First the express bus between the Valley and Westwood, now improvements to the Orange Line? The times they are a-changin' for transit in the Valley. True, nothing's actually happened yet, but Councilmembers Krekorian and Blumenfield did introduce a motion on Friday to see what can be done to make the ride better for the 30,000 people a day who ride the Orange Line, reports the Daily News. They even had a couple stellar ideas of their own to get things started off right.

Metro is already working on a study that would assess the Orange Line and the feasibility of turning it into a light rail line, but that's definitely a long, long-term project; the new motion moves that the city, the Department of Transportation, and the LAPD work with Metro to study some changes that could be put into effect more immediately. Possible upgrades include real-time information about bus arrivals and increased speeds at some intersectional crossings. The motion underscores the need for the upgrades by reminding that the heavily-used Orange Line—the second most-popular Metro line—is already operating at peak occupancy during rush hour periods.

· Orange Line upgrades sought [LADN]

· Metro Considering Rail Link From Valley to Bob Hope to Pas [Curbed LA]

· Orange Line [Curbed LA]