El Monte Busway

El Monte Busway

Company type	Transportation facility
Industry	Public transit, Toll road
Founded	January 1973
Headquarters	Los Angeles , United States
Products	Express bus corridor, High occupancy toll lanes

The El Monte Busway, also referred to as the I-10 ExpressLanes, is a combined express bus corridor and high occupancy toll (HOT) lane facility situated along Interstate 10 (San Bernardino Freeway). It stretches from Alameda Street near Los Angeles Union Station to just west of Interstate 605 (I-605) in El Monte, California. Between Alameda Street and Interstate 710 (I-710) in Monterey Park, the busway runs adjacent to the freeway's northern edge before merging into the I-10 median east of I-710. Eastbound buses exit at El Monte station, while HOT lanes continue for other vehicles west of I-605. Key stops along the route include Cal State LA station and LA General Medical Center station.

Originally opened exclusively for buses in January 1973, the busway began permitting three-person carpools in 1976. It transitioned to HOT lanes on February 22, 2013, as part of the Metro ExpressLanes initiative. The corridor carries the concealed state highway designation Route 10S from Alameda Street to El Monte station.

This busway supports two primary bus rapid transit services: the J Line, managed by Los Angeles Metro, and the Silver Streak, operated by Foothill Transit. Additionally, numerous other Metro Express and Foothill Transit routes utilize the busway, mainly during peak weekday periods.

Currently, the facility handles approximately 16,000 bus passengers daily, with peak-hour volumes reaching up to 49 buses per hour. In 2002, the United States Department of Transportation recognized the El Monte Busway as one of the nation’s most effective high-occupancy vehicle lanes.

Construction

The concept for the El Monte Busway emerged in 1969 with the goal of cutting travel times along Interstate 10 (San Bernardino Freeway). It promised a commute of roughly 18 minutes between El Monte and Downtown Los Angeles, compared to the typical 35 to 45 minutes in regular traffic lanes. The project was a collaboration between the California Department of Public Works, Division of Highways (the predecessor to Caltrans) and the Southern California Rapid Transit District (SCRTD), which later became part of today’s Los Angeles Metropolitan Transit Authority. With a budget of $53 million sourced from federal, state, and SCRTD funds, it aimed to test integrated highway-bus operations and enhance capacity along this freeway corridor.

Construction utilized a right of way previously owned by Southern Pacific Railroad, obtained from the bankrupt Pacific Electric streetcar network. Southern Pacific received upgraded freight tracks capable of supporting heavier loads in exchange for part of their property. The project included building a viaduct in El Monte to elevate Southern Pacific trains between the busway corridor and mainline tracks near what is now known as El Monte Metrolink station.

Construction began on January 21, 1972. The eastern seven-mile segment between Interstate 710 (then SR 7) and Santa Anita Avenue opened in January 1973. The El Monte station followed on July 14, 1973. This portion runs within the Interstate 10 median and is separated from regular traffic by painted lines and concrete barriers alongside railroad tracks.

The western segment incorporated a distinctive design that caused delays in completion. A flyover near Interstate 710 shifts lanes northward off Interstate 10 to reach a station near California State University, Los Angeles. Westbound lanes cross over eastbound lanes near the Cal State LA station, effectively reversing lane positions to serve a single island platform at the Los Angeles General Medical Center. This configuration prevents eastbound vehicles from entering the busway from general-purpose lanes.

The LA General Medical Center station was finished in November 1974. The four-mile western section between Mission Avenue and Interstate 710 opened in January 1975, followed by the Cal State LA station in February of that year. The entire eleven-mile busway was officially dedicated on February 18, 1975.

In 1989, an extension lengthened the El Monte Busway to its present twelve miles by adding a one-mile stretch from Mission Road to Alameda Street near Los Angeles Union Station.

Opening access to carpools

During the 1974 strike by the Southern California Rapid Transit District, the busway was temporarily made available to vehicles carrying three or more passengers. By 1976, it evolved into a shared express bus corridor and a high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lane, permitting carpools and vanpools with at least three occupants during peak travel times. The HOV lane usage was extended to weekends in 1977 and eventually became accessible around the clock in 1981. These modifications had little effect on bus travel times, and ridership levels remained consistent.

Unlike other HOV lanes in California that typically required only two occupants per vehicle, this busway enforced a minimum of three passengers. State Senator Hilda Solis (D-La Puente) sponsored State Bill 63 to reduce the occupancy threshold to two for a trial period of 24 months starting in January 2000, with the goal of increasing carpool participation. Despite resistance from Caltrans, Foothill Transit, and transit advocates, the legislation was approved and signed into law by Governor Gray Davis in July 1999.

The trial produced unintended consequences: travel times lengthened by 20 to 30 minutes as average speeds on the busway dropped from 65 mph to 20 mph—slower than the general traffic lanes on Interstate 10. More than 1,000 complaints were lodged by both bus riders and carpoolers. Although Solis initially defended the occupancy reduction, she later supported Assembly Bill 769, which reinstated the three-person minimum during peak periods; this bill passed in July 2000. The two-occupant rule continued during non-peak hours and weekends.

Transition to bus rapid transit and high occupancy toll lanes

In the early 1990s, Caltrans constructed the Harbor Transitway extending south from Los Angeles to the Harbor Gateway Transit Center. Staff at Los Angeles Metro recognized an opportunity to connect the Harbor Transitway with the El Monte Busway and even proposed a direct link. However, a Metro study in 1998 concluded that such a connection would be prohibitively expensive and technically challenging, resulting in no direct linkage being developed. Prior to the Harbor Transitway’s inauguration in 1996, Metro contemplated implementing a dual hub-and-spoke network centered on El Monte station and Harbor Gateway as hubs but ultimately maintained existing bus routes on both corridors.

