Metro - File #: 2020-0921

• File #: 2020-0921
• Type: Motion / Motion Response
• Status: Filed
• File created: 1/20/2021
• In control: Planning and Programming Committee
• On agenda: 4/14/2021
• Final action: 4/14/2021
• Title: RECEIVE AND FILE this report on buses with optional left-side boarding, including the benefits, challenges, and costs of this feature for upcoming Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) projects and bus procurements, in response to the December 3, 2020 Board Motion 43.
• Sponsors: Planning and Programming Committee
• Indexes: All Door Boarding, Bicycle lanes, Board approved a Motion, Bus Acquisitions, Bus rapid transit, City of Los Angeles, Curbs, Electrification, I-10, I-110, Landscaping, Maintenance, Maps, Measure M, Median lanes, Metro Busway G Line, Metro Divisions, Metro Equity Platform, Metro Rail A Line, Metro Rail B Line, Metro Rail L Line, Metro Vision 2028 Plan, Motion / Motion Response, NextGen Bus Study, North Hollywood, North San Fernando Valley Transit Corridor, Orange Line Bus Rapid Transit Improvements, Pedestrians, Plan, Project, Rolling stock, Strategic planning, Transit boards, Transit buses, Transit System, Travel time, Vermont Avenue Transit Corridor, Visibility, Zero Emissions

Date	Action By	Action	Result
4/14/2021	Planning and Programming Committee

Meeting_Body
PLANNING AND PROGRAMMING COMMITTEE
APRIL 14, 2021

Subject
SUBJECT: BUSES WITH OPTIONAL LEFT-SIDE BOARDING

Action
ACTION: RECEIVE AND FILE

Heading
RECOMMENDATION

Title
RECEIVE AND FILE this report on buses with optional left-side boarding, including the benefits, challenges, and costs of this feature for upcoming Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) projects and bus procurements, in response to the December 3, 2020 Board Motion 43.

Issue
ISSUE

At the December 3, 2020 meeting, the Metro Board of Directors approved Motion 43 (Attachment A) directing the Chief Executive Officer to report back to the Planning and Programming Committee on several items related to buses with optional left-side boarding. Of key interest was which existing and future BRT corridors could potentially benefit from left-side boarding, the operational and maintenance benefits and/or tradeoffs associated with these vehicles, and future bus procurement opportunities and/or challenges. This report responds to that motion.

Background
BACKGROUND

Metro is currently working on several new Measure M-funded BRT projects throughout Los Angeles County. The Measure M Expenditure Plan includes $350 million over the next several decades for a Countywide BRT Program. Moreover, the recently completed BRT Vision and Principles Study (2020) has identified an additional five BRT corridors for future consideration and study.

Each BRT corridor will have its unique set of opportunities and challenges that must be addressed in the context of available right-of-way (ROW), potentially operating with several different bus lane configurations including side/curb-running, center/median-running, and freeway-running. And in some very constrained areas, BRT service may have to share travel lanes with other traffic.

Metro is also undertaking a systemwide modernization and replacement of its entire bus fleet due to the Board-adopted goal of 100% electrification by 2030. This provides Metro with t...