WESTSIDE BUS CONNECTION
Project Overview
The Westside Bus Connection Program is a quick-build project that aims to deliver construction-ready bus infrastructure designs on three of the Westside’s busiest corridors by late 2026:
Santa Monica Boulevard west of Beverly Hills;
Sepulveda Boulevard between UCLA and Westchester, and;
The combined north-south La Cienega Boulevard and Jefferson Boulevard corridor from West Hollywood to Westchester.
These corridors are among the busiest in the region, and, if approved for construction by COG member cities, the improvements will provide long-term benefits for riders while preparing the Westside for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The designs may include:
Dedicated and/or peak hour bus lanes
Transit signal upgrades
Curb and striping changes
Pedestrian and cyclist safety improvements
Bus pad improvements at select bus stops
If approved by the COG member cities, the improvements could be completed in time for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic games.
For more information, please review the following resources:
May 2026 Program Map - linked here
April 2026 10% Preliminary Conceptual Designs - linked here
The WSCCOG may consider additional alternatives for select segments as design progresses.
April 2026 Existing Conditions Technical Memo - linked here
April 2026 30% Design Recommendations and Guidelines Memo - linked here
March 2026 Round 1 Community Workshop Boards - linked here
June 2026 Round 2 Community Workshop Boards - linked here
Outreach
Round 1 Outreach (Project Purpose and Background):
Key Group Meeting: Thursday, February 19th, 2026 over Zoom. See recording here.
Workshop #1: Wednesday, March 25th, 2026 at the West Hollywood Aquatics & Recreation Center.
Workshop #2: Saturday, March 28th, 2026 at the Culver City Senior Center.
West LA CicLAvia: Saturday, April 26th, 2026 at the Santa Monica Blvd Hub
Round 2 Outreach (30% Design Review):
Workshop #3: Wednesday, June 3, 2026 at the La Cienega Community Center
Workshop #4: Saturday, June 6, 2026 at the West LA Civic Center
Workshop #5: Wednesday, June 10, 2026 over Zoom. See recording here.
CicLAvia — Meet the Hollywoods: Saturday, July 19th, 2026
Have questions or comments? Reach out to us at westsidebusconnection@estolanoadvisors.com
Frequently Asked Questions
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Quick-build projects use lower-cost, rapidly deployable materials like paint, signage, striping, and flexible delineators rather than concrete construction. This approach allows the WSCCOG to deliver bus improvements faster and at lower cost while still achieving meaningful gains in bus speed and reliability.
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The WSCCOG conducted a thorough existing conditions analysis of all three corridors. As a part of this analysis, the project team determined that quick-build bus improvements on several of the segments were either redundant, infeasible for implementation before the LA28 Games, or not supported by current transit operations.
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The materials themselves are temporary (paint, signage, striping, flexible delineators), but the transportation improvements are intended to remain in place long-term. Over time, local jurisdictions will have the opportunity to adjust, repair, or upgrade the temporary materials with more permanent infrastructure.
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The project team evaluated full-time and peak-hour bus lane options for each segment. In some locations, full-time bus lanes are recommended. In others, parking demand, traffic volumes, and city coordination led the team to recommend peak-hour lanes that balance transit performance with local access needs. Peak-hour lanes maintain early morning, midday, and evening parking availability for local businesses while still improving bus speeds during the periods when congestion most affects riders.
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Local jurisdictions and transit agencies will determine enforcement strategies for bus lanes within their boundaries. The WSCCOG is coordinating with participating cities and agencies to identify enforcement approaches as design advances.
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The project team analyzed on-street parking conditions along each corridor, identifying areas where businesses depend on on-street parking and areas where businesses have access to off-street parking. In some locations, the project team developed peak-hour bus lane recommendations specifically to maintain morning, midday, and evening parking availability while still improving transit performance. The team will continue to evaluate parking and business access needs as design advances.
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Corridors in the study area carry tens of thousands of daily bus riders on Metro routes alone, and local operators like Culver CityBus carry additional passengers. By improving bus speed and reliability with dedicated lanes, these routes will likely attract additional riders who currently avoid the bus due to slow or unpredictable travel times.
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The project team conducted traffic analysis to evaluate potential impacts on adjacent streets. The team considered traffic volumes, roadway capacity, and diversion patterns when developing lane configurations for each segment. The WSCCOG will continue to coordinate with local jurisdictions on traffic monitoring as designs advance.
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The Santa Monica Blvd corridor designs integrate bicycle infrastructure alongside bus improvements. The project team has also heard strong community interest in protected bike lanes on other corridors, particularly La Cienega Blvd. The WSCCOG will evaluate opportunities to incorporate bicycle infrastructure where it fits within the project scope, funding, and timeline.
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No, the project scope focuses on bus lanes, signage, striping, and related roadway improvements.
