Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority

Metro
	Four Metro-operated modes of service
Overview
Locale	Los Angeles County, California
Transit type	Rapid transit (subway); Light rail; Bus; Bus rapid transit
Number of lines	Heavy rail: 2; Light rail: 4; Bus rapid transit: 2; Bus: 170
Number of stations	Rail: 93; Bus rapid transit: 29
Daily ridership	1,259,017 (2017 avg. weekday boardings)
Chief executive	Phillip Washington
Website	www.metro.net
Operation
Began operation	February 1, 1993
Technical
System length	Rail: 105 miles (169 km); Bus: 1,433 miles (2,306 km)
Track gauge	4 ft 8 1⁄2 in

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (branded as Metro; formerly branded as MTA or LACMTA) is the agency that operates public transportation for the County of Los Angeles in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. It was formed in 1993 out of a merger of the Southern California Rapid Transit District and the Los Angeles County Transportation Commission. It is chartered under state law as a regional transportation planning agency.

Metro directly operates bus, light rail, heavy rail and bus rapid transit services. It provides funding and directs planning for commuter rail and freeway projects within Los Angeles County.

Overview[edit]

The agency develops and oversees transportation plans, policies, funding programs, and both short-term and long-range solutions to mobility, accessibility and environmental needs in the county. The agency is also the primary transit provider for the City of Los Angeles, providing the bulk of such services, while the City of Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT) operates a much smaller system of its own: Commuter Express bus service to outlying suburbs in the city of Los Angeles and the popular DASH (Downtown Area Short Hop) mini-bus service in downtown and other neighborhoods. Metro's headquarters are in a high-rise building adjacent to Union Station in downtown Los Angeles.^[8]

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority operates the third-largest public transportation system in the United States by ridership with a 1,433 mi² (3,711 km²) operating area and 2,000 peak hour buses on the street any given business day.^[9] Metro also operates 105 miles (169 km) of urban rail service.^[7] The authority has 9,892 employees, making it one of the region's largest employers.^[7]

The authority also partially funds sixteen municipal bus operators and an array of transportation projects including bikeways and pedestrian facilities, local roads and highway improvements, goods movement, Metrolink regional commuter rail, Freeway Service Patrol and freeway call boxes within the greater metropolitan Los Angeles region.

Security and law enforcement services on Metro property (including buses and trains) are currently provided by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's Transit Services Bureau via contract, in conjunction with Metro Transit Enforcement Department, Los Angeles Police Department and Long Beach Police Department.

In 2006, the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority was named Outstanding Transportation System for 2006 by the American Public Transportation Association. Most buses and trains have "America's Best" decals affixed.^[10]

Services[edit]

Metro Rail and Metro Busway system map

Metro Rail[edit]

Metro Rail is a rail mass transit system with two subway and four light rail lines. As of November 2016^[update], the system runs a total of 105 miles (169 km), with 93 stations^[7] and over 316,000 daily weekday boardings.

The Blue Line (opened 1990) is a light rail line running between Downtown Los Angeles and Downtown Long Beach.

The Red Line (opened 1993) is a subway line running between Downtown Los Angeles and North Hollywood.

The Purple Line (opened 1996 as the Red Line) is a subway line running between Downtown Los Angeles and the Mid-Wilshire district of Los Angeles. Most of its route is shared with the Red Line.

The Green Line (opened 1995) is a light rail line running between Redondo Beach and Norwalk, largely in the median of the 105 Freeway. It provides indirect access to Los Angeles International Airport via a shuttle bus.

The Gold Line (opened 2003) is a light rail line running between East Los Angeles and Azusa via Downtown Los Angeles.^[11]

The Expo Line (opened 2012) is a light rail line running between Downtown Los Angeles and Santa Monica.^[12]

Metro Busway[edit]

A Metro Liner vehicle at the North Hollywood station on the Orange Line.

Metro Busway is an express bus system with characteristics of bus rapid transit with two lines operating on dedicated or shared-use busways. The system runs a total of 60 miles (97 km), with 28 stations and over 42,000 daily weekday boardings as of May 2016.

