BTMO Transportation Update – November 7, 2024
Metro Launches Transit Watch 3.0 with Improved User Interface and Accessibility Features
Image Source: Los Angeles Metro
The Los Angeles Metro introduced its updated app, Transit Watch. It now supports 14 languages, in-app messaging, and video sharing so transit riders have a direct line of communication to report security incidents, suspicious activities, safety concerns, and maintenance issues. There is also an optional “Share Location” feature to easily and quickly select the reporting location. The new Transit Watch surface simplifies the user experience to accommodate our diverse metropolitan area.
The LA Metro Transit Watch App is available on the Apple App Store and Google Play. Instructions to find the app for your mobile device can be found here.
Community Event on November 9: Provide Feedback on the Olive/Riverside Station
Image Source: Los Angeles Metro
As part of the upcoming North Hollywood to Pasadena Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Line planning, Metro is developing a “First/Last Mile Plan” to improve multimodal access to the corridor. Metro wants to hear your input, feedback, and ideas on mobility needs for the future Olive/Riverside station in Burbank. They are analyzing existing conditions and hurdles for pedestrian and bike access as well as identifying possible projects that enhance non-vehicular access in the Media District.
The pop-up will be outside the entrance to the Buena Vista Library at 300 N. Buena Vista St. on November 9 from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
For questions, contact Senior Transportation Planner Chris Buonomo at cbuonomo@burbankca.gov or (818) 238-5251.
You can find out more information about Metro First/Last Mile here.
Enjoy a Transit-Oriented Downtown at the Burbank Winter Wine Walk and Street Fair on November 23!
Image Source: Downtown Burbank
The Burbank Wine Walk and Street Fair returns on Saturday, November 23! The free street fair is open to the public and occurs from 12 to 8 p.m., with the ticketed wine walk is from 4 to 7 p.m. There will be more than 40 wine tasting stations with holiday vendors, live entertainment, artists and crafters, non-profit organizations, and more! Buy tickets for the wine walk here.
Use Metrolink to get to the event! Take the train to the Burbank-Downtown station using the Antelope Valley (AV) or Ventura County (VC) lines. From there, walk about 13 minutes (0.6 miles) to North San Fernando Blvd. or take a Metro Micro shuttle. You can book it through book.metro-micro.net and use your TAP card.
Metrolink offers a $10 Weekend Day Pass good for unlimited systemwide travel each weekend day, and kids 17 and under ride for free when accompanied by a fare-paying adult. Tickets should be purchased at Metrolink ticket machines or on the Metrolink app on the day of travel.
Articles of Interest
Inside LA’s roaming public art exhibit, the Metro Art Bus
Image Source: Metro Art
Metro is joining the public art exhibits and performances in Los Angeles County with their Metro Art Buses, bringing dozens of portraits to routes around LA County. If the bus is not full, riders can wander around to find portraits of different transportation modes. See if you can find the love story portrait of artist Edwin Ushiro and his wife on a Metro bus. It captures a beautiful moment because the two regularly rode it to visit each other when they began dating.
While the Metro Art Bus is exciting, finding one is a matter of pure luck and an element of surprise because none of the buses follow fixed routes. There is currently no tracking system, so riders will have to be on the lookout during their regular commutes!
Find more information about the Metro Art Buses here.
First Phase of Bus Lane Enforcement with Cameras Starts Nov. 1, on Wilshire, La Brea
Image Source: Joe Linton from Streetsblog
LA Metro and LA Department of Transportation (LADOT) announced phase one of its bus lane enforcement pilot program with an initial 60-day warning and outreach period to capture images with cameras of vehicles illegally parked in bus lanes and at bus stops in real time. Following the initial 60-day warning and outreach period, citations will be issued for bus lane violations.
Cameras have been installed on 50 select buses on bus lines 720 servicing Wilshire Blvd. and 212 servicing La Brea. The two cameras, installed behind the windshields of select buses, each serve a different function. One camera uses computer vision to detect vehicles on the roadway and traffic lane lines. When a bus lane or bus stop violation is detected, the second camera records the license plate of the violating vehicle. Then a traffic officer with LADOT will review the evidence and verify the accuracy of the image before issuing a ticket. This automated bus lane and bus stop enforcement technology advances LA Metro’s NextGen Bus Plan by ensuring that the agency’s riders experience the benefits of new bus lanes and improves safety and transit reliability.
Read more about it here.
BTMO Multi-modal Resources
Wondering how to plan your route? Check out the BTMO’s Mobility Apps page for resources to help you plan the most efficient route.
Burbank is full of transit options to explore! Check out our Bike resources page for a quick glimpse at all the safe and sustainable ways to get around town by bicycle.
Join BTMO’s decades-long effort to reduce congestion and air pollution in Burbank.
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