The Los Angeles City Council has approved a motion to improve signal prioritization for the sake of light rail transit on the Expo Line where it operates in city streets.
"The lack of prioritization for L.A.’s light rail lines has long been an issue for Metro’s Blue, Gold, and Expo Lines – and also on the Metro Orange and Silver Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) lines," explains an article by Joe Linton. (All of those train lines are in the process of being renamed; the Expo Line will soon be known as the E Line.)
The decision to prioritize Expo Line trains over cars at intersections moved quickly from speculation to reality. Councilmember Mike Bonin proposed the motion to reform the city's traffic priorities in October.
As noted by Linton in the article, the Los Angeles City Council also approved the long-awaited Exposition Corridor Transit Neighborhood Plan during the same hearing. The plan is designed to "[foster] affordable housing, jobs, and walkability within a half-mile walking distance of five Westside Metro Expo Line stations: Bundy, Sepulveda, Westwood, Palms, and Culver City."
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