Congressman Sherman Secures $500,000 for Orange Line and $100,000 for CSUN Transit Hub

Washington, D.C. - The House on Wednesday approved legislation to set aside $500,000 for safety improvements along the Metro Orange Line busway and $100,000 for a new transit center at California State University , Northridge.

Congressman Brad Sherman won funding for the San Fernando Valley projects in a bill that the House passed 406 to 22 and sent to the Senate. œThe Orange Line has been a tremendous success story for the Valley and for the thousands of riders who board the buses every day, said Sherman, an early champion of the busway. œSafety improvements will burnish the busways reputation for efficient, economical service.

The Orange Line has set ridership records that dramatically exceed estimates by transit planners. In May, almost 22,000 passengers a day on average boarded buses at stops along the 14-mile route between North Hollywood and Warner Center. Extending the Orange Line to Chatsworth, Sherman said, should be the next step.

After the busway opened last October, however, there were several collisions involving cars whose drivers ran red lights or disobeyed other traffic rules. Bus drivers also have reported more than 2,300 near misses at busy intersections, according to the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

In order to make accidents less likely, the new funds Sherman secured will be used for various safety improvements. They include embedding bright lights in the busway pavement that will flash when buses approach and cross intersections. The lights will be installed where the Orange Line crosses Chandler near Ethel Avenue; Burbank and Fulton; Van Nuys Boulevard; Sepulveda Boulevard; Woodley Avenue; Balboa Boulevard; White Oak Avenue; Victory and Topham; Victory and Mason; Victory and Desoto, and at a mid-block pedestrian crosswalk at Lankershim Boulevard.

In the past, Sherman won more than $4.2 million in federal funds for Orange Line projects, including $1.9 million for bike paths along the route; $1 million for the Warner Center transit hub; $836,000 to build an Orange Line extension and bus shelter at Pierce College, and $500,000 for park-and-ride facilities along the route.

In this years transportation funding bill, Sherman won an additional $100,000 for a transit center at Cal State, Northridge. The new facility will be located at the main west campus entrance and provide a central location for commuters using mass transit to get to and from the university.