Hearings Set on Ways to Improve Bus Service

Transit officials who are studying ways to improve bus service on the Westside will hold public hearings in the Fairfax district and Hollywood next week.

The study seeks to gather information on bus routes offered by the Culver City, Santa Monica and Los Angeles city bus services, said Philip Aker, supervising transportation planner for the Los Angeles Department of Transportation. Recommendations for improvements will be made in February, and changes are expected to be in place by the end of the year.

“This is not a long-range study,” Aker said. “We want to gather as much information about the systems as we can, come up with some ideas, and then actually do them.”

Aker said the study is allowing the bus agencies that serve the Westside to collectively discuss their services. The city bus services can sometimes offer overlapping routes, or make transferring between bus lines difficult, Aker said.

“We are now talking about the possibility of eliminating duplication, and providing better linkages so you don’t arrive at a bus stop and the other bus has just left three minutes before,” Aker said.

Issues already raised by the public about Westside bus service include the need for a bus pass accepted by all of the independent city agencies, the need for better north-south service, and more bus service on the San Diego Freeway, Aker said.

The study’s researchers also sought information at other community meetings, questioned local city officials and reviewed the bus services.

The meetings will be held at 2 and 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Korean Cultural Center, 5505 Wilshire Blvd. in the Fairfax district and at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at Santa Monica Elementary School, 1022 N. Van Ness Ave. in Hollywood.