After a decade of planning and delays, L.A. Metro has officially broken ground on the North Hollywood–Pasadena Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) line, a major new transit project designed to connect the San Fernando Valley and San Gabriel Valley with faster and cleaner public transportation.
Originally funded through Metro’s Measure M sales tax initiative in 2016, the long-awaited corridor will span roughly 19 miles across Glendale, Los Angeles, Burbank and Pasadena.
For years, travelers moving between these areas have relied mostly on slow local buses or lengthy rail transfers through DTLA, but the new BRT aims to dramatically reduce travel times with a faster and more direct east-west connection.
The NoHo–Pasadena BRT project
L.A. Metro’s Bus Rapid Transit system is designed to function more like “light rail on wheels” than a traditional bus route. The service will include dedicated bus-only lanes along portions of the route, enhanced stations, all-door boarding, and traffic signal priority to help buses move more efficiently.
The approximately half-billion-dollar project will feature 22 new stations along major corridors including Glenoaks Boulevard, Vineland Avenue, Central Avenue, and Colorado Boulevard.
Once completed, the line is expected to cut end-to-end travel times to around 66 minutes, making trips nearly 50% faster than current bus service along the corridor.
Metro also plans to operate the route using zero-emission electric buses, making it one of the agency’s cleaner transportation investments.
When will the NoHo-Pasadena BRT open?
Construction is now officially underway across portions of the corridor, with station work expected to become increasingly visible over the coming months. Metro currently expects the new BRT line to open in early 2028, just ahead of the Summer Olympics.
