NORTH HOLLYWOOD - Metro Director Paul Krekorian took an official ride on the NoHo-Pasadena Express bus, Metro's newest express service connecting the San Fernando and San Gabriel Valleys. Also known as the 501 line, Krekorian was joined on the ride by Metro Director and Mayor of Glendale Ara Najarian, Metro's Executive Director of Transportation Robert Holland, Jess Talamantes, City of Burbank's Vice Mayor and representatives from Valley service councils, the Midtown NoHo Neighborhood Council, Neighborhood Council Valley Village, and Bob Hope Airport, as the bus made its way from the NoHo Arts District to Old Town Pasadena with stops in along the route in Burbank and Glendale.
The NoHo-Pasadena Express provides a fast, frequent and reliable transit alternative that connects the valleys by using the carpool lanes on the 134 Freeway. The Express bus sped the Metro riders from North Hollywood to Pasadena in approximately 45 minutes.
The line completed its first official month of service of it's six-month pilot timeline since launching in March. According to Metro, more than 500 riders are use the service everyday, with ridership expected to grow quickly. Krekorian said, "This is a fantastic new service for Valley residents. On the ride, I met a young software engineer, Steven, who uses the service every day to get to work. It saves him and others like him from having to take an out-of-the-way detour through downtown LA."Read the Daily News story about Krekorian's NoHo-Pasadena Express ride here.