The METRO Orange Line needs our help!

We love the METRO! All the colors.

But we here in the NoHo Arts District are partial to the METRO red and orange lines. We want more colors of the rainbow, especially in the Valley and, hopefully, one day, we’ll get the monorail along the 405.

But our METRO Orange Line needs our help. The City Planning Department is calling all local residents, employees, businesses, property owners and community organizations to participate in a series of Community Workshops as part of the Orange Line Transit Neighborhood Plans project. 

In case you haven’t ridden the METRO Orange Line a.k.a. Line 901, it’s the 18-mile bus rapid transit line that operates in the San Fernando Valley from the Chatsworth Metrolink Station in the northwest Valley to the North Hollywood Metro Red Line Station in the southeast. This connects the rest of the Valley with NoHo Arts District and also many fun neighborhoods heading to downtown Los Angeles. It originally opened in 2005 and expanded in 2012, and it’s been one of the busiest bus rapid transit lines in the nation.

Did you know? The METRO Orange Line carries an average of 30,000 passengers every weekday?

These four workshops will focus on the areas around five stations along the Metro Orange Line — North Hollywood Station, Van Nuys Station, Sepulveda Station, Reseda Station, and Sherman Way Station. Each workshop will include a presentation from the City Planning Department followed by small breakout sessions for Land Use, Urban Design, and Mobility & Parking, which will provide participants the opportunity to speak and share specific ideas about future development in these neighborhoods.

WORKSHOPS

– Van Nuys & Sepulveda Stations: Monday, July 11th from 6-8pm at the Marvin Braude Building, Community Room

– Sherman Way Station: Wednesday, July 13th from 5:30-7:30pm at the Canoga Park Branch Library

– North Hollywood Station:
Wednesday, July 20th from 6-8pm
North Hollywood Senior Center
5301 Tujunga Ave.
North Hollywood, CA 91601

– Reseda Station: Saturday, July 23rd from 10am-12pm at Columbia College Hollywood

Each workshop will concentrate on a specific station of stations, though participants will be encouraged to provide feedback on all five stations.

So head over to give your thoughts, opinions, ideas and two cents. We want a smooth functioning METRO system in the Valley.

For More Information Laura Krawczyk
(213) 978-1212
Laura.Krawczyk@lacity.org
www.latnp.org

About the Project

The City of Los Angeles, in partnership with Metro, aims to support vibrant neighborhoods around transit stations, where people can live, work, shop, and dine within a safe and pleasant walk to transit stations. The Los Angeles Department of City Planning is kicking off a multi-year effort to create Transit Neighborhood Plans for the areas surrounding the following five Metro Orange Line bus rapid transit stations:

• North Hollywood
• Van Nuys
• Sepulveda
• Reseda
• Sherman Way

The focus of the Plans will be the establishment of new regulations and standards that support transit ridership, such as allowing increased development intensity near stations where appropriate; enhancing the built environment and design of new buildings; increasing the housing supply while maintaining the character of existing single-family neighborhoods; promoting job creation; and preserving valuable industrial uses. Each station area is distinct and will be planned accordingly with different intensities, land uses, design standards, regulatory tools, and other strategies.

The Plans will generally include areas within a half-mile of the Orange Line transit stations, focusing on neighborhoods within a 15-minute walk of each of the five stations. Please note that the design and location of any future Metro transit stations are determined by Metro and are out of the scope of this project, which is focused on enhancing the areas around the stations.

The creation of the Plans will be a collaborative effort, led by the Department of City Planning, with extensive input from local stakeholders, including residents, employees, business and property owners, developers, and community organizations. This planning effort will provide the opportunity for stakeholders to give input on building size and design, public amenities, and other land use regulations. The Department will also be looking at opportunities to improve multi-modal circulation in the station areas, coordinating with other relevant Departments, including Transportation and Public Works.

The Department of City Planning is currently in the very early stages of the project. Approval of the Transit Neighborhood Plans will require action by the City Planning Commission and will ultimately be decided by the City Council.

The Plans for the North Hollywood, Van Nuys, Sepulveda, Reseda, and Sherman Way stations along the Orange Line will be created to complement and implement the respective Community Plans of those areas: North Hollywood- Valley Village, Van Nuys-North Sherman Oaks, Reseda-West Van Nuys, Encino-Tarzana, and Canoga Park- Winnetka-Woodland Hills-West Hills. For more information about the City’s Community Plans, please visit the Department of City Planning’s website at http://planning.lacity.org/complan/cpa/cpa.htm.

The Los Angeles Transit Neighborhood Plans project is partially funded by a grant from Metro. Metro’s Transit- Oriented Development (TOD) Planning Grant program funds planning efforts that enhance access to transit through the promotion of TOD principles; increase ridership by reducing the number of modes of transportation necessary to access transit; reduce greenhouse gas emissions through encouraging infill development along transit corridors; and support and implement sustainable development principles.

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Author: Lisa Bianconi

Editor of www.nohoartsdistrict.com