The Metro Busway system is meant to mimic the Metro Rail system, both in the vehicle's design and in the operation of the line. Vehicles stop at dedicated stations (except the Metro Silver Line portion in Downtown Los Angeles), vehicles receive priority at intersections and are painted in a silver livery similar to Metro Rail vehicles.

The Metro Orange Line (opened in 2005) is a bus rapid transit line running between North Hollywood and Chatsworth.

The Metro Silver Line (began operation in 2009) is a limited-stop bus line running between El Monte, Downtown Los Angeles, and Harbor Gateway, with some buses also serving San Pedro.

Metro Bus[edit]

Metro is the primary bus operator in the Los Angeles Basin, the San Fernando Valley, and the western San Gabriel Valley. Other transit providers operate more frequent service in the rest of the county. Regions in Los Angeles County that Metro Bus does not serve at all include rural regions, the Pomona Valley, the Santa Clarita Valley, and the Antelope Valley.

Metro operates two types of bus services which are distinguished by the color of the buses.^[13] However, when mechanical problems or availability equipment occurs, a bus of any color may be substituted to continue service on the route.

A Metro Local bus on Line 81 (Figueroa St.) with its trademark orange color

Metro Local buses are painted in an off-orange color which the agency has dubbed “California Poppy”. This type of service makes frequent stops along major thoroughfares. There are 18,500 stops on 189 bus lines. Some Metro Local routes make limited stops along part of their trip but do not participate in the Rapid program. Some Metro Local bus lines are operated by MV Transportation, Southland Transit, and Transdev (formerly Veolia).

A Metro Rapid articulated bus on Line 720 (Wilshire Blvd. Whittier Blvd.).

Metro Rapid buses are distinguished by their bright red color which the agency has dubbed “Rapid Red”. This bus rapid transit service offers limited stops on many of the county's more heavily traveled arterial streets. Metro claims to reduce passenger commute times by up to 25 percent by several methods, among them the lack of a bus schedule so that drivers are not held up at certain stops.

A Metro Express bus on Line 577X (San Gabriel River Frwy.) at CSULB in Long Beach

Metro Express Line 460 serves Knott's Berry Farm

.

Metro Express buses used to be painted in a dark blue color which the agency had formerly dubbed “Business Blue”, with routes designed as premium, minimal stop services along Los Angeles's extensive freeway network. There are 8 lines running as of 2018: 442, 460, 487, 489, 501, 534, 550, and 577.

Some Metro Local lines also use the county's freeway system along their trip. They are labeled as Express services but make more stops on their trips and are not considered to be "premium" Metro Express lines.

All Metro buses are CNG-powered, the largest such fleet in the United States.^[14] The CNG fleet reduces emissions of particulates by 90 percent, carbon monoxide by 80 percent, and greenhouse gases by 20 percent compared to diesel powered buses. Alternative fuel buses have logged more than 450 million operating miles since 1993, an industry record.

Transitways[edit]

Metro operates two transitways that carry multiple bus routes for part of their trips through Southern California. When traveling within the transitways, the buses run in express service, stopping only at stations. The transitways are meant to mimic the Metro Rail lines, because while each bus may have a different final destination passengers can board any bus and travel to any of the other stations. The two transitways are connected by a dedicated Metro Busway route, the Metro Silver Line.

El Monte Busway (opened in 1974) is a combination transitway and high-occupancy toll (HOT) roadway that runs in the median of the San Bernardino Freeway (I-10) and on a separate right-of-way. The transitway provides express bus service between Downtown Los Angeles and the San Gabriel Valley. Services are operated by both Metro and Foothill Transit.
Harbor Transitway (opened in 1998) is a combination transitway and HOT roadway that runs in the median of the Harbor Freeway (I-110). The transitway provides express bus service between San Pedro and Downtown Los Angeles. It carries buses operated by Metro, Orange County Transportation Authority, LADOT, Gardena Municipal Bus Lines and Torrance Transit.

