El Monte Busway

The El Monte Busway (also known as the I-10 ExpressLanes) is a 12-mile (19 km) shared-use express bus corridor (busway) and high occupancy toll (HOT) lanes running along Interstate 10 (San Bernardino Freeway) between Alameda Street near Union Station in Downtown Los Angeles and a point west of Interstate 605 (I-605) in El Monte, California. From Alameda Street to Interstate 710 (I-710) in Monterey Park, the El Monte Busway runs parallel to the north side of the freeway. After the I-710 interchange, these lanes merge back to the median of I-10. Eastbound busses exit the El Monte Busway at El Monte Station before the HOT lanes for other vehicles end west of I-605. Buses also make intermediate stops at Cal State LA station and LA General Medical Center station. The busway opened in January 1973 to buses only, three-person carpools were allowed to enter in 1976, and the facility was converted to HOT lanes as part of the Metro ExpressLanes project on February 22, 2013. The entire bus route along the El Monte Busway between Alameda Street and El Monte Station's bus entrance at Santa Anita Avenue carries the hidden state highway designation of Route 10S.

The El Monte Busway is used by two bus rapid transit routes: the J Line, operated by Metro and the Silver Streak, operated by Foothill Transit. It is also used by several Metro Express and Foothill Transit bus services, most of which only run during weekday peak periods.

The busway now carries 16,000 bus passengers per day with 49 buses using the system each hour at peak times and was described by the United States Department of Transportation as one of the most successful HOV facilities in the country in 2002.