LA Metro debuts BRT in ‘the Valley’

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) began revenue service on the Orange Line, a 14-mile BRT system in the San Fernando Valley.

With 30 60-foot articulated buses manufactured by North American Bus Industries, the Orange Line uses an exclusive busway, rail-like station platforms, ticket vending machines and traffic signal priority.

Metro joined a host of NABI, local, state and federal officials last weekend to officially dedicate the new BRT line.

Ridership on the L.A. Metro Orange Line is expected to grow steadily, reaching 22,000 average weekday boarding passengers by 2020.

Construction of the line lasted about two and a half years at a total cost of approximately $350 million.