A version of this story first appeared at Streetsblog Los Angeles.
On Friday, Metro officially started using on-bus cameras to issue warnings to drivers parked in bus-only lanes or at bus stops. The initial phase includes lines 212 (on La Brea Avenue) and 720 (on Wilshire Boulevard, 5th Street, and 6th Street).
For the first 60 days – now through the end of 2024 – Metro, partnering with the L.A. City Transportation Department (LADOT), will be getting the word out about the program, while mailing warnings to drivers parked illegally. In early 2025, drivers violating bus lanes will receive $293 citations.
The program is expected to increase bus speeds and grow Metro ridership.
For more information, see earlier SBLA coverage and Metro program page.
K Line Station Opening at LAX
Last Sunday, Metro opened an additional light rail station at LAX. It’s not the big LAX station (that one – the LAX Metro Transit Center – is still wrapping up construction); it’s the Aviation/Century Station.
Last weekend’s opening set the stage for new LAX service, which includes retooling how light rail lines work at LAX.
The big change is that the four South Bay Stations at the west end of the C (former Green) Line will become the south end of the K Line. Though for a couple months, the upper K Line will connect to the lower K Line via a bus bridge between Westchester/Veterans and Aviation/Century stations.
As of Sunday, the C Line terminus will no longer be Redondo Beach. The western terminus of the C Line will be Aviation/Century, where riders can transfer to the K Line.
Read all about the C/K Line changes at The Source, or just follow the signage at stations.
And look forward to the big LAX station opening in the next month or two or three. As of July, the expected opening was this month. Now it’s looking like maybe January?
TAP-to-Exit at A Line Terminus Stations
Starting Monday, riders will be required to TAP to exit at the two end-of-line Metro A Line stations: Downtown Long Beach and APU/Citrus College in Azusa.
While Metro bus and rail are overall very safe, Metro is under pressure to “do something” to respond to a few tragic high profile crimes. End-of-line stations have seen some issues with unhoused riders disembarking. Metro has responded by requiring TAP-to-exit at some stations – to date, just North Hollywood and Downtown Santa Monica.
Metro claims that this practice reduces reported incidents (fights, drug usage, etc.) on transit; it also creates a bottleneck for riders exiting, especially during busier times.
The Long Beach and Azusa A Line end-of-line stations do not have actual turnstiles, so Metro will post Transit Security Officers (TSOs) there. The TSOs will use mobile TAP readers will scan disembarking riders’ TAP cards.
Cellphone Service Coming to Recent Stations
At a late October committee meeting (minute 1:03:00), a Metro staffer announced that underground K Line cellphone service would be available that month – for Verizon. All remaining carriers (AT&T, T-Mobile) would have K Line cell service available in November – this month.
This Streetsblog editor hasn’t been able to get cell reception there yet. Anyone able to get a signal? Can you hear me now?
The same staff reported that Downtown L.A. Regional Connector stations (Little Tokyo, Historic Broadway, and Grand Avenue) would have cell reception available in three months, so around late January.
