Public transport in Los Angeles

Overview

Los Angeles County's public transport is run by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA), branded simply as Metro. It is a state agency, not part of the county government, and it plans, operates, and coordinates funding for most of the transportation system in Los Angeles County — the most populated county in the United States. Metro directly operates bus, bus rapid transit, light rail, and rapid transit services, and it also funds transit it does not run, including Metrolink commuter rail, municipal bus operators, and paratransit. It is the largest transit agency by ridership in California and the second-largest in the United States after New York City Transit.

For a visitor, riding Metro end to end is straightforward. You pay a single fare that covers a two-hour window of travel, including transfers, and you tap a fare card or contactless bank card when you board a bus or pass through a rail fare gate. Rail lines are numbered with letters (A, B, C, D, E, K) and coloured on maps, while the two bus rapid transit lines use the letters G and J. Downtown Los Angeles is the hub: Union Station, the region's main train station, sits next to the Metro Headquarters Building and connects the subway, light rail, local buses, and the LAX FlyAway airport shuttle. Because the region is so spread out, allow generous time for any cross-town trip, and use the Metro Trip Planner or a rider app to work out your route before you set off.

The network

Metro's network falls into four main pieces: urban rail (Metro Rail), bus rapid transit (Metro Busway), an extensive bus system (Metro Bus), and supporting services such as on-demand vans and bike share. Metro also funds Metrolink commuter rail, which it does not operate itself.

Metro Rail

Metro Rail is an urban rail system with four light rail lines and two rapid transit (subway) lines. As of May 2026 it runs a total of 125.1 miles (201.3 km) with 110 stations.

A Line — light rail running between Pomona and Long Beach via Downtown Los Angeles. It opened in 1990 as the Blue Line, the oldest line in the system, and after the Regional Connector opened in June 2023 it became the longest light rail line in the world.
B Line — rapid transit (fully underground subway) running between North Hollywood in the San Fernando Valley and Downtown Los Angeles. It opened in 1993 as the Red Line.
C Line — light rail running between Westchester and Norwalk, largely in the median of Interstate 105. It provides direct access to Los Angeles International Airport via the LAX/Metro Transit Center.
D Line — rapid transit (fully underground subway) running between Beverly Hills and Downtown Los Angeles; as of May 2026 it is being extended westward.
E Line — light rail running between Santa Monica and East Los Angeles via Downtown Los Angeles. It is about 22 miles long and links Santa Monica Pier with East LA.
K Line — light rail running between Expo/Crenshaw and Redondo Beach via Westchester, connecting Jefferson Park and Westchester through Leimert Park and Inglewood. It also provides direct access to LAX via the LAX/Metro Transit Center.

The Regional Connector, a 1.9-mile rail link with three underground stations in Downtown LA, opened in June 2023 and created two long through-routes: Azusa to Long Beach, and East LA to Santa Monica. The hub for these is 7th Street/Metro Center.

Metro Busway

Metro Busway is a bus rapid transit system with two lines operating on dedicated