The city is currently experiencing a wave of major infrastructure and public transit investments aimed at improving connectivity, reducing congestion, and reshaping how residents move across L.A.
One of the most significant near-term developments is taking shape along Vermont Avenue, where preconstruction activity for a new bus rapid transit (BRT) line is set to begin as early as next week.
According to a construction notice issued by Metro, crews will begin identifying existing underground utilities through small exploratory digs starting May 11, 2026. This phase will focus on locating pipes and cables before major excavation and roadway reconstruction begins later in the year. The project is scheduled for completion in 2028.
Vermont Avenue BRT corridor project overview
The idea of upgrading Vermont Avenue into a BRT corridor has been under consideration since at least 2016, when voters approved funding for the project.
The corridor spans approximately 12 miles, running along Vermont Ave. between Hollywood Boulevard in Los Feliz and 120th Street in the Athens area of South L.A. passing through some of the city’s most densely populated and transit-dependent neighborhoods.
The corridor supports roughly 36,000 daily transit trips, making it the busiest bus routes. With the new dedicated bus lanes, Metro projects ridership could increase to around 66,000 daily passengers. Travel times are also expected to improve significantly, dropping from approximately 70 minutes to 53 minutes end-to-end.
Looking further ahead, planners have even studied the possibility of a future subway or light rail conversion along the same corridor, with theoretical capacity estimates reaching up to 144,000 daily riders. However, such a project would not be financially feasible until at least 2067.
