Metro has secured $150-million in federal funding for the construction of a bus rapid transit line down Vermont Avenue, Senators Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff announced earlier this week.

“Our local public transit systems are the backbone of economy, connecting people to jobs, schools, essential services, and opportunities in their communities,” said Padilla in a news release. “As Los Angeles prepares to welcome the world for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, we must ensure Angelenos and visitors alike can rely on safe, accessible, and high-quality public transportation."

Rendering of Vermont BRT segment from 4th Street to 1st Street looking northMetro

The project spans 12.4 miles of Vermont between Hollywood Boulevard in Los Feliz and 120th Street in unincorporated Athens, and will involve the construction of dedicated side-running bus lanes and 26 stops along the full corridor. 

Metro announced in May that work on the project would begin over the summer, with heavy roadway work expected in late 2026.

Local funding for the project was secured in 2016, when Los Angeles County voters approved funding for the project via the Measure M sales tax. 

Rendering of Vermont BRT segment from Dana Street to Washington Boulevard looking northMetro

Metro estimates that his segment of Vermont sees roughly 36,000 transit trips on a daily basis, making it the busiest bus route in Metro's network. The installation of dedicated transit lanes is expected to grow that total to 66,000 daily passengers, more than 12,000 of whom would be new daily riders to Metro's system. Additionally, the project would cut bus travel times from 70 minutes to 53 minutes. 

Metro is also exploring the construction of a subway or light rail line on the corridor, which estimates indicate could carry as many as 144,000 daily passengers. However, funding for such an undertaking would not be available until 2067.

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