Other services[edit]

Metro Freeway Service Patrol: A joint effort between Metro, Caltrans, and CHP offering free quick-fix repairs and towing from freeways.
HOV (Carpool) Lanes: 219 miles (352 km), 423 miles (681 km) both directions/each lane, of carpool, vanpool, and express bus lanes.
Bike paths: 475 miles (764 km) of bikeways for commuter and recreational purposes.
Metrolink: Partially funded by Metro, it is Southern California's regional commuter rail system servicing Los Angeles County, Orange County, Riverside County, San Bernardino County, and Ventura County, as well as Oceanside in San Diego County.
A bikeshare program called "Metro Bike Share"^[15] which operates within Downtown Los Angeles, Venice, and the Port of Los Angeles. The system was introduced in early 2016 at a cost $16 million and uses about 1,400 bikes and 93 stations.^[16] Metro briefly expanded the service to Pasadena, but they ended it in September 2018 due to low ridership.^[17]

Fares[edit]

All Metro passes are sold on TAP Cards, smart fare cards on which customers can load value or a pass; they are valid on all Metro buses and trains as well as most city buses.

Faregates at some Metro Rail stations and the Orange Line require a TAP card, but Metro as a whole operates on a proof-of-payment system. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, Los Angeles Police Department, Long Beach Police Department and Metro's fare inspectors conduct random ticket inspections throughout the system. If customers are caught without a valid TAP card, they may be fined and/or subject to community service.

Fare evasion was estimated in 2007 to be at 6%, costing Metro $2.6 million annually. In response to this, the Metro board approved fare gating of all stations on the Red and Green Lines, and selected stations on the Orange, Blue, and Gold Lines, capturing 84% of passengers using the system. Adding fare gates was selected to increase fare collections, implement distance based fares on rail and transitways in the future, and reduce the potential of the system to terrorist attack.^[18] Former Metrolink executive director Richard Stanger critiqued the gate installation by citing its cost and ineffectiveness, concerns ultimately dismissed by the Metro board.^[19]

In 2007, with the consent decree with the Bus Riders Union (BRU) expired, Metro announced plans for a fare hike. The agency said that it needed to reduce its $US 100 million deficit, which would be done either by raising fares or reducing service. This proposal garnered strong opposition from Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Councilman Bernard Parks, the BRU, and low-income residents.

Starting July 15, 2018, inter-agency paper transfers were discontinued on Metro buses. Instead, riders must now use a TAP card when transferring between Metro and municipal buses. (This payment method uses the Stored Value format, which first deducts the base fare, then the inter-agency's transfer amount is deducted when passengers transfer.)

Ridership[edit]

Percentage of workers commuting to work by public transport in Los Angeles County, in 2007

The Metro Red Line has the highest ridership of all the Metro Rail Lines. The Metro Red Line's operational cost is the lowest of all of the Metro Rail lines because of its high ridership. The Metro Liner Metro Silver Line has the lowest ridership of all color-branded lines. Average daily boardings and passenger miles for all of 2017 are as follows:^[3]^[4]

Service	Weekdays	Saturdays	Sundays and Holidays	Average Weekday Passenger Miles
Heavy Rail/Metro
Red Line Purple Line	142,074	94,392	65,525	661,453
Light Rail
Blue Line	72,139	40,016	33,552	522,100
Expo Line	59,659	35,688	34,255	387,061
Gold Line	52,581	32,595	25,350	435,764
Green Line	32,563	17,128	13,561	232,122
Bus and BRT
Metro Bus	900,001	583,162	436,759	3,710,166
Orange Line	23,760	13,768	10,551	157,181
Silver Line	14,905	5,959	4,543	154,511
Total Bus and Rail	1,259,017	802,982	609,002	5,948,665

Cost per ride[edit]

Budget (2015)^[20]	$5,508,000,000
Budget w/o Highway programs	$5,063,000,000
Budget w/o Regional bus subsidies	$3,994,000,000
LA metro Rides (2015)^[21]	469,471,000
Cost per ride	$14.50
Fares collected per ride	$1.75

Governance[edit]

Metro is governed by a Board of Directors whose 13 members are:

The five Los Angeles County Supervisors (Solis, Ridley-Thomas, Kuehl (currently chair), Hahn, Barger)
The mayor of Los Angeles (Garcetti)
Three Los Angeles mayor-appointees (at least one of whom must be an L.A. City Council member)
Four city council members from cities other than Los Angeles, but within L.A. county representing those 87 cities (selected by the L.A. County City Selection Committee): currently, the representatives are from Duarte, Glendale, Lakewood, and Santa Monica
The Governor of California appoints one non-voting member (traditionally the Director of Caltrans District 7).

