El Monte Busway

The El Monte Busway, is a high occupancy vehicle lane running from Los Angeles (Los Angeles Union Station) to El Monte, California.

The busway opened in 1974 to buses only, and in 1976 opened to carpools as well. The eastern terminus of the carpool lanes was near the El Monte bus depot in El Monte at the intersection with Baldwin Avenue, until it was extended 2 miles in 2005 to the San Gabriel River Freeway. The western terminus of the carpool lanes is at the East Los Angeles Interchange complex, although the busway itself continues to the Patsaouras Transit Plaza at Union Station. The resulting carpool roadway is one of the few indisputably successful mass transit projects undertaken in Southern California. Bus ridership is approximately 18,000, and in addition to the 100 buses an hour along the busway during peak periods, the roadway carries 1,600 carpools and vanpools during peak hour. [1]

Uniquely, the carpool lanes of the El Monte Busway can only be entered and exited at a few points as the entire length is demarcated with two 'double-yellow' lines (which are technically illegal to cross) and an approximately 12' (3.7m) wide asphalt median; carpool lanes in other California freeways (including other segments of the San Bernardino Freeway) generally allow entry and exit at multiple points which generally coincide with a nearby street or freeway interchange. The entrances and exits are at the San Gabriel River Freeway, Baldwin Avenue in El Monte, Eastern Avenue in East Los Angeles, and at Union Station. Additionally, westbound there are exits at the Long Beach Freeway and at the Hollywood Freeway.

Bus service is provided with a mix of Foothill Transit and Metro Express buses. There are two classes of bus service on the busway. Local Plus service, or Metro Express service, makes all busway stops and allows boardings and alighting at all stops along the route. Commuter Express service, operated by Foothill Transit, only drops off passengers heading westbound and only boards passengers headed eastbound. Commuter Express buses continue along the HOV lanes and do not stop at the El Monte Bus Station at the end of the route.

Bus service operates from various points in the San Gabriel Valley and Pomona Valley, with service to the San Bernardino County cities of Chino and Montclair, destined to Downtown Los Angeles with buses on Foothill Transit Line 481 continuing to Koreatown. The El Monte Bus Station at the end of the Busway is believed to be the busiest bus terminal west of the Mississippi River, although the San Francisco Transbay Terminal may be busier. [2]

In addition, the fare structure differs between Metro Express, Foothill Transit Local Plus, and Foothill Transit Commuter Express, causing some confusion. Fares vary based on the destination. In particular, Metro Express service is always significantly cheaper than Foothill Transit service, because of the maximum two zones permitted under the Metro fare structure ($2.25 on Metro for the trip between El Monte and Downtown Los Angeles compared to $3 under Foothill).

List of stations, from West to East

Station	El Monte Busway Services	Other Connections
Union Station	Foothill Transit Local Plus: 480, 481, 482, 486, 488, 492, 494 Foothill Transit Commuter Express: 493, 497, 498, 499, 699 Metro Express: 484, 485, 487, 489, 490	Amtrak, Metrolink Metro Rail: Gold, Red Metro Bus: 33, 38, 40, 42, 68, 70, 71, 78, 79, 304, 368, 370, 378, 439, 442, 444, 445, 446, 447 Metro Rapid: 740, 745 LADOT DASH: B, DD (Weekends Only), Lincoln Heights/Chinatown LADOT Commuter Express: 430, 534 Santa Monica Big Blue Bus: 10 Torrance Transit: 1, 2 Orange County Transportation Authority: 701 Santa Clarita Transit: 794, 799 Antelope Valley Transit Authority: 785
Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center	Foothill Transit Local Plus: 480, 481, 482, 486, 488, 492, 494 Foothill Transit Commuter Express: 493, 497, 498, 499, 699 Metro Express: 484, 485, 487, 489, 490	Metro Bus: 71, 250, 253, 254 LADOT DASH Boyle Heights
California State University, Los Angeles	Foothill Transit Local Plus: 480, 481, 482, 486, 488, 492, 494 Foothill Transit Commuter Express: 493, 497, 498, 499, 699 Metro Express: 484, 485, 487, 489, 490	Metrolink: San Bernardino Line Metro Bus: 65, 71, 256 El Sol: Orange Children's Court Shuttle ACT: Blue Monterey Park: 5
El Monte Bus Station	Local Plus: 480, 481, 482, 486, 488, 492, 494 Metro Express 484, 490, 577	Metro Local: 70, 76, 170, 176, 267, 268, 270, 370, 376, 487 Foothill Transit Local: 178, 269 El Monte Trolley: Flair, Civic Center

External links

• Foothill Transit
• Metro