CHAPTER 2 | PROPOSED BUS ROUTE MODIFICATIONS OVERVIEW • Provide pass-by service at the Monrovia, Duarte, Irwindale, and Alameda Stations with primarily on-street bus stops and minor restructuring of nearby routes to minimize walking distances and physical barriers between station platforms and This chapter presents the recommended bus interface plan to coincide with the opening of the Metro Gold Line Foothill bus stops. Ideally customers should have a line-of-sight visual connection between buses and the boarding platform. Extension Pasadena to Azusa project in 2015. This project will extend rail service from the existing Sierra Madre Villa Transit operations would benefi t from physical enhancements such as bus turnouts, wide sidewalks, and designated bus Station in Pasadena 11.4 miles east to the proposed Azusa-Citrus Station, adding six new stations to the regional rail stops. Customers would benefi t from shelters, street furniture, real-time schedule information, and passive route and network. The proposed plan outlined in this chapter reshapes the existing fi xed route bus network around the Gold timetable displays. Line light rail and recommends service levels commensurate with prevailing and projected future land use conditions, community development objectives, the needs and expectations of transit users as well as short-range fi scal constraints. • Restructure bus routes running parallel to the Gold Line Extension to operate one-way trips within a range of 38 to 52 The proposed bus network is displayed in Figure 2-1. Individual route recommendations by station are summarized in minutes and optimized schedule cycles of either 90 or 120 minutes. This will facilitate reliable operating schedules and Table 2-1 and described in the following pages. coordinated bus-train arrival and departure times at a primary transfer point. Foothill Transit Routes 187, 494, and 690 are examples of existing parallel routes for which signifi cant changes are proposed. Service proposals are based on analysis of existing services using ridership data as available from Metro, Foothill Transit, and municipal providers, supplemented by observations in the fi eld. Additionally, the results of separate bus and rail • Adjust bus routes intersecting the Gold Line as necessary to minimize on board bus travel times required for transit passenger surveys, a random sample telephone survey of residents in the service area, meetings with the cities along the riders to access the nearest rail station that is geographically consistent with prevailing travel directions. Provide direct corridor, and focused discussions with bus operators were synthesized into the recommendations. linkages between the Gold Line, the Metrolink San Bernardino Line, and the El Monte Busway when feasible with these routes. The six new stations will be served by a combination of Metro, Foothill Transit, City of Duarte, and City of Glendora fi xed route bus services, as well as by paratransit services operated by each of the cities and the regional operators. • Improve service frequencies on top performing routes within fi scal limitations. Ideally buses should meet every peak Conceptually, the plan assumes that longer bus trips currently occurring in the San Gabriel Valley will be converted direction train contingent on funding availability. For cost estimation purposes, target bus service frequencies of 15 into shorter feeder trips to the most proximate Gold Line stations. These and other short distance trips will become the minutes on weekdays and 30 minutes on weeknights and weekends are assumed when the Gold Line Extension opens primary focus of the bus system. Duplicative express services to downtown Los Angeles and the Westlake District are in 2014. proposed to be curtailed or discontinued. Similarly, bus routes currently serving cities between Glendora and Montclair • Coordinate peak direction bus and train arrivals and departures to minimize transfer wait times. are proposed to be selectively truncated or diverted to the Azusa-Citrus Station. The proposed service plan is shaped by several key design elements: • Establish new sub-regional transit hubs at the Arcadia and Azusa-Citrus Stations. Transit customers would benefi t from physical enhancements such as covered passenger waiting areas, real-time schedule information and enhanced customer information. Transit operations would benefi t from the availability of secure restrooms for bus operators at these locations. Ancillary transportation facilities such as taxi stands, auto pick up zones, and parking also should be considered within space constraints. Foothill Extension Bus Interface Plan 23 2 1 24 ArcadiaProposed BusRouting at Station toAzusa Pasadena STATION: FREQUENCY 2-1-BUSSERVICE BY TABLE New proposed