| Vermont Transit Corridor | |
| Type: | Bus rapid transit Rapid transit (future) |
| System: | Metro Busway |
| Status: | Planned |
The Vermont Transit Corridor is a proposed 12.5miles bus rapid transit line in the Metro Busway network in Los Angeles, California with plans to convert it to rapid transit in the future. It is planned to operate on a north-to-south route on Vermont Avenue between the B Line's Vermont/Sunset station and the C Line's Vermont/Athens station on the Los Angeles Metro Rail system. The project feasibility study was released in February 2019 with a proposed completion date of 2028 for BRT and after 2067 for rail. It is part of Metro's Twenty-eight by '28 initiative and is partially funded by Measure M.[1] The route will have signal priority at traffic lights and will have a dedicated right of way. Metro reports the initial cost is $425 million.
See also: Los Angeles Railway. Until 1963, Vermont Avenue was served by several Los Angeles Railway Yellow Car streetcar lines: the F, K, R, S, U, and V. After streetcars ceased running under the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transit Authority, tracks were torn up, and buses replaced service.
Vermont is the second busiest bus corridor in ridership, with 45,000 boarding per work day. Metro estimates this BRT will have 75,000-weekday boardings once completed. For that reason, light rail and subway options are also being developed. Metro is looking for ways to accelerate the option. Rail-based options are not scheduled to receive Measure R funds until after 2067.[2] [3]
Two alternative analyses were developed.
Metro currently plans to construct bus rapid transit with various stations along its route. Each will be spaced about 1miles apart. Metro will study three options for BRT:
These feasibility options were sent to formal environmental review status. Metro plans to commence the Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) with the choices by 2019. Metro's planned budget for BRT is $425 million.
For rail, concepts have been published in the feasibility study. Measure M funds for rail are expected to become available after 2067.
The following concepts were published:
The corridor includes Vermont Avenue between Hollywood Boulevard and 120th Street. Destinations along the route include Exposition Park and its museums Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, the Natural History Museum and the California Science Center. Also, local sports stadiums, the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and BMO Stadium. USC is along the route. It would also connect with E Line at Expo/Vermont station.[4]
The following table shows potential BRT metro stations, per feasibility study from north to south. Also listed are existing light rail and subway stations.
| Station Options[5] | Alt 1 BRT | Alt 2 LRT | Alt 3 HRT | Connecting services[6] | Community | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vermont/Sunset | - | B Line | Little Armenia, East Hollywood | Existing subway station | ||
| Vermont/Santa Monica | - | B Line | Thai Town | Existing subway station | ||
| Vermont/Beverly | - | B Line | Wilshire Center | Existing subway station | ||
| Vermont/3rd St. | - | - | Koreatown | |||
| Wilshire/Vermont | B Line D Line | Koreatown | Existing subway station | |||
| Vermont/Pico | Pico-Union | |||||
| Expo/Vermont | E Line | Expo Park, USC | Existing light rail station | |||
| Vermont/Vernon | - | - | ||||
| Vermont/Slauson | South Los Angeles | |||||
| Vermont/Florence | - | |||||
| Vermont/Manchester | Vermont Vista | |||||
| Vermont/Century | - | Vermont Vista | ||||
| Vermont/Athens | C Line | Athens/Vermont Vista | Existing light rail station | |||
| Vermont/120th St. | - | Harbor Gateway, Los Angeles Southwest College/Vermont Vista | ||||
Metro is also conducting a BRT, LRT, and HRT feasibility study to extend the route a further ten miles (16 km) past 120th Street south along Vermont Avenue to Ken Malloy Harbor Regional Park terminating at Pacific Coast Highway.
Nearby destinations would include Los Angeles Harbor College, Kaiser Permanente South Bay Medical Center, and Pacific Coast Highway station (J Line).
A feasibility study is scheduled to be released in 2023.[7]