LA Metro will add service on dozens of bus lines, particularly in the San Fernando Valley and San Gabriel Valley, and expand its ride-hailing service Metro Micro starting Sunday.
Metro Micro will expand into Pasadena, Altadena and Sierra Madre.
The expansion — in the second phase of the organization’s NextGen Bus service changes — is part of L.A. Metro’s effort to meet its goal of restoring transit service to pre-pandemic levels by September.
City transportation officials have implemented new schedules for Pasadena Transit lines to coordinate with the new Metro routes, officials said.
According to the Pasadena City Manager’s Office, changes to the Metro routes affecting Pasadena include:
177 – Will resume service after being suspended during the pandemic.
180/181/780 – Lines will merge to become a more frequent Line 180. Service will discontinue on Colorado Boulevard, east of Pasadena City College, and Lake Avenue. The new Metro Line 662 will replace Line 180 on Lake Avenue.
256 – The line between Highland Park and Pasadena will change to travel via Avenue 64, Colorado Boulevard, L Line (Gold) Memorial Park Station, Lincoln Avenue, Washington Boulevard, Altadena Drive and Foothill Boulevard to terminate service at the L Line (Gold) Sierra Madre Villa Station.
264 – The line will be discontinued due to low ridership. New Metro Micro (transit on-demand) will provide alternate service options in Altadena and Pasadena.
267 – Line Will be shortened to operate via the existing route between El Monte Station and Pasadena ending at the L Line (Gold) Del Mar Station. New Line 256 will operate via the south end of Lincoln Avenue and new Line 662 will operate in both directions on a loop route via Lake Avenue, Altadena Drive, Lincoln Avenue, Washington Boulevard and Los Robles Avenue, between Pasadena (L Line [Gold] Del Mar and Lake Stations) and Altadena.
268 – Will be shortened to operate from the El Monte Station to the L Line (Gold) Sierra Madre Villa Station. New Line 256 route will operate on Washington Boulevard, between Sierra Madre Villa Station and Washington Boulevard/Lincoln Avenue.
487 – Will be discontinued due to low ridership. New Metro Micro (transit on-demand) will provide alternate service options in Altadena and Pasadena.
662 – Will operate in both directions on a loop route via Lake Avenue, Altadena Drive, Lincoln Avenue, Washington Boulevard and Los Robles Avenue, between Pasadena (L Line [Gold] Del Mar and Lake Stations) and Altadena, replacing Line 687 and parts of Lines 180, 267 and 268.
686/687 – Line 686 will continue to operate between Altadena (New York Drive/Allen Avenue) and L Line (Gold) Del Mar Station, but will no longer extend south to the L Line (Gold) Fillmore Station due to low ridership. Line 687 will be discontinued due to low ridership. Alternative services include frequent Lines 260 (Fair Oaks Avenue) and new Line 662 (Washington Boulevard, Los Robles Avenue and Lake Avenue).
Metro will also be resuming Line 177 peak weekday shuttle service between Caltech and Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which has been on pause over the pandemic as workers at the facilities largely switched to telecommuting, Metro officials said.
The Metro Micro program, which began in December as a partnership with RideCo Inc., offers rides for $1 through the end of 2021. Each ride-hailing vehicle holds up to 10 passengers, and a person’s trip must start and end within the same zone.
Riders can use a mobile app to plan their trip, including on Metro Micro and bus and train rides. The average wait time is about 10 minutes, according to Metro’s website.
The Altadena/Pasadena/Sierra Madre zone will provide access to the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena Community College, Caltech, downtown Pasadena, and connections to Metro’s L Line.
“The continued implementation of NextGen, expansion of MicroTransit, and installation of bus lanes is critical, especially as we enter the recovery phase of the pandemic,” Board of Supervisors Chair and Metro Vice Chair Hilda Solis said. “These efforts will help provide more frequent and faster mobility options to our transit riders, predominantly serving communities of color. When we invest in public transit, we are making a commitment to supporting our communities.”
The Metro Micro app can be downloaded on the Apple store at https://apple.co/2KCpWmP and on Google Play at https://bit.ly/3sJz7Tz.
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4 thoughts on “Metro’s NextGen Bus Service Launches Today with Route Changes and New Ridesharing in Pasadena”
Massive local bus cuts and major bus service eliminated inPasadena and Altadena, no serive at all to Sierra Madrea, by MTA should be the real headline…. But, I note the failure of any critical transportation reporting or discussions are allowed in this media outlet.
Pasadena Now allows and encourages discussion and commentary — critical or not — about transportation on both our Facebook page and our website.
I am a 75 year old disabled veteran living in Sierra Madre. I do not have a smart phone and have not owned a car for several years. I had been dependent upon MTA lines 487 and 268 for transportation. By eliminating ANY bus service to my town MTA has effectively destroyed any sense of independence I previously enjoyed.
I used to ride Line 268 5 days a week to the Los Angeles County Arboretum in Arcadia. I utilized Line 487 for trips to Ralph’s on Foothill Bl. in Hasting’s Ranch for occasional grocery shopping, or to Sierra Madre Villa Station and trips to downtown Los Angeles via the Gold Line for appointments at the VA’s ambulatory care clinic to see my primary care physician several times a year. Now I can do neither.
My question is a simple one: How can Metro completely stop providing service to an entire community?
Cut service to Sierra Madre area is unacceptable and turn out to Metro Micro Transit on Sierra Madre since the phase 2 bad initiative service change during pandemic. Why not to take over on the Foothill Transit or Pasadena Transit that serves in Sierra Madre area is supposed lot of sense for providing entire community.