Photo by Fred Camino via Flickr

As gas prices rise, so does public transit ridership. It was announced today that the Orange Line had a small 1.3% increase in boardings from this time last year, but also that Metro staff has decided that the agency should extend the busway north towards Chatsworth.

Legally, when looking for a solution to a transit corridor (in this case, Canoga Blvd.), Metro has to vet through all alternatives (trains, subway, aerial, do nothing busses on the street, etc). Everyone wanted it to be the busway (and knew it would end up that way), but that's how the process goes. So after public meetings, internal studies and discussion, the busway extension decision was formally was announced today. It's now up to Metro's board of directors to give it a seal of approval, something they will no doubt do.

In other Orange Line news, that huge-ass empty 1,200-space parking lot at Sepulveda Blvd. might receive some major changes. Damien Newton at StreestblogLA says that "Metro staff is recommending [.pdf] developer JPI West to build a 560 unit residential complex with retail and work space adjacent to the Sepulveda Orange Line Station." What that means is that some of those spaces could used for the development, which makes raises an interesting point: why continue to build new residencies next to major transit hubs with so much parking?