Arterial Street Improvements :: Freeway Improvements :: Transit Improvements

Arterial Street Improvements

Within the City there are 170 miles of State freeways and 6,380 miles of City surface streets, which consists of local and arterial streets. The City's arterial street system consists of 1370 miles of major and secondary highways. The City arterial system and the State freeway system carry roughly the same amount of traffic.

There are several City arterial street projects under way to create additional capacity. Key projects include the following:

Santa Monica Boulevard Widening between I-405 Freeway and the City of Beverly Hills
This $80 million project will combine the existing "Big" and "Little" Santa Monica Boulevard to create a classic transit parkway with 3 lanes in each direction. (Currently under construction.)

Sepulveda Boulevard between Mulholland Drive and Wilshire Boulevard
This $11 million project will widen intersections and provide for a reversible lane in the Mulholland tunnel.

Sepulveda Boulevard Widening between Dickens Street and Greenleaf Street
This project will provide a 4th lane for southbound traffic and is combined with the US-101/I-405 Gap Closure Project, which will significantly improve mobility on northbound I-405 at the I-405/US-101 interchange. (Under construction and will be completed by the spring of 2006).

Commercial Street Widening between Alameda Street and Center Street
This project is combined with US-101 Realignment Project in the Downtown area. (Under construction and will be completed in 2007).

Valley Boulevard Grade Separation near Eastern Avenue
This $35.7 million project is currently under design. The construction of a grade separation to elevate Valley Blvd. between Marianna and Eastern Avenues will begin in 2006.

National Boulevard Widening between Sawtelle Avenue and Sepulveda Boulevard
This project, combined with I-405 HOV Lane between I-10 and SR-90, is now in construction and will be completed in 2007.

For more information about the above projects and for a list of other street improvement projects go to http://eng.lacity.org/iuprs/ and select "Program Name" and then "Street Improvement".

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Freeway Improvements

In 2005 the LADOT administration, planning and design staff moved into the new Caltrans District 7 office building across from City Hall, which has enhanced the coordination between the two agencies. LADOT staff work with the Caltran's staff that are responsible for the State freeways. Key congestion relief projects that Caltrans has underway within the City of Los Angeles include:

• US-101/I-405 Gap Closure Project
• I-405 HOV Lanes (NB and SB) between I-10 and SR-90
• I-405 HOV Lane (SB) between Waterford Avenue and I-10
• US-101 Realignment between Alameda Street and Center Street
• I-5 HOV Lanes between SR-14 and SR-118
• I-5 HOV Lanes between SR-118 and SR-134
• SR-90 (Marina Freeway) widening at Culver Blvd
• Lincoln Blvd. (SR-1) widening between LMU Drive and Fiji Way

View details about all of the Caltrans projects at the State of California's web site.

The two agencies have a joint effort underway to develop several transportation improvements on the Route 101 corridor from Valley Circle Boulevard in the San Fernando Valley to downtown Los Angeles. More information is available at (213) 972-5023.

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Transit Improvements

Metro Rapid Bus - Transit Priority System
The Transit Priority System was designed and implemented by LADOT to assist the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) improve the bus speeds of the Metro Rapid Bus service. The Transit Priority System is currently deployed at more than 1,000 intersections along 14 major transit routes in Los Angeles. The $30 million project provides Metro buses with traffic signal priority at signalized intersections to reduce the number and duration of stops. The project has resulted in a 12% improvement in bus speed. Service along an additional 13 routes will be constructed in the next 2-3 years.

Warner Center Transit Center Hub
LADOT is in the process of completing the construction of a new on-street transit hub in the Warner Center area located on Owensmouth Avenue between Oxnard and Erwin Streets in the core of the Warner Center employment area. The project will serve as a hub for local and regional transit services, including the planned new Metro Orange Bus Rapid Transit Line, and will provide for timed passenger transfer connections between bus lines. In addition, the project includes extensive landscaping and other amenities including decorative colored concrete at intersections and bus stops, wide 15-18 foot sidewalks, pedestrian lighting, bus shelters and benches, art work, signage and lighted gateway arches over Owensmouth Avenue at both ends of the transit hub. The new hub, which is expected to open by August 2005, will be managed and maintained by LADOT. The Department also plans to implement a new all-day DASH shuttle bus service this summer that will link the hub with employment sites, shopping opportunities, medical facilities and residential housing within Warner Center.

Metro Orange Line
The Metro Orange Line is a Metro project to build an exclusive bus roadway across the San Fernando Valley from North Hollywood to the Warner Center. There will be 14 stations and 12 park and ride facilities. LADOT provided extensive design review services and will be responsible for the operation of the traffic signal priority system. The Busway also includes a dedicated bike path in both directions. The line is expected to be open in August 2005.

Metro Gold Line
The Metro Gold Line eastside extension is a Metro light rail project from Union Station to East Los Angeles. LADOT is assisting Metro with design services, priority signal timing, and construction coordination. The project is in construction now.

Metro Exposition Line
LADOT is working on the Exposition Line, a Metro project to build a light rail line from Downtown Los Angeles to Culver City. The project is tentatively scheduled to begin construction in 2006.

Maglev Initial Operating System

LADOT is a co-manager with the Southern California Association of Governments and several other agencies in a study evaluating alternative high-speed rail service from West Los Angeles to Ontario Airport. In a parallel effort a preliminary engineering analysis of Maglev technology is being conducted in the same corridor. For more information contact LADOT Transportation Planning Division at (213) 972-8475.

California High Speed Rail
The State of California is planning a high speed rail project connecting Sacramento and San Francisco to San Diego through the Los Angeles metropolitan area. This project is at the detailed environmental impact stage and is evaluating preferred routes and station locations. The system will be steel wheel on rail. For more information, visit the California High Speed Rail Authority web site.

For additional information about the Metro projects go to www.metro.net.

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