Bus-only lanes

Eyes on the Street: More Bus-Only Lanes in DTLA

Nearly completed new bus lanes are on Olive between Pico and 2nd - half of a couplet that will soon include a southbound bus lane on Grand Avenue

By Joe Linton

9:32 AM PST on November 9, 2021

Eyes on the Street: More Bus-Only Lanes in DTLA

Over the past weekend, the city Transportation Department (LADOT) installed 1.3 miles of new bus lane on Olive Street through much of downtown Los Angeles. The new bus lane is part of a collaboration between LADOT and Metro that produced recent new bus lanes on Flower Street, 5th and 6th Streets, Aliso Street, and Alvarado Street – with more coming soon on Grand Avenue, La Brea Avenue, and more of Alvarado Street.

For background on how the Olive Street bus lane came about, see earlier SBLA coverage from September, and from 2020.

The nearly-completed new bus lane is located on Olive from Pico Boulevard to 2nd Street. It is the northbound half of a planned couplet that will soon also include a southbound bus lane on Grand Avenue. Per Metro’s The Source, the Grand Avenue bus lane will be installed this Saturday, November 13.

According to Metro, Grand and Olive currently see 60 buses per hour at peak times. These streets carry many Metro lines – including the J (Silver) Line Bus Rapid Transit – plus LADOT DASH and other municipal buses.

Olive/Grand bus lane couplet map - via Metro — Olive/Grand bus lane couplet map – via Metro

The Olive (and soon Grand) bus lane operate from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays.

https://twitter.com/WillProctor14/status/1457414733833797634

Below are photos of the new bus lanes – taken yesterday afternoon.

xxx — New northbound bus-only lane on Olive Street

xxx — New Olive Street bus lane signage notes that the lanes are for BUS/BIKE ONLY between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. Monday through Friday. (Note that this is the more bike-affirmative signage installed on Cesar Chavez Avenue – not the older “bikes OK” version recently installed on Alvarado Street)

xxxx — The new Olive Street bus lane is nearly complete, though in a couple spots some additional markings still need to be installed

One of the saddest signs: BUS LANE ENDS - on Olive at 2nd Street — One of the saddest signs: BUS LANE ENDS – on Olive at 2nd Street

Joe Linton

Bus-only lanes | Public Transportation | Streetsblog LA

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