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Valley’s Popular Bus Rapid Transit Line will benefit from increased capacity, reduced travel times
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) today celebrated the groundbreaking of major construction for the Metro G (Orange) Line Improvements Project, a series of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) enhancements projected to reduce average end-to-end bus travel times by 12 minutes or nearly 22%, allowing for five-minute bus headways and eliminating the potential for motorist intrusions onto the busway. Project improvements will enhance safety for buses, cars, pedestrians and cyclists alike on the dedicated BRT Line that travels between North Hollywood and Chatsworth.
Scheduled to be completed in 2027 in advance of the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic games, the project will advance Metro’s commitment to improve mobility and foster economic vitality in the San Fernando Valley. In the coming years, Metro expects to build several Valley transit projects, including the East San Fernando Valley Light Rail Transit Project, the North San Fernando Transit Corridor Project, the North Hollywood to Pasadena Transit Corridor Project, and the Sepulveda Transit Corridor Project.
“These are the most significant improvements Metro has made to this line in its nearly 20-year history,” said Janice Hahn, L.A. County Supervisor and Metro Board Chair. “This work will make the G Line faster and safer in the short-term and brings us a step closer to our ultimate goal of converting the line to light rail.”
Over the course of the next two years, the project will result in the following improvements to the G Line:
- Installation of four-quadrant gates at 13 busy Metro G Line intersections between North Hollywood and Van Nuys — the G Line’s busiest section. Enhanced safety features will include flashing lights and bells, raised medians and pedestrian/bicyclist crosswalk gates.
- Implementation of more sophisticated transit signal priority and preemption in conjunction with the Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT). This implementation will extend the signal phase to favor Metro’s electric buses and give them the next green light in an intersection’s phasing cycle for faster service.
- Construction of three bridges at Van Nuys Boulevard, Sepulveda Boulevard and Vesper Avenue to physically separate buses from cars, thus improving bus travel times and eliminating intersection bottlenecks on local streets.
- Building a new aerial station on the Van Nuys Boulevard bridge, making room for a new street-level station for Metro’s new East San Fernando Valley Light Rail Transit Project, which will travel along Van Nuys Boulevard to connect the cities of Van Nuys, Panorama City, Arleta and Pacoima for greater regional mobility.
- Resurfacing the adjacent bike path, painting new striping and installing new lighting, signage and fencing to improve safety and the user experience.
- Adding bike lockers and bike parking at selected Metro G Line Stations to further encourage multimodal trips.
In late February, Metro began detouring buses and cyclists off the bus right-of-way and adjacent bike path between Woodman and Sepulveda G Line Stations to facilitate construction work at Van Nuys Station. Demolition activities of the existing Van Nuys Station are expected to begin and will require that the station remain closed throughout the construction period.
“The San Fernando Valley is experiencing one of the fastest-growing demands for public transit anywhere in Los Angeles County — and we are meeting the moment,” said Lindsey P. Horvath, L.A. County Supervisor and Metro Board Member. “These transformative G Line improvements will make East-West Valley travel faster and safer and will also create a vital new transit hub that makes it easier for people to connect to the opportunities and services they rely on every day.”
“As the newest member of the Metro Board, I am proud that the G Line improvements will bring much-needed safety and reliability enhancements to my constituents in the East San Fernando Valley,” said Imelda Padilla, L.A. City Council Member and Metro Board Member. “From faster commutes to safer crossings and better bike paths, this project is a crucial step toward creating a future where our neighborhoods are more connected and accessible for everyone. I look forward to ensuring that this and other planned Metro transit projects continue to improve the daily lives of everyone who depends on Metro in the heart of the San Fernando Valley.”
The $668 million transit project is funded by Metro’s 2016 Measure M and Prop C voter-approved sales taxes, among others. Approximately $64 million of the project cost has been made available by SB-1, the state’s gas tax and vehicle fee transportation funding program. It will be built by Valley Transit Partners – a Joint Venture of Stacy and Witbeck, Inc., Flatiron West, and Modern Railway Systems.
“These improvements to the G Line will save people time and facilitate better connections to our growing transit network in the San Fernando Valley,” said Metro CEO Stephanie Wiggins. “The G Line will also be an important part of our transit network for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, and we look forward to delivering this project in 2027, well before the Games begin.”
For additional information about the G (Orange) Line Improvements Project, please visit metro.net/projects/orangeline.
About Metro
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) is building the most ambitious transportation infrastructure program in the United States and is working to greatly improve mobility through its Vision 2028 Plan. Metro is the lead transportation planning and funding agency for L.A. County and carries nearly 1 million boardings daily on four light rail and two subway lines and 119 bus lines utilizing 2,000 low-emission buses.
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