In addition, Service Councils, composed of political appointees from various regions of Los Angeles County, approve service changes and oversee routes within a region. There are five regions: Gateway Cities, San Fernando Valley, San Gabriel Valley, South Bay, and Westside/Central. Service councils advise on planning and implementation of service within their area; call and conduct public hearings and evaluate Metro bus programs to their area; make policy recommendations to the Metro Board; and participate in quarterly meetings with the Metro Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Deputy CEO and management staff.

Service councils were created as governance councils in 2001, in response to complaints about the effectiveness of Metro service in suburban areas. Communications between sectors and riders was poor, according to a report by the California State Auditor which was released one year into the new structure.^[22] In addition, each sector had its own scheduling, operations, and maintenance divisions, causing effort duplication, organizational silos, and inefficiency.^[23] Thus, in 2009, the sectors were eliminated, and transportation, maintenance, service planning, and administration were recentralized under the guidance of Metro's Chief Operations Officer. Governance councils, renamed service councils, now have more responsibility over local issues such as stop placement and service changes, while larger issues are handled by the Metro board.^[24]

Funding[edit]

A complex mix of federal, state, county and city tax dollars as well as bonds and fare box revenue funds Metro. The Metro budget for 2015 is $5.508 billion. Below is an example of funding sources for a Metro budget many years ago, and the example below does not include an additional sales tax revenue from Measure R that passed a few years ago. Funding sources as per earlier budget.

Resources	US$ in Millions 2009^[25]	US$ in Millions 2015
Fare Revenue	324	351
ExpressLane Tolls + Advertising and other revenue	161	93
Prop A - 1/2 Cent Sales Tax	621	740
Prop C - 1/2 Cent Sales Tax	621	740
Measure R - 1/2 Cent Sales Tax	0	740
Transportation Development Act (TDA)	310	370
State Transit Assistance (STA)	77	105
Federal and State Grants	802	1264
Carry over and Bond proceeds	133	1105
Total Resources (US$ millions)	$3,044	$5,508

Warner Center Orange Line Station.

Fleet[edit]

Expo Line train arriving at La Cienega/Jefferson station.

As part of Metro's ATMS project, most buses include a marquee displaying the date and time, Automatic Voice Annunciation (AVA) for audio and visual announcements for each stop, and an audio and visual Stop Requested announcement.

MV Transportation, Southland Transit, and Transdev are bus contractors; these contractors currently operate a few NABI 40-LFW (7600-7949) series, all NABI 31-LFW (3100-3149) series, and some NFI XN40 (5600-6149) & (3850-4199) series.

Metro Local buses are painted orange ("California Poppy"), Metro Rapid buses are painted red, and Metro Silver Line buses are painted silver. Metro Local buses acquired prior to the adoption of these colors in 2004 are white with a gold stripe around the bus; these buses been painted orange during their mid-life rehabilitation (except for the 5300-series New Flyer buses assigned to Metro Rapid lines, which were repainted in red livery in 2004-05). The 7000- and 7600-series buses acquired for Metro Rapid service in 2000 and 2002 are red with a white stripe along the top (7102-7112, 7617-7618, 7628, 7643, 7646 were white with a red Metro Rapid logo on all sides and some of these buses have been repainted to standard red and white and a few have been converted to Metro Local service), but some have been repainted to the current red and silver livery. Most had been repainted beginning in 2007; some have been repainted either in the updated Metro Rapid scheme or in Metro Local colors.

Metro operates the nation's largest fleet of CNG-powered buses. The CNG fleet reduces emissions of particulates by 90%, carbon monoxide by 80%, and greenhouse gases by 20% over the 500 remaining diesel powered buses in the fleet. Alternative fuel buses have logged more than 450 million operating miles since 1993, an industry record. Metro has retired all diesel buses (not including contracted buses) and became an entirely clean-air fleet in January 2011.

Beginning December 17, 2006, Metro Local Lines 233 (Van Nuys Blvd.) and 204 (Vermont Ave.) were the first Metro Local lines to use 60-foot (18 m) NABI articulated buses (9400-9494 and some 9500-9594 series). These buses are also currently in use on Metro Local Line 40 (Hawthorne Bl./Crenshaw Bl./MLK Bl./Broadway Ave.), Metro Local Line 66 (8th Street/E. Olympic Bl.) and Metro Local Line 207 (Western Ave.).

Sustainability[edit]

Per passenger GHG emissions of transportation options^[26]

To increase sustainability in transportation services, Metro also provides bike and pedestrian improvements for the over 10.1 million residents of Los Angeles county.^[27]

Metro has focused its sustainability efforts towards two primary channels:

1. Countywide Planning: Plans to optimize efficiency and usability in transportation for all of Los Angeles County.

2. Environmental Compliance and Services: A framework for environmentally friendly implementation and operation of Metro services.

These focuses have gleaned positive outcomes - in 2015, Metro displaced more greenhouse gas emissions (CO₂) than it produced by 7,093 metric tons. Metro also released a study detailing the empirically founded impact of their green initiatives.^[28]

Bicycle transportation planning[edit]

In May 2009 Metro started to set up a Multi Mobility Working Group, which may lead to a change in TDM funding for bicycle projects as detailed in a separate entry on bicycle transportation planning in Los Angeles.

History[edit]

LACMTA was formed in 1993 from the merger of two previous agencies: the Southern California Rapid Transit District (SCRTD or more often, RTD) and the Los Angeles County Transportation Commission (LACTC). RTD was during the 1960s to 1980s (until the LACTC was created) the "800 pound gorilla" in bus transportation in Southern California, operating most public transportation in Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, and Riverside Counties, although outlying services began to be divested in the early 1980s.

Future[edit]

A TAP gate at a Metro station

Metro has expanded its Metro Rapid bus system with a goal of 28 lines since 2008.^[29] A Special Master ruling in December 2005 requires Metro to increase service on all Rapid bus routes to every 10 minutes during the peak period and every 20 minutes during the mid-day and evening. Service would be required to operate between 5 a.m. and 9 a.m. on all Rapid routes. Metro has chosen not to appeal the ruling and began implementation on all Rapid routes in June 2006.

In addition, the agency is embarking on a massive bus restructuring effort entitled Metro Connections. The project is designed to convert the current grid-based bus system, implemented in 1980, to a hub and spoke system focused on activity centers.^[30] The system is to be phased in the next four years, and will include new express routes and reconfigured local service. Suburban service and low ridership shuttles will be considered for operation by municipal agencies, restructuring, or cancellation.

A new Universal Fare system called 'TAP' which stands for Transit Access Pass was introduced to the public in early 2010. The TAP smart card allows bus and rail passengers to physically tap their cards on the farebox for faster boarding. This automated fare system will eventually be implemented on eleven other Los Angeles County transit operators and intends to replace the EZ Pass which allows travel between these transit agencies for one monthly price. Commuters from surrounding cities and communities will be able to travel across the county switching from one transit operator's system to another using one smart card to pay for fares.

In 2015, Metro studied renaming its rail and bus rapid transit lines using a letter-based scheme.^[31]

Crenshaw/LAX Line[edit]

The Crenshaw/LAX Line is being built from Aviation/LAX station on the Green Line to Expo/Crenshaw station on the Expo Line, passing through Inglewood and Crenshaw, Los Angeles. It will connect with a people mover to serve Los Angeles International Airport. A further possible phase will extend the line to Hollywood to connect with the Red Line.

Gold Line Foothill Extension[edit]

Metro is planning an extension of the Gold Line into the San Gabriel Valley to the San Bernardino County border city of Montclair. The first phase of this extension, to Azusa, opened on March 5, 2016. Funding for the second phase is not yet available.

Regional Connector[edit]

The Regional Connector is a tunnel under Downtown Los Angeles, joining the Gold Line at Little Tokyo Station (1st Street and Central Avenue) to the Blue and Expo Lines at 7th Street/Metro Center. This will lead to the creation of two lines, one between Long Beach and Azusa, and the other between East Los Angeles and Santa Monica.

Purple Line Extension[edit]

Phase 1 of the Purple Line Extension will add three new subway stations at Wilshire/La Brea, Wilshire/Fairfax, and Wilshire/La Cienega. Further phases will extend the line to Century City and Westwood. Construction of the second section will start in 2018.^[32]

West Santa Ana Transit Corridor[edit]

The West Santa Ana Branch via Stanton and Garden Grove to Santa Ana is an additional corridor identified for possible future expansion of rail or busway service. The current proposal is a light rail line with a new route from Union Station to the Green Line, then the West Santa Ana Branch right-of-way to Artesia.^[33]^[34]

The Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) is collaborating with the cities of Santa Ana and Garden Grove on the OC Streetcar on the southerly portion of the West Santa Ana Branch.^[35]

Fresh Air[edit]

Already boasting the largest fleet of compressed natural gas busses in the United States, Metro is now stating that they aim to have a fully electric bus system by 2030, along with a full switch to electric operations for the Orange and Silver lines by 2020 and shortly after, respectively. ^[36]

Measure M[edit]

Measure M, passed on November 2016, extends and increases the Measure R thirty-year half-cent sales tax to a permanent one-cent sales tax. This tax is expected to fund $120 billion in highway and transit projects over forty years.^[37] The tax is also expected to support over 778,000 jobs in the Los Angeles area and $79.3 billion in economic output.^[38]

Projects to be funded by Measure M include:^[37]^[39]

Construction of the Aviation/96th Street station to connect the Crenshaw/LAX Line to LAX terminals via the Airport Metro Connector
Extension of the Crenshaw/LAX Line to Hollywood, connecting to the Red Line at Hollywood/Highland station
A streetcar in Downtown Los Angeles
The third segment of the Purple Line extension, from Century City to Westwood/VA Hospital
The Los Angeles County portion of the High Desert Corridor: a freeway, rail transit, and bikeway corridor linking cities in the Antelope and Victor Valleys
Bus Rapid Transit connecting the Orange and Red Lines in North Hollywood with the Gold Line in Pasadena
Conversion of the Orange Line from Bus Rapid Transit to Light Rail
Light Rail or Bus Rapid Transit along Van Nuys Boulevard to San Fernando
Light Rail along the West Santa Ana Branch from Union Station to Santa Ana
Bus Rapid Transit along Vermont Avenue between the Red Line at Hollywood Blvd. and the Green Line at 120th St.
Southern extension of the Green Line to Torrance Transit Center
Eastern extension of the Green Line to the Norwalk/Santa Fe Springs Metrolink station
Heavy Rail or Light Rail tunnel underneath the Sepulveda Pass linking the Orange Line in the San Fernando Valley and the Purple Line at Westwood/UCLA
Rail Transit from the Purple line at Wilshire/Westwood to LAX
Extension of the Gold Line from East Los Angeles with a branch to South El Monte and a branch to Whittier next to the San Gabriel River
Bus Rapid Transit from LAX to the Expo Line at Santa Monica along Lincoln Blvd.
Bus Rapid Transit in the North San Fernando Valley

General[edit]

Metro has a project list including all current projects being pursued in Los Angeles County, as well as an interactive map.

Photo gallery[edit]

Interior of Metro Local Bus- NABI 40 LFW- Bus Number- 7352.
Metro Local Line 166 using a NABI 45C bus.
Line 166 at the Chatsworth Orange Line Station.
Metro Local Line 166 departing.
Interior of a Metro Gold Line train car.- Breda P2550 train.
Metro Silver Line bus departing Manchester Silver Line station.
Metro Local Line 232, a contract bus line using an Orion Bus. These buses will be replaced by 2015.
Inside a NABI 45 compobus on Los Angeles Metro Local line: 81.

In popular culture[edit]

The Metro rail and bus fleet often make appearances in films and television shows produced in the Los Angeles area, including 2012, Crash,^[40] Volcano, Superbad, Collateral, The 40-Year-Old Virgin,^[41], Battle: Los Angeles^[42], and Captain Marvel. One of the earliest appearances was in the 1994 movie Speed with Keanu Reaves and Sandra Bullock, in which the Metro plays a key part in the plot.