Measure M Subregional Equity Program
Funding for Westside Bus Connection and Related Projects
In February 2025, the WSCCOG Board programmed $2.68 million in Metro Measure M Subregional Equity Program (SEP) funds for the bus infrastructure design, design phase outreach, and design-phase data collection across three corridors: Santa Monica Blvd (west of Beverly Hills), Sepulveda Blvd (between UCLA and LAX), and the combined corridor along La Cienega Blvd and Jefferson Blvd (between Sunset Blvd and Sepulveda Blvd).
In April 2025, the WSCCOG Board programmed an additional $1.37 million in Metro SEP funds for bus infrastructure on these corridors, including $960,654 for the Sepulveda Connects project in Culver City.
In April 2026, the WSCCOG Board programmed the remaining $2.68 million in Metro SEP funds for bus infrastructure on these corridors, including $600,000 to implement bus infrastructure as part of the Santa Monica Blvd Safety Study in the City of Santa Monica.
Background on Metro Subregional Equity Program
In 2016, Metro established and programmed $1.2 billion to the Measure M Subregional Equity Program (SEP) to provide equivalent funding to each of the other subregions after the Metro Board allocated funding to a San Fernando Valley transit project. Within this program, the WSCCOG is allocated approximately $160 million, while the Central City Area Subregional Planning Area is allocated $235 million.
In June 2021, the Metro Board adopted a motion making SEP funding eligible for programming starting in FY22-23 subject to project readiness criteria and clarified that subregions may access SEP funds earlier than 2043 through a combination of inter-fund borrowing, fund exchanges with other programs and projects in their subregions, Metro Measure M bonding capacity, or other discretionary funds designated for their subregion.
On October 14, 2021, the WSCCOG Board approved the City of West Hollywood’s request to allocate of 25 percent ($40 million) of the $160 million SEP funds from Metro to the Crenshaw Northern Extension Project to support predevelopment activities to get the project shovel-ready and eligible for other funding and send a letter to Metro asking for project development work on the Crenshaw Northern Extension Project to be fully funded in the FY22 midyear budget and the FY23 annual budget.
In December 2022, the WSCCOG Board approved the priorities for the remaining SEP allocation, which includes 62.5 percent ($100 million) for BRT and Bus Infrastructure Improvements, and 12.5 percent ($20 million) for the D Line (Purple) Extension to Santa Monica.
In January 2024, the WSCCOG Transportation Working Group (TWG) met to determine how near-term SEP funding could support a car-free 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games and increase connectivity for Westside communities. Through these discussions, the TWG collaborated to prioritize regional bus infrastructure for near-term SEP funding. At a minimum, “bus infrastructure” would include, but not be limited to, peak-hour dedicated bus lanes with the expectation that additional transit enhancements could be made to each corridor where possible and over time. Designing bus infrastructure on the Westside aligns with the short- and long-term goals of Metro and the WSCCOG member jurisdictions.
WSCCOG Unfunded Strategic Project List
In 2021, Metro directed each COG to develop a Strategic Project List consisting of unfunded transportation capital projects of regional significance. The Strategic Project List is not tied to specific future funding, and is not a prioritized list, but will aid countywide and regional planning efforts. Building from the 2020 WSCCOG Mobility Study and 2021 WSCCOG Measure MSP, the WSCCOG staff worked closely with the WSCCOG Transportation Working Group to develop this list, which was approved by the WSCCOG Board on June 10, 2021.
The WSCCOG Unfunded Strategic Project List consists of 37 major projects, including 21 active transportation projects, 14 transit projects, and two highway projects. It also includes the Westside Mobility Study Pedestrian and Bicycle Network program, consisting of 53 remaining bicycle and pedestrian improvements, which would complete the connected, multimodal transportation vision described in the Westside Mobility Study. The list was revised in October 2021. To access the latest version of the WSCCOG Unfunded Strategic Project List, click here.
2020 WSCCOG Mobility Study
WSCCOG and SCAG retained a consultant team led by Fehr & Peers, with STV, Inc., and Arellano Associates, to update the 2003 Westside Mobility Study. This Mobility Study identifies inter-jurisdictional transportation investment priorities for the Westside and guide future regional planning and project implementation. The study would also inform the development process of the Measure M Multi-Year Subregional Program.
Final Study
On August 13, 2020, the WSCCOG Board adopted the 2020 WSCCOG Mobility Study
WSCCOG Mobility Study (Final) - Adopted 08/13/2020
Appendices
Detailed information of the 2020 WSCCOG Mobility Study can be found in the memorandum of the following appendices that were produced in an earlier phase of this project. The content was finalized and incorporated in the final study.
Appendix A - Existing Conditions Memo
Appendix B - Bicycle Priorities Memo
Appendix C - Mobility Centers & Needs Memo
Appendix D - Outreach Summary
2015 WSCCOG Measure M Transportation Priorities
In 2015, the WSCCOG approved an initial list of transportation priorities as part of the Measure M Expenditure Plan. The priorities include the following:
Active Transportation Networks and 1st/Last Mile Connections
I-10 Robertson/National Area Multimodal Circulation Improvement Project