Meeting_Body
PLANNING AND PROGRAMMING COMMITTEE
MARCH 20, 2019
Subject
SUBJECT: VERMONT TRANSIT CORRIDOR - RAIL CONVERSION/FEASIBILITY STUDY
Action
ACTION: APPROVE RECOMMENDATIONS
Heading
RECOMMENDATION
Title
CONSIDER:
A. RECEIVING AND FILING the findings and recommendations from the Vermont Transit Corridor Rail Conversion/Feasibility Study; and
B. APPROVING advancement of the two BRT concepts previously identified through the 2017 Vermont Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Technical Study into environmental review.
Issue
ISSUE
The Vermont Transit Corridor is a Measure M project with an expected opening date of Fiscal Year (FY) 2028. This project is also included in the Twenty-Eight by '28 Initiative adopted by the Board in January 2018. In order to meet the Measure M and Twenty-Eight by '28 schedule, a project for the corridor needs to be identified and environmentally cleared through an environmental review study. At the March 23, 2017 Board meeting, the Board approved a motion (Attachment A) directing staff to take a number of actions, including proceeding with the Vermont Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project as a near-term transit improvement, while also initiating a study looking at future potential rail. This report addresses that motion. The study concluded that the BRT concepts recommended to advance into environmental review are not in conflict with future conversion to rail.
Background
BACKGROUND
The existing Metro bus service along the Vermont Transit Corridor extends approximately 12.4 miles from Hollywood Boulevard south to 120th Street. The Vermont Transit Corridor is the second busiest bus corridor in Los Angeles County with approximately 45,000 daily boardings and connections to four Metro rail lines. The corridor serves numerous key activity centers including Koreatown, Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center, University of Southern California, and Exposition Park. Attachment B shows a map of the corridor and study area...
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