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September
27,
2005 |
|
Metro
Orange Line Construction Reaches Substantial Completion
Construction
has reached substantial completion on the Metro Orange Line, a 14-mile
exclusive transitway that will offer Los Angeles County residents a new
shortcut for traveling through the east-west portion of the San Fernando
Valley when it opens October 29. Construction
crews have worked to convert the old Southern Pacific railroad
right-of-way into a transitway since 2003, making major street and
intersection improvements and building pedestrian and bicycle paths.
Brand new 60-foot “Metro Liner” buses will carry up to 57 seated
passengers on each bus along the alignment between North Hollywood and
Woodland Hills. The
new transitway represents many firsts for Los Angeles County: it is the
region’s first right-of-way built exclusively for buses. It is the
Valley’s first major transit service since the opening of the Metro
Red Line in 2000. It is also the first time that new aerodynamic,
super-sized Metro Liner buses will be placed into service within Los
Angeles County. “When
the Orange Line succeeds — as I know it will — it will serve as a
region-wide model that offers commuters a quick, reliable, flexible and
inexpensive alternative to gridlock,” said Zev Yaroslavsky, Los
Angeles County Supervisor and Metro Board Member. The
transitway will incorporate a host of innovative construction and design
features, from advanced traffic light signal priority system to
artistically designed transit stations. Five park & ride lots at Van
Nuys, Sepulveda, Balboa, Reseda and Pierce College Stations will provide
more than 3,200 parking spaces. More
than 20 Metro local and Metro Rapid Bus Lines will connect with the
Metro Orange Line, as well as some Burbank Local Transit, Commuter
Express and Santa Clarita Transit lines. The
line will provide access to business and education centers, arts and
theater venues, neighborhoods, entertainment, attractions and the
Sepulveda Basin Recreation area. The project includes eight miles of new
bicycle and pedestrian paths and California native landscaping. Artistically
designed transit stations will feature terrazzo paving at platforms,
colorful porcelain steel art panels at each station entry, sculpted
seating, and various artist-influenced landscaping elements. Ridership
on the line is expected to reach an average of 22,000 boardings per day
by 2020. For
more information on the Metro Orange Line, visit metro.net/orange line. Metro-141 |
