be mindful of the vast majority of the riders on Line 460 who have benefited from this service change and the process by which it came about.
Prepared by: Rich Rogers, General Manager, Gateway Cities Sector
Dan Nguyen, Service Development Manager
Michael Sieckert, Planning Manager