Glendale News-Press: Funds Secured to Upgrade Transit Stations Ahead of Olympics
Federal funds recently secured by U.S. Rep. Laura Friedman will go toward modernizing the customer information systems at train stations in Glendale and Burbank ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.
"Los Angeles County has more than 13,000 bus stops, and a large share offer no shade, no seating, and no way for riders to know when the next bus is coming. Additionally, at many rail stations, the technology that tells riders when their train will arrive is outdated, leaving first-time riders, visitors, and non-native English speakers at risk of missing their train," a news release states.
During a news conference at Larry Zarian Transportation Center (Amtrak/Metrolink Station) in Glendale on Tuesday, July 7, Friedman announced a total of $500,000 in federal investments to upgrade the day-to-day rider experience across two of Los Angeles’ largest transit systems, one for L.A. Metro’s buses and one for Metrolink’s rail stations in the district.
The first is a $250,000 for L.A. Metro's regional Bus Stop Enhancement Program, which will fund shade and shelter structures to protect riders from the sun and heat, seating, lighting and real-time arrival information and accessibility upgrades, across Friedman's California District 30, which covers Burbank, Glendale, West Hollywood, and parts of Los Angeles and Pasadena.
"This program prioritizes the stops that need the most help in transit-reliable communities, where people are already riding transit," Friedman said.
The second is another $250,000 for Metrolink to modernize the Glendale and downtown Burbank train stations, with new modern airport style displays showing arrivals and departures, and whether a train is on time, delayed, or canceled, an upgraded public address system and real-time service alerts. These upgrades, Metro Link Chief Strategy Officer Paul Hubler said, should take 8 to 10 months to procure and install.
"Work starts as soon as we get a grant agreement with the federal government for this federal funding, and ... that might have a longer timeline, but we're going to try to expedite that to the extent possible," Hubler said.
Hubler said the Glendale train station is truly a hub for multimodal transit and allows riders to transfer to local shuttle buses and inner city buses, and to get on Amtrak to travel up the coast.
The investment will go toward the installation of large airport-style display screens, something that's currently missing at the station, and will show the lineup of trains that are expected and which platform they're assigned to, so riders know which area to sit in, in order to to be able to board their train, he said.
"This type of informatics is really crucial to making the experience of using public transit in car-centric Los Angeles safe, easy, and convenient," Hubler said.
The new terminal scheduled to open at the Hollywood Burbank Airport in October 2026 will also include upgraded multimodal signage, so people can fly in and walk over to a nearby train station and get on this same system, Metrolink or Amtrak, Friedman said.
Chief Planning Officer Ray Sosa said Los Angeles Metro owns fewer than 200 of the 13,000 bus stops in L.A., and 80% of its riders take the bus.
"Buses make up the backbone of our regional economy, they take essential workers to their jobs, get kids to school, and get people to their doctor's appointment, all for just $1.75 each way," Sosa said, adding that fares can cost less if a rider is enrolled in its Go Pass Life or other reduced fare programs.
Over the past five years, Sosa said Metro has made improvements to its buses, including through its Next Gen Bus Initiative which adds nearly 100 miles of bus priority lanes for faster and more reliable service.
However, only one in four of Metro's bus stops have shade, and many also lack seating and lighting, he added.
"This funding will support our regional bus stop improvements initiative and the bus stops recess resources hub, which serve as a centralized platform for cities and partners to plan, design, and implement bus stop improvements. It also includes planning tools, such as a bus stop builder and data-driven resources that support equitable investment decisions," Sosa said.
Glendale Mayor Ardy Kassakhian said it was important for public transit riders to be provided shade on hot days, protected from the elements on rainy days and to know when buses arrive.
"The hope is with these funds and preparing for the Games in 2028 that the next time the world visits this region there will be a buzz about how great our public transit system is ... and the funds she's securing for us, as well as our cooperation with Metro in making this region and all of its parts accessible to everyone," Kassakhian said.