bus route Newproposed 188 187 31 31 Bus Arrivals Hourly Total Commuter Duarte Duarte Blue Duarte Green Municipal Operators 487270264793131 Metro 2494 281 488 498 280 2 272 185 11 11 12 11 111111 186 Transit Foothill Bus space determined considering: determined Bus space Metro Route 270 stops at Monrovia Station atMonrovia 270 stops Route Metro atIrwindale stops Route185 atAzusa-Alameda Stationandlays-over Station Foothill Station atArcadia 186/187layover Route Foothill CHAPTER 2 2 CHAPTER CHAPTER 2 2 CHAPTER 1 1 3131 Line Bus 833833221231552442-4- -4-110211028648114 Northbound/ Eastbound a.m. Peak Peak p.m. a.m.Peak Peak p.m. a.m.Peak Peak p.m. a.m.Peak Peak p.m. a.m.Peak Peak p.m. a.m.Peak Peak p.m. Southbound/ | | Arcadia StationArcadia Station Monrovia Duarte Station Irwindale Station Station Azusa-Alameda Azusa-Citrus Station Westbound MODIFICATIONS ROUTE BUS PROPOSED PROPOSED BUS ROUTE MODIFICATIONS ROUTE BUS PROPOSED Lay-over Positions Northbound/ Eastbound Southbound/ Westbound Lay-over Positions Northbound/ Eastbound Southbound/ Westbound Lay-over Positions Northbound/ Eastbound Southbound/ Westbound Lay-over Positions 1101 00 10 01 10 221221 Northbound/ Eastbound p.m. peak isdefi p.m. isdefi a.m. Peak Southbound/ Westbound Lay-over Positions Northbound/ Eastbound 6amand9am ned astheperiod between 3pmand7pm ned astheperiod between Southbound/ Westbound Hour Buses Per Lay-over Positions Northbound/ Eastbound 4 42121 Southbound/ Westbound Lay-over Positions Northbound/ Eastbound Southbound/ Westbound Lay-over Positions 6 6 3131 3131 Northbound/ Eastbound Foothill Extension BusInterface Plan Foothill Southbound/ Westbound Lay-over Positions Northbound/ Eastbound Southbound/ Westbound Lay-over Positions 3131 2121 Northbound/ Eastbound 2140 21 90 Southbound/ Westbound Lay-over Positions Northbound/ Eastbound Southbound/ Westbound Lay-over Positions CHAPTER 2 | PROPOSED BUS ROUTE MODIFICATIONS LEGEND Existing Bus Route Proposed Bus Route Proposed Discontinued Bus Route Gold Line Foothill Extension Proposed Station Gold Line Foothill Extension Proposed Alignment M Metro Bus Route F Foothill Bus Route PA Pasadena ARTS Route North 0 0.2 0.4 miles Foothill Extension Bus Interface Plan Figure 2-1: Proposed Bus Routing – Pasadena to Azusa 25 CHAPTER 2 | PROPOSED BUS ROUTE MODIFICATIONS LEGEND Existing Bus Route Azusa – Montclair Proposed Bus Route Proposed Discontinued Bus Route Gold Line Foothill Extension Proposed Station Gold Line Foothill Extension Proposed Alignment M Metro Bus Route F Foothill Bus Route PA Pasadena ARTS Route North 0 0.2 0.4 miles Figure 2-1: Proposed Bus Routing – Pasadena to Azusa Foothill Extension Bus Interface Plan 26 CHAPTER 2 | PROPOSED BUS ROUTE MODIFICATIONS RECOMMENDATIONS BY STATION Counter (APC) data is displayed in Figure 2-3 for weekday eastbound trips. The profi le refl ects a radial orientation with distinctly higher ridership on the western portion of the route. The highest number of accumulated passengers aboard all weekday trips (i.e., maximum load) occurs at the USC Medical Center Busway Station (863 passengers) per day. Passenger ARCADIA STATION volumes are signifi cantly lower in Pasadena and Arcadia, where the cumulative daily passenger load drops below 200 passengers per day in San Gabriel and reaches a minimum load point of 103 passengers per day approaching the Sierra The Arcadia Station will be located in the downtown area on the north side of Santa Clara Street between North 1st Madre Villa Station. Avenue and Santa Anita Avenue. Three bus routes currently operate in the vicinity as shown in Figure 2-2. Figure 2-4 A similar pattern is seen in Figure Metro Route 487 Passengers on Board Weekday Westbound Ridership 2-4 for westbound trips. Buses 250 1,200 Metro Route 79 depart from the El Monte Busway This local bus route extends from downtown Los Angeles to Arcadia and currently terminates near the proposed Gold Station with approximately 200 Boardings 1,000 200 Line station site. Eastbound buses approach the station area via Huntington Drive, turn north on 2nd Avenue and west Alightings passengers per day on board and Station Vicinty on St. Joseph Street to an on-street layover point facing west. Departing westbound trips turn south on 1st Avenue and SMV Left on Board the accumulated passenger load Arcadia west on Huntington returning to Los Angeles. 800 rises to 295 passengers per day as 150 buses proceed north on Santa Anita Passengers Weekday ridership information compiled from Metro automatic passenger count (APC) data indicates that Arcadia is a 600 signifi cant trip generator on Route 79. An average 272 riders board at six bus stops east of and including Santa Anita toward Live Oak Avenue. The load declines approaching Arcadia from 100 Avenue, which represents