The city of Glendale is proposing new Beeline bus service for passengers to Montrose and La Cañada, the city's transportation commission was told this week.
The new line, to be called Route 8, would provide 30-minute service along Honolulu Avenue to La Crescenta Avenue, and then travel on Foothill to JPL.
The new line would pick up service now being provided on Line 3, one of the busiest in the system, and would connect up to Glendale Avenue and onto the Glendale train station.
The initial plan had called for elimination of the service to Montrose, but protests from local merchants and residents changed that.
The service will be every 30 minutes, instead of 15 as at present. Paul Jewel, consultant with Nelson/Nygard, said the city has considered routing the bus on Ocean View, but decided to use Honolulu instead.
Riders will likely find themselves paying more for service, if the recommended plan is adopted. The 25 cent fare would be increased to 50 cents, with handicapped riders going from 15 cents to 25 cents.
Glendale spends about $6 million a year on its Beeline system, coming from dedicated sales tax funds. The new service would cost about the same.
The draft plan is recommending a special school shuttle service for Glendale and Hoover high schools, and a new free Buzz line to serve the downtown business district. MTA, which currently has a fare of $1.25, is looking to increase that figure to meet budget gaps. The consultant is recommending that the city eliminate a subsidy it now provides on senior and handicapped bus passes for the MTA buses.
Glendale has been dealing with Beeline service issues. The city renewed its contract with provider MV Transportation for 15 months, and needs grant funding to help pay for 27 new buses needed in the next few years. The city also wants to build a service center to refuel its liquefied natural gas fleet, which now travels to Burbank.
