Los Angeles Metro Bus

(Redirected from Metro Local)

Los Angeles Metro Bus is the transit bus service in Los Angeles County, California operated by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro). In 2023, the system had a ridership of 222,919,700, or about 710,100 per weekday as of the first quarter of 2024.[Note 1]

Los Angeles Metro Bus
An ElDorado Axess bus in Los Angeles Metro Bus colors
ParentLos Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro)
FoundedFebruary 1, 1993; 31 years ago (1993-02-01)
HeadquartersMetro Headquarters Building
Service areaLos Angeles County, California
Service typeTransit bus
Routes117 (excluding Metro Busway)
Fleet2,320 buses
Daily ridership710,100 (weekdays, Q1 2024)[1][Note 1]
Annual ridership222,919,700 (2023)[2][Note 1]
Fuel typeCNG, battery electric
OperatorMetro, MV Transportation, Southland Transit, Transdev
Websitemetro.net

As of June 2023, there are 117 routes in the system (excluding Metro Busway routes). The Los Angeles Metro bus has the third largest fleet in North America, with 2,320 buses as of 2019.[3] The majority of Metro Bus lines are operated by Metro directly, with select services operated by private contractors.[4]

History

The Metro Bus brand dates back to the 1993 founding of Metro, but many of the routes in the system are little changed from the bus routes of the prior Southern California Rapid Transit District (RTD) or the streetcar routes operated by the Pacific Electric Red Cars or the Los Angeles Railway Yellow Cars.

Starting in 2003, Metro operated its bus network under three different brands: orange Metro Local buses for traditional routes, red Metro Rapid buses for limited stop routes, and blue Metro Express buses for minimal stop services along the region's extensive freeway network. The separate brands were retired in 2020 as part of Metro's NextGen Bus Plan, a major restructuring of the agencies routes, with most of the Metro Rapid routes retired in favor of more frequent service on the former Metro Local routes, which will now make fewer stops.

Full map of the Los Angeles Metro system, with Metro Bus lines shown in orange (local lines) and red (Metro Rapid lines)

Routes

Metro buses are given line numbers that indicate the type of service offered. This method was devised originally by the Southern California Rapid Transit District, Metro's predecessor.

  • Line numbers lower than 100 are local routes to/from Downtown Los Angeles
  • Line numbers in the 100s are local east/west routes in other areas
  • Line numbers in the 200s are local north/south routes in other areas
  • Line numbers in the 300s are limited-stop routes
  • Line numbers in the 400s are freeway express routes to/from Downtown Los Angeles
  • Line numbers in the 500s are freeway express routes in other areas
  • Line numbers in the 600s are shuttle/circulator routes
  • Line numbers in the 700s are limited-stop rapid routes.
  • Line numbers in the 800s are used to designate Metro Rail routes as well as supplementary shuttles for suspended rail service.
  • Line numbers in the 900s are Metro Busway routes.

1-99 (Local routes to/from Downtown Los Angeles)

Local bus service to/from Downtown Los Angeles and other areas. The line numbering begins at line 2 (Sunset Bl, a line leading west from USC) and proceeds counterclockwise around Downtown Los Angeles, ending at line 96 (Riverside Dr.)

100s (Local east/west routes in other areas)

East/west service, not necessarily serving Downtown Los Angeles.

200s (Local north/south routes in other areas)

North/south service, not serving in Downtown Los Angeles.

300s (Limited-stop routes)

400s (Freeway express routes to/from Downtown Los Angeles)

500s (Freeway express routes in other areas)

600s (Shuttles/circulators)

Shuttles, special routes and local service within one or two adjacent neighborhoods.

700s (Rapid limited-stop routes)

800s (Metro Rail Shuttle)

900s (Metro Busway)

Fleet

As of September 2019, Metro operates 2,320 buses in revenue service, the third-largest fleet in North America behind New York City's Metropolitan Transportation Authority (5,825) and New Jersey's NJ Transit (3,003).[114] Metro operates the nation's largest fleet of compressed natural gas powered buses.[115]

See also

Notes

References