Starting to Look at Downtown DASH

DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES — Last night LADOT came to DLANC's Transportation & Public Works Committee meeting to give an update on the Downtown DASH restructuring study they're about to set out on. Last month this study was mentioned in the Downtown News, and way back in January I posted some interesting numbers from the separate Community DASH study.

Downtown DASH carries about 8.5 million riders per year, according to DOT's 2004 numbers. The bulk of this ridership comes from the major employment centers, and historically that's where all the Downtown attention has centered. That won't really be changing, but the question to be answered this go round is how do you add service for the residential population that will actually be effective and well-utilized.

Nightime DASH, always a popular subject with residents, was discussed at the meeting but not with any sort of conclusiveness. It's a great idea, but there really needs to be strong evidence that there are defined places people are coming from and going to before a possible routing could be studied.

Soon DOT should have a website set up to survey potential riders and ask them where it is they go Downtown that they would take a DASH to were one available. I'll be sure to make note of that when it becomes available. In the meantime, be thinking: what are trips I would take DASH for if I could create service Downtown?