Inspired by the success of the Orange Line (now G Line) busway in the San Fernando Valley, Metro undertook rebranding efforts for other busways to enhance public recognition. In March 2006, maps identified the Harbor Transitway as bronze and the El Monte Busway as silver under the combined label "Combined Transitway Service." Since no operational adjustments accompanied this branding change, it drew criticism for confusing unfamiliar riders.

The first genuine bus rapid transit service on the El Monte Busway debuted in 2007 when Foothill Transit launched the Silver Streak, replacing its busiest route 480 with higher-capacity buses and reducing stops off the freeway corridor.

Metro revived its dual-hub concept in 2009 by introducing the Silver Line (now J Line), a bus rapid transit route operating along both busways. This initiative was financed through converting lanes into high occupancy toll (HOT) lanes under the brand Metro ExpressLanes, commencing service on December 13, 2009. The El Monte Busway segment between Interstate 710 and El Monte was reconfigured to feature two HOT lanes per direction; tolling infrastructure was installed on the Harbor Transitway beginning November 2012, with HOT lane operations starting on El Monte in February 2013.

By 2010, El Monte station ranked among the busiest bus terminals west of Chicago, accommodating approximately 22,000 boardings daily. The original facility was demolished and replaced by October 2012 with a new station designed to handle up to 40,000 passengers each day.

In January 2015, stations serving Cal State LA and LA General Medical Center underwent month-long renovations that included stairway improvements and enhanced lighting.

Most stations installed TAP card vending machines in early 2017 to support all-door boarding on the Silver Line, expediting passenger boarding through prepaid fares.

On November 1, 2020, a new transitway was opened at Union Station’s south side Patsaouras Transit Plaza. This project received partial funding from Metro ExpressLanes toll revenue but faced delays that pushed back its original planned opening from 2015.

Entrances and exits

The El Monte Busway features a restricted number of access points. For westbound travel, entry locations include I-605 (from Interstate 10), Santa Anita Avenue (from Interstate 10), El Monte station (exclusively for buses), Del Mar Avenue, Fremont Avenue (from Interstate 10), and I-710 (buses entering from southbound I-710 only). Westbound exit points are situated at Santa Anita Avenue (leading to Interstate 10), Fremont Avenue (to Interstate 10), US 101, and Alameda Street.

Eastbound entry points comprise Alameda Street, Fremont Avenue (from Interstate 10), and Rosemead Boulevard/SR 19 (from Interstate 10). Eastbound exits are available at I-710 (buses exiting to northbound I-710 only), Fremont Avenue (to Interstate 10), Del Mar Avenue, Rosemead Boulevard/SR 19 (to Interstate 10), El Monte station (buses only), and I-605 (to Interstate 10).

Tolls

Beginning January 2025, the high-occupancy toll lanes (HOT) operate continuously throughout the day. Drivers traveling alone incur tolls determined by dynamic congestion pricing. Carpools with two occupants pay fixed toll rates during peak periods (5:00 am–9:00 am and 4:00 pm–7:00 pm) but travel free outside these hours. Vehicles carrying two or more passengers as well as motorcycles are exempt from tolls at all times. Toll collection is managed through open road tolling with no cash payment booths. Each vehicle must have a FasTrak Flex transponder reflecting the number of occupants or a standard FasTrak device for solo drivers. Eligible clean air vehicles receive a 15% discount upon application. Drivers without a FasTrak transponder will be subject to toll violations regardless of exemption status.

Bus services

The El Monte Busway is served by Los Angeles Metro and Foothill Transit, connecting Downtown Los Angeles with the San Gabriel Valley, Pomona Valley, and Montclair in San Bernardino County.

Two bus rapid transit lines utilize this Busway: the J Line operated by Los Angeles Metro and Foothill Transit's Silver Streak. Both routes provide frequent service around the clock. A reciprocal fare arrangement permits pass holders to use either line between Downtown Los Angeles and El Monte station.

Additional services include Metro Express routes 487 and 489, along with Foothill Transit lines 490, 493, 495, 498, 499, and 699. While Metro Express 487 runs daily, the other routes primarily operate during weekday peak hours.

List of stations

Four stations along the El Monte Busway are served by the Metro J Line, Silver Streak, as well as Metro Express and Foothill Transit buses. Ordered from west to east, these stations are:

Station	Busway Services	Station Type	Date opened	City (Neighborhood)	Major connections and notes
Union Station	Template:LACMTA icon: 910, 950 Metro Bus: Express Template:LA Metro route, Express Template:LA Metro route Foothill Transit: Silver Streak, 490, 493, 495, 498, 499, 699	Transitway median	November 1, 2020	Los Angeles (Downtown)	Template:Show by date Amtrak LAX FlyAway Metrolink Paid parking available with approximately 3,000 spaces
LA General Medical Center	Template:LACMTA icon: 910, 950 Metro Bus: Express 487, Express 489 Foothill Transit: Silver Streak, 490, 493, 495, 498, 499, 699	Transitway median	February 18, 1975	Los Angeles (Boyle Heights)	Metrolink currently does not stop here; however, plans exist to construct an infill station featuring a second track and center platform with an estimated cost between $51 million and $110 million.
Cal State LA	Template:LACMTA icon: 910, 950 Metro Bus: Express 487, Express 489 Foothill Transit: Silver Streak, 490, 493, 495, 498, 499, 699	Transitway median		East Los Angeles	Served by Metrolink's San Bernardino line
El Monte station	Template:LACMTA icon: 910, 950 Foothill Transit: Silver Streak	Off-freeway transit center	July 14, 1973	El Monte, California	Park-and-ride facility with capacity for approximately 1,287 vehicles