For its second groundbreaking in less than a week, Metro officially commenced work yesterday on a bus rapid transit line along one of the region's busiest north-south corridors. 

The Vermont BRT line, which recently secured $150 million in federal funding, will create dedicated bus lanes along 12.4 miles of Vermont between Hollywood Boulevard in Los Feliz and 120th Street in the unincorporated community of Athens. Plans also call for 26 stops along the project corridor, with connections to the B, C, D, and E Lines.

Rendering of BRT station at Vermont and 3rd StreetMetro

"A ZIP Code shouldn't shut someone out of opportunities. South LA residents often spend hours traveling to work, school, or the doctor,” said Los Angeles City Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson in a news release. “The Vermont Transit Corridor project is changing this by saving working families valuable time, expanding access to employment and education, and ensuring mobility is not limited by income, neighborhood, or vehicle access."

Vermont is the busiest corridor for bus riders in Metro's system, accounting for roughly 36,000 transit trips on a daily basis. Dedicated lanes are 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. 

Vermont BRT Line mapMetro

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. Completion of the Vermont BRT line is expected before the 2028 Summer Olympics.

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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