North Hollywood–Pasadena Transit Line

The North Hollywood to Pasadena Transit Corridor is a proposed bus rapid transit line in the Los Angeles Metro Busway system in Los Angeles, California. It is planned to operate between Pasadena and the North Hollywood station in the San Fernando Valley, where it will connect with the B Line in the Los Angeles Metro Rail system and the G Line in the Los Angeles Metro Busway system. The project completed its scoping phase in 2019, was approved by the Metro board on April 28, 2022 and is estimated to be completed by 2027. It is part of Metro's Twenty-eight by '28 initiative.

No current Metro Rail conversion plans are scheduled, although the city of Glendale is proposing a streetcar service in its downtown area, connecting the region with "last mile/first mile" service.

The east to west/west to east route will have signal priority at traffic lights, and will have exclusive lanes for most of the route. Metro reports the cost is $448 million. Metro received comments it would have to accommodate the annual Rose Parade route on Colorado Boulevard. Destinations along the route include Old Pasadena, The Paseo, and Pasadena City College and The Americana at Brand outdoor mall. It would also connect with Warner Bros. Studios, Burbank, The Walt Disney Studios, The Burbank Studios, the Downtown Burbank Metrolink station, and Universal Studios Lot.

In November 2020, Metro launched the details of the route, its stops, where the lanes reside, and whether or not they are exclusive or in mixed traffic. Public comments were open until December 10, 2020. In April 2022, Metro approved the Environmental Impact Report for the line, but was later sued in July 2022 as the meeting where the EIR was approved allegedly violated California's Brown Act. However, the lawsuit failed, as confirmed in December 2023.

At a May 2025 presentation to the Glendale City Council, Metro stated that construction on the line will begin as soon as June 2025.

Initial Alternative Analysis

The BRT service is planned to connect L.A.'s San Fernando Valley communities of Burbank, North Hollywood, and Glendale with the San Gabriel Valley community of Pasadena, via Eagle Rock. An alternatives analysis study considered three main options for the route: a street-running option, an all freeway option on the SR 134 freeway, or a hybrid of both. Metro’s board of directors approved advancing a mostly street-running route with some variations for more study as part of the project’s Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR). Community meetings took place for Metro to weigh routes environmental issues and any other issue that could be address during the DEIR until the end of 2019.

*Pasadena/Eagle Rock
In the east portion, the route begins between the and stations on the A Line. Heads west along Colorado Boulevard to Eagle Rock. Metro proposes multiple options on how it passes Eagle Rock. West through Wilson Avenue, or west on Colorado St. Metro recently added a third route for the DEIR, a SR 134 freeway median route as it heads into Glendale.
*Glendale/Burbank
After Eagle Rock, it will enter Glendale on Broadway or Colorado St and head north for a mile on Central or Brand Avenue through downtown Glendale before heading west on Glenoaks Boulevard into Burbank. The route then makes a southwest turn on Olive Avenue, the same intersection where the Downtown Burbank Metrolink station is located.
*North Hollywood
Leaving the Metrolink station in Burbank, Metro's main option has it heading west on Olive Avenue and Riverside Drive until reaching Lankershim Boulevard and the B Line's North Hollywood station. Other North Hollywood routes optioned from the Burbank Metrolink station are west on Chandler Boulevard or Magnolia Boulevard with the same terminus. All are under the technical study for possible DEIR.

* Results

The three route options developed in the Alternative Analysis study were ranked according to multiple criteria, including projected ridership, reliability, cost, and community impacts. The ranking recommended the street-running alternative over the freeway and hybrid routes, concluding that its higher ridership and favorable connectivity were worth its additional cost.

Current services

Two express bus services currently operate in the North Hollywood–Glendale–Pasadena corridor, as precursors to the bus rapid transit service. Metro Express route 501 began operation in 2016 between North Hollywood station, Glendale, and Pasadena, as a pilot project which was later made permanent. LADOT Commuter Express route 549 operates from Encino to Pasadena via North Hollywood during weekday rush hours. Both routes use the SR 134 freeway, a highly-traveled and congested corridor.

Proposed station list

In April 2021, Metro presented a community update sheet which narrowed the list of alternatives down to one route based on community feedback. Significant changes to the preferred alternative included a re-routing from Olive Avenue in Burbank onto Alameda Avenue and Buena Vista Street, while consolidating the two nearby proposed stations into one on Alameda and Naomi Street, as well as the elimination of the station connection to the Downtown Burbank Metrolink station due to safety concerns regarding the existing Olive Avenue bridge. In its place, a station was added nearby to Lake Street.

Conversion to light rail

In May of 2024, Metro released a report on rail conversion. The feasibility study was requested to determine if the BRT can be converted to rail in the near future. Metro is requiring contractors to study and report scenarios on the 18 mile BRT corridor for rail. https://x.com/numble/status/1888252491445469622/photo/1

References

External links

Project website

{{DEFAULTSORT:North Hollywood to Pasadena Transit Corridor
Los Angeles Metro Busway projects
Metro Rapid
Metro Rapid
Metro Rapid
Proposed railway lines in California
Transportation in Los Angeles
Transportation in the San Fernando Valley
2027 in transport