The agency has completed two new bus stations near Union Station in the last few weeks, further cementing that location as the region’s master hub for mass transit.
The $51 million Patsaouras Bus Plaza at Union Station opened on Nov. 1. The new platform offers an easier, quicker and safer connection to nearby Union Station.
It is being used by bus lines that run on the El Monte Busway — including the “J” line (formerly the Silver Line) that provides express service between El Monte Station, Union Station and San Pedro.
Just two weeks earlier, on Oct. 19, the $4 million Cesar Chavez Transit Pavilion opened across from Union Station. The site, serving more than seven bus lines, replaced a collection of benches and bus stop signs.
Named after Nick Patsaouras, the late transit advocate and local transit agency board member, the Patsaouras Bus Plaza was years in the making.
The project got its start after Metro received an unexpected influx of federal funds in late 2008. The transit agency set aside $17 million at the time to expand the bus plaza at Union Station.
The recently completed Silver Line ended at a station across the 101 Freeway from Union Station, forcing passengers to walk across a freeway on-ramp and through numerous other obstacles to connect to trains and other bus routes at Union Station.
One key feature of the expansion is a new 750-foot pedestrian bridge connecting the J Line busway station to Patsaouras Plaza.
According to the Los Angeles Daily News, a combination of design errors, unexpected complications and delays drove up the cost of the project. Construction work, led by prime contractor OHL North America, a unit of Madrid, Spain-based Obrascón Huarte Lain, didn’t begin until early 2017, more than eight years after federal funds were first earmarked.
There was one more lengthy delay in 2018 as project crews uncovered Native American artifacts, forcing a halt for archeological excavations and additional project mitigations.
That added even more cost. The ultimate $51 million price tag was triple the project’s original budget.
Metro Completes $55 Million in Bus Improvements at Union Station
