Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority

Bus Rapid Transit: The Next Opportunity for TOD

Urban Land Institute Friday October 28, 2011

Session time: 9:30am - 10:45 am Location: Room 408 B - Los Angeles Convention Center

ROGER S. MOLIERECHIEF, REAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT & DEVELOPMENT

Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro)

regional transportationplanner;

regional builder;

and the regional transit operator

…. for Los Angeles County.

Is different from other transit agencies because it is the . . .

Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) is Important to Los Angeles County

• Los Angeles County covers 4,084 square miles

• County population: 10.2 million – 88 cities; 5.1 million

– Los Angeles; 4 million

– Unincorporated county; 1.1 million

• Larger than 42 states– just behind Ohio

What is Bus Rapid Transit?

• Bus Rapid Transit is a bus service that operates like rail

• Metro’s system is patterned on Curitiba (Brazil) – Today’s examples

(Cleveland, King County)

– Other examples worldwide

Source: gobrt.org

Types of BRT

•Dedicated Transitway– Roadway used only for BRT; no cars allowed – Example: Metro Orange Line

•HOV/HOT Lanes – Highway lane used only for buses and carpools – Example: Metro Silver Line

•Mixed Flow – Share the road or lane with cars – Example: portions of both Orange and Silver

Metro Orange Line

•Opened October 2005, 14 miles•Dedicated busway – cars may not enter •Drought tolerant landscaping, bikeway and

pedestrian path adjacent

Orange Line is a Dedicated Transitway (mostly)

Under construction: Metro Orange Line ExtensionMetro Orange Line

Extension includes:• 4-mile northern extension

from the Canoga Station to the Chatsworth Metrolink Station – 4 new stations

• New bikeway and pedestrian path to parallel to the dedicated busway

• Drought-tolerant landscaping

• New park and ride lot at Sherman Way Station

• Additional parking at Chatsworth Station

• Budget $215 million • Forecast to open 2012

Metro Silver Line

• Opened December 2009• Connects South Bay and San

Gabriel Valley to Downtown LA 7 days/week

• 5-10 minute headways during weekday rush hours

• Downtown connections

Both carpools and BRT operate in 447 Miles of HOV Lanes in LA County

Transit Oriented Development (TOD)

Definition

• " Transit-oriented Development (TOD) is moderate to higher-density development, located within an easy walk of a major transit stop, generally with a mix of residential, employment and shopping opportunities designed for pedestrians without excluding the auto. TOD can be new construction or redevelopment of one or more buildings whose design and orientation facilitate transit use.“

Source: California Statewide TOD Study Technical Advisory Committee

Transit Oriented Development (TOD) has mostly focused on rail73 Miles of Metro Rail – 63 Stations – 225 Rail Cars

Metro’s TOD Projects

Hollywood + Vine – W Hotel/Condos

• Line: Metro Red Line• Site: +2.30 acres (some

Metro-owned)• Development:

o 300-room W Hotelo 143 condominiumso 30,000 sq. ft. of ground

floor retailo Improved/enlivened

public plazao New subway portal

canopy, subway elevator and bike room

• Status: Complete

Hollywood + Vine – Apartments

• Line: Metro Red Line• Site: 2.35 acres of Metro-

owned property • Development:

o 375 apartmentso 28,000 sq. ft. of ground

floor retailo New bus layover

facility• Status: Complete

Types of TOD

• TOD – projects “on top of” stations; often joint development

• TAD – Transit Adjacent Development – projects within walking

distance (½ mile radius) around station areas – Known as “Transit Oriented Districts” when

comprehensively planned

• Transit Villages– Larger scale projects mixing both TOD and TAD

• TOD Corridors – Any of the above situated along rail/bus transit

corridors (such as Metro Orange Line BRT)

Orange Line – Additional Studies

• Orange Line Sustainable Corridor Implementation Plan – SCAG/Compass Blueprint study

• Creating Successful Transit Oriented Districts in Los Angeles: A Citywide Toolkit for Achieving Regional Goals– Center for Transit Oriented

Development; Caltrans-funded

Lessons Learned – Still Learning!

•TOD projects still under consideration

•Metro RFP for Sepulveda to be released

•SCAG Orange Line corridor planning study

•Draw from rail TOD experience

More information – web resources

• Metro Orange Line map and station locations: http://www.metro.net/around/rail/orange-line/   

• Metro Orange Line Extension currently under construction:   http://www.metro.net/projects/orangeline/

• Current SCAG corridor study:  http://www.compassblueprint.org/tools/orangeline   

• CTOD LA Typology study:  http://latod.reconnectingamerica.org/final_report   

• Metro Library/Archive:  http://mymetro/library/Pages/default.aspx  

Contact

•Roger Moliere – MoliereR@metro.net– (213)922-2225

•Alex Kalamaros– KalamarosA@metro.net– (213)922-3051