North Hollywood to Pasadena Transit Corridor
| Company type | Planned public transit project |
|---|---|
| Industry | Public transportation |
| Founded | 2019 |
| Headquarters | Los Angeles , United States |
Area served | Los Angeles County, California |
| Products | Bus rapid transit service |
| Website | www |
The North Hollywood to Pasadena Transit Corridor represents a planned bus rapid transit route within the Los Angeles Metro Busway network, designed to connect Pasadena with the North Hollywood station located in the San Fernando Valley. This corridor will integrate with the B Line and the G Line, thereby improving transit links across the region. After completing its scoping phase in 2019, the project received Metro board approval in April 2022 and is slated to begin service by 2027 as part of Metro's Twenty-eight by '28 program.
Although there are no current intentions to upgrade this corridor to a rail system, the city of Glendale is considering implementing a downtown streetcar to facilitate first- and last-mile connectivity.
The transit line will incorporate signal priority measures and dedicated lanes for the majority of its length. The projected budget for the project stands at approximately $448 million. Significant stops along the route include Old Pasadena, The Paseo, Pasadena City College, and the shopping destination The Americana at Brand. Additionally, it will provide access to key employment hubs such as Warner Bros. Studios, Burbank, The Walt Disney Studios, The Burbank Studios, the Downtown Burbank station, and the Universal Studios Lot.
In November 2020, Metro released detailed information regarding route alignments, stop locations, and lane configurations, inviting public feedback through December. Despite a lawsuit alleging violations of the Brown Act, which followed approval of the Environmental Impact Report in April 2022, the legal challenge was dismissed by December 2023.
During a presentation to the Glendale City Council in May 2025, Metro announced that construction could commence as soon as June 2025.
Initial Alternative Analysis
The proposed BRT line aims to link communities in L.A.’s San Fernando Valley—including Burbank, North Hollywood, and Glendale—with Pasadena in the San Gabriel Valley via Eagle Rock. An alternatives analysis examined three primary routing options: a fully street-running path, an exclusively freeway-aligned route along the SR 134 freeway, and a combination of both approaches. The Metro board endorsed moving forward with a predominantly street-running alignment featuring alternative variations subject to further evaluation in the Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR). Public meetings were held through late 2019 to address environmental considerations and community feedback.
- Pasadena/Eagle Rock
The eastern portion starts between two stations on the A Line, progressing westward along Colorado Boulevard toward Eagle Rock. Multiple routing possibilities have been proposed within Eagle Rock, including westbound travel via Wilson Avenue, Colorado Street, or a newly proposed median route along SR 134 into Glendale.
- Glendale/Burbank
From Eagle Rock, the corridor enters Glendale traveling on either Broadway or Colorado Street. It then moves northward via Central or Brand Avenue through downtown Glendale before heading west on Glenoaks Boulevard into Burbank. The route continues southwest on Olive Avenue near the vicinity of the Downtown Burbank Metrolink station.
- North Hollywood
Leaving from the Burbank Metrolink station, the main alignment proceeds west along Olive Avenue and Riverside Drive toward Lankershim Boulevard and connects with the B Line at its North Hollywood station. Alternative alignments from Burbank include Chandler or Magnolia Boulevards; all options are under technical review for inclusion in the DEIR.
- Results
Evaluation of these three routing alternatives considered factors such as anticipated ridership levels, operational reliability, cost estimates, and community impacts. The street-running option was favored due to its higher ridership potential and enhanced connectivity despite incurring greater expenses.
Current operations
Within the North Hollywood–Glendale–Pasadena corridor, two express bus lines currently function as forerunners to the forthcoming bus rapid transit system. The Metro Express route 501, initiated in 2016 as a pilot connecting North Hollywood station, Glendale, and Pasadena, has since been established permanently. Meanwhile, the LADOT Commuter Express route 549 provides weekday peak-hour service from Encino to Pasadena via North Hollywood. Both routes navigate the heavily trafficked SR 134 freeway.
Planned station lineup
In April 2021, Metro selected a single preferred alignment after considering community input. Significant modifications involved diverting the route from Olive Avenue in Burbank onto Alameda Avenue and Buena Vista Street, merging two closely situated stops into one at Alameda and Naomi Street, and eliminating the Downtown Burbank Metrolink station connection due to safety issues related to the Olive Avenue bridge. Instead, a new stop was introduced near Lake Street.
| Stations | Opening Date | City/Area | Key connections and remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Template:LAMs | 2027 | Los Angeles (North Hollywood) |
Template:LACMTA icon strip Park-and-ride: 1,085 spaces |
| Vineland/Hesby | |||
| Olive/Riverside | Burbank | Warner Bros. Studios, Walt Disney Television | |
| Alameda/Naomi | Walt Disney Studios, The Burbank Studios, Legendary Entertainment, KCET, iHeartMedia, Fremantle, Providence St. Joseph Medical Center, Johnny Carson Park | ||
| Olive/Verdugo | John Burroughs High School | ||
| Olive/Lake | Template:Rint Template:Rcb Template:Rcb Nickelodeon Animation Studio | ||
| Olive/San Fernando | Burbank City Hall | ||
| Glenoaks/Alameda | Burbank (south), Glendale (north) | ||
| Glenoaks/Western | Glendale | ||
| Glenoaks/Grandview | Grand Central Creative Campus, KABC-TV, DreamWorks Animation | ||
| Glenoaks/Pacific | Casa Adobe de San Rafael | ||
| Central/Lexington | Consulate General of Armenia in Los Angeles | ||
| Broadway/Brand | Americana at Brand, Glendale Galleria, Museum of Neon Art, Alex Theatre, Armenian American Museum | ||
| Broadway/Glendale | Glendale City Hall | ||
| Broadway/Verdugo | |||
| Eagle Rock Plaza | Los Angeles (Eagle Rock, Los Angeles) |
||
| Colorado/Eagle Rock | Occidental College | ||
| Colorado/Townsend | |||
| Template:LAMs | Pasadena | Template:LACMTA icon Old Pasadena | |
| Colorado/Los Robles | USC Pacific Asia Museum, Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena City Hall, The Paseo | ||
| Colorado/Lake | Pasadena Playhouse | ||
| Colorado/Hill | California Institute of Technology, Pasadena City College | ||
Conversion to light rail
In May 2024, Metro published a feasibility study examining the possibility of transforming the 18-mile BRT route into a light rail system. The assigned contractors conducted analyses and developed various scenarios for this prospective rail upgrade, aligning with Metro's long-term transit enhancement plans.
External links
- Articles with short description
- Los Angeles Metro Busway projects
- Public transportation in Los Angeles
- Public transportation in Los Angeles County, California
- Public transportation in the San Fernando Valley
- Proposed railway lines in California
- Transportation in Los Angeles
- Transportation in the San Fernando Valley
- 2027 in transport