Today marked the start of a new era in transportation hubs for the San Gabriel Valley.  The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) brought together dignitaries throughout LA County to celebrate the grand opening of the new $60-million El Monte Bus Station on Santa Anita Avenue.

The project was funded by the Federal Transit Administration and Local Proposition C as a part of the Congestion Reduction Demonstration (Metro ExpressLanes) Program. The facility has been built in accordance with the Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) Gold standards. Consisting of two levels, the new station is able to accommodate Metro, Foothill Transit, Greyhound, Rosemead Explorer, and the Metrolink Shuttle while serving over 30,000 passengers on a daily basis. To reduce on-street congestion, buses have direct access to the I-10 El Monte Busway that travels directly into Downtown Los Angeles. 

The El Monte Station is also ideally located along a local bicycle highway, the Rio Hondo River bike path.  Consequently, Metro has also incorporated a state-of-the-art Bicycle Hub as a means to encourage active transportation in conjunction with mass transit. Unfortunately, access to the station from the bike path has not yet been fully developed but should be available in the coming months. 

Although plans are still in development, the Bike Hub is expected to feature a bike rental program while serving as an educational outreach center. If our hard work and aspirations come to fruition, BikeSGV may be implementing a series of safety workshops and assisting in the operation of this Bike Hub facility.