Bus trips between San Pedro and downtown Los Angeles could become more direct under a proposed Silver Line service backed by the Metro board Thursday.
The panel — which oversees the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority — voted to begin getting public input on whether to create a single-ride Silver Line service between the Palos Verdes and San Pedro areas and downtown Los Angeles.
Currently the trip requires transferring at the Harbor Gateway Transit Center in Gardena, which is about midway between San Pedro and downtown.
The proposed new service would extend the Silver Line from its terminus at the Harbor Gateway Transit Center to the Carson and PCH stations on the I- 110 Freeway, and the park and ride lot near First and Beacon streets in San Pedro, according to Metro spokesman Dave Sotero.
Hearings are being planned for September, and if no major issues come up, the service could begin in December, Sotero said.
The number of Harbor area and San Pedro residents using the Silver Line to get to downtown Los Angeles has increased in recent years, warranting the direct service, according to a Metro board motion.
The planned service would also benefit his efforts to expand the Los Angeles Waterfront and redevelop Ports O’ Call, according to Los Angeles City Councilman Joe Buscaino, who represents the city portions of the harbor area.
The Silver Line, which uses a dedicated bus lane, also extends east from downtown Los Angeles to the El Monte Station in the San Gabriel Valley.
— City News Service