Metro Rapid Line 761 (Van Nuys Blvd. - Westwood)
The above map is taken from the documentation for the public hearing on the ranking of the candidate corridors for the next phases of Metro Rapid.
Line 761 (which began operation June 29, 2003) did not directly replace the routing of Line 561; as shown in the routing map at left, it operates between Van Nuys Blvd. & Foothill Blvd. (the proposed route on Glenoaks Blvd. to Sylmar/San Fernando Metrolink Station was not implemented) and Westwood (the express segment to LAX was cancelled; Metro Rapid Line 706 on Sepulveda Blvd, which will replace that connection, has been delayed due to problematic negotiations with Culver City Municipal Bus Lines).
The original Phase II map shows an alignment completely duplicating Line 561 (which is also how the line was proposed in the 1998 Regional Transit Alternatives Analysis). Not all of the previous Line 561 stops in Westwood are serviced by Line 761.
At the July, 2003 meeting of the Metro San Fernando Valley Governance Council, Metro Rapid project manager Rex Gephard indicated that the routing through Westwood could be modified in the future; the present routing is based on the previous Line 561 alignment. Possible realignments could be direct operation via Sepulveda Blvd. to Wilshire Blvd. or duplicating LADOT Line 573 routing to the west of the UCLA campus. The San Fernando Valley and Westside/Central Councils subsequently (in 2007) indicated a preference for a freeway express line operating directly between the Metro Orange Line station in Van Nuys and Wilshire Blvd. in Westwood.
Two of the previous Line 561 stops on Sunset Blvd. -- Hilgard Ave. and Bellagio Rd. -- were restored on a "temporary" basis after the first few days of operation.
