The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) launched a new online interactive engagement tool to gather more public input as part of the agency’s NextGen Bus Study.

The study, launched in January, is designed to create a new bus network that is more relevant, reflective of, and attractive to the residents of Los Angeles County when it launches in the fall of 2019. The effort will improve service to current customers, attract new customers, and win back past customers.

“We really want to encourage the public to use this online engagement tool to let us know what’s important to them as users of the system and, more importantly, any changes they would like to see,” said Los Angeles County Supervisor and Metro Board Chair Sheila Kuehl.

The new online engagement tool can be found at metro.net/nextgen by clicking on the icon labeled “Rank Your Priorities.” Once there, users can choose from a menu of items that helps them decide what’s most important to them as bus riders — for example more mid-day, evening, or weekend service or more real-time information.

Input gathered over the next few months will be used by Metro to design conceptual bus network service plans for public review.

“We hope to gather significant feedback and comments through this process to develop service plans that will meet the needs of our riders and get them where they need to go,” said Metro CEO Phillip A. Washington.