Metro NextGen Bus Plan

Metro NextGen Bus Plan
Name	Metro NextGen Bus Plan
Jurisdiction	Los Angeles County, California
Agency	Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority
Founded	2020s
Service area	Greater Los Angeles
Service type	Bus rapid transit, Local bus, Limited-stop, Frequent network

Metro NextGen Bus Plan The Metro NextGen Bus Plan is a reorganization of bus routes undertaken by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority to modernize service patterns across Los Angeles County, California, the San Fernando Valley, the San Gabriel Valley, South Los Angeles, and Westside (Los Angeles County). The plan aligns with regional initiatives such as Measure M (Los Angeles County), the 2028 Summer Olympics, and climate targets set by the California Air Resources Board. It draws on planning frameworks from agencies like Metropolitan Transportation Authority (New York City), Transport for London, and project examples such as the King County Metro rapid network.

Background and development

The plan originated amid ridership declines following the COVID-19 pandemic in California and the need to implement recommendations from the Metro 28 by 28 plan, Long Range Transportation Plan (Los Angeles Metro), and the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition studies. Early conceptual work referenced models from Vancouver (TransLink), San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, and the Toronto Transit Commission network optimization projects. Stakeholder workshops included representatives from Los Angeles Mayor's Office, the California State Transportation Agency, county supervisors from Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, labor unions such as the Amalgamated Transit Union, and advocacy groups like the Coalition for Clean Air.

Key components and service changes

Core elements include the creation of a high-frequency "grid" similar to Barcelona's Plaça de Catalunya transit spine concepts, conversion of many low-ridership lines into feeder shuttles modeled on STO (Ottawa), and the introduction of limited-stop services akin to New York City's Select Bus Service. The plan emphasizes all-day frequent routes paralleling corridors such as Wilshire Boulevard, Ventura Boulevard, and Pacific Coast Highway (California), plus increased crosstown connections reflecting patterns in Chicago Transit Authority redesigns. Infrastructure proposals incorporate bus lanes inspired by Bogotá's TransMilenio, and stop consolidation strategies used by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (London).

Implementation timeline and rollout

Phased implementation began with pilot restructures during fiscal cycles tied to Measure M (Los Angeles County) revenue flows and federal discretionary grants from the Federal Transit Administration. Initial service changes aligned with the Metro budget calendar and permit processes involving the California Public Utilities Commission (where applicable) and coordination with local jurisdictions like the City of Los Angeles, Pasadena, California, and Long Beach, California. Later phases target alignment before the 2028 Summer Olympics and integration with planned expansions such as the Los Angeles Metro Rail Purple Line Extension and the Crenshaw/LAX Line enhancements.

Public consultation and stakeholder response

Metro conducted outreach through public hearings, online surveys, and community meetings with neighborhood councils including the Los Angeles Neighborhood Council Coalition, transit advocates such as the Southern California Association of Governments, disability rights organizations like the Disability Rights California group, and business improvement districts including the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce. Reactions ranged from support by groups prioritizing air quality improvements and reduced travel times to opposition from suburban jurisdictions concerned about local access, mirroring disputes seen in other cities such as Seattle and Phoenix (Arizona) during redesigns.

Ridership, performance metrics, and impact

Performance targets mirrored metrics adopted by agencies such as TransitCenter and measured on-board counts, on-time performance like targets used by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (New York City), and equity measures similar to those in the California Environmental Quality Act analyses for transit projects. Early reports compared corridor ridership against baselines from 2019 in the United States transit use and referenced mode-shift studies akin to those by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Impacts include projected travel-time reductions on corridors comparable to improvements achieved by Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority bus-only lane pilots.

Funding, costs, and contracting

Funding sources combined local ballot measures such as Measure M (Los Angeles County), state funds dispensed by the California State Budget and competitive grants from the Federal Transit Administration and U.S. Department of Transportation. Contracting negotiations involved private operators and contractors with precedents in agreements like those with First Transit and Keolis in other municipalities, and procurement processes followed Federal Transit Administration guidelines and county procurement codes overseen by the Los Angeles County Chief Executive Office.

Controversies, legal challenges, and revisions

Controversies paralleled legal disputes seen in other transit redesigns, including litigation invoking environmental review standards under California Environmental Quality Act, labor disputes involving the Amalgamated Transit Union, and municipal pushback from cities such as Burbank, California or Torrance, California over route removals. Metro issued revisions following court rulings and negotiated mitigations with stakeholders, echoing accommodations made in previous projects like the Expo Line (Los Angeles Metro) and Regional Connector Transit Project.

Category:Public transportation in Los Angeles County Category:Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority