Getting Around L.A. With Public Transport
These transportation options will take you to a nearby neighborhood or across town
4 Min Read
4 Min ReadThe city of Los Angeles is best known for sunny days, surfable waves, Hollywood stars, and its traffic. Although it isn’t its best feature, traffic isn’t too bad when riding public transport in Los Angeles. Even if you have a car, it might be worth riding the bus, subway, train, or renting a bird scooter to reduce your commute time. Another option L.A. residents have is to live close to work or school to avoid heavy traffic.
Metro bus
The Los Angeles Metro bus system includes a fleet of 1,500 buses, making them the second largest public transit system in America. Most riders take either the orange and silver bus lines, although more lines are available to the public.
The orange line runs from Chatsworth to North Hollywood with a total of 16 different stops. There is a timetable provided online that provides approximate arrival times between the five most popular stations on this route. Those stations include; Chatsworth, Canoga, Reseda, Van Nuys, and North Hollywood. Buses run during the weekdays, weekends and certain holidays.
The silver line runs from San Pedro to El Monte with 20 stops including stops at USC Medical Center and downtown Los Angeles. You can find a timetable online and the bus numbers that correspond with each stop. This is the bus line you would take to reach popular destinations such as; L.A. Live/Staples Center, the L.A. Convention Center, USC, and Exposition Park. To figure out which line and bus station you would take for your trip, use the ‘Trip Planning Tool” on the LA Metro’s website. This tool will also provide a customized itinerary, with the line to take, where to catch it, where to exit, and the cost of the trip.
Pricing
When taking this form of public transport in Los Angeles you have the option to pay with exact cash or with a TAP card. This card is reusable and allows you to add up to $20 worth of riding credit. To ride the bus, the base fare for a one-way trip is $1.75. Reduced fares are available for students, seniors, and disabled riders. Children under the age of five can ride for free when accompanied by a paying adult. Other pricing options are available for frequent bus passengers:
- A one-day pass is valid for all day use and expires at 3 am the following day. This pass includes access to all Metro services (buses and trains) and costs $7
- A seven-day pass costs $25, but extra fees apply when riding the Metro silver line and Metro express buses
- A 30-day pass costs $100, but extra fees apply when riding the Metro silver line and Metro express buses
- A 30-day + zone 1 pass costs $122 and lets you ride all buses and trains that are part of the LA Metro system
Metro rail
There are six lines that operate under the Metro rail system and are color coded for ease of use. The six lines are:
- Red line: North Hollywood to Union Station
- Purple line: Wilshire/Western to Union Station
- Blue line: Downtown LA to Long Beach
- Expo line: Downtown LA to Santa Monica
- Green line: Redondo Beach to Norwalk
- Gold line: East Los Angeles to Azusa
If you’re heading to LAX airport, you can take the Green line to get there. Here’s a map of each metro line stop.
Pricing
Prices to ride the Metro rail are the same as riding the Metro buses. Refer to pricing above for specifics.
Metrolink
Metrolink is a train system that provides efficient public transport in Los Angeles and throughout the greater Southern California region. There are hundreds of destinations, that can take you to work, school or to a different county. Plus, the trains offer a relaxing and safe riding experience, so you can ride in comfort and ease.
There are seven different lines provided by Metrolink. They are as follows.
- Green line – Antelope Valley
- Pink line – Inland Empire-Orange County
- Orange line – Orange County
- Purple line – Riverside
- Red line – San Bernardino
- Yellow line – Ventura County
- Blue line – 91/Perris Valley
You can get up to date information on your train, and whether you can expect any delays due to repairs or other factors. With this new feature added by Metrolink, you can now track the status of your train.
Many of the Metrolink stations provide storage for your bikes. But, if you want to take them on-board, you can. Either bring your bike on your train car or place it inside the designated bike car. Another great feature of this train is the ‘quiet car.’ These cars are ideal to ride in if you prefer a quiet atmosphere to work, read, or take a short catnap.
Ticket options
- One-way pass: Must use within three hours of purchase
- Round-trip pass: Complete trip must occur on the same day and within three hours of purchase
- $10 weekend day pass: Available for use either Saturday or Sunday. This pass expires at 3 am following the date of purchase
- Seven-day pass: Unlimited travel for seven days between your origin and destination station
- Monthly pass: Unlimited travel during the calendar month between your origin and destination station
All prices (except for the $10-weekend pass) vary depending on your origin and destination stations. You can buy tickets using the Metrolink app, ticket machines at the stations, or at home from your computer or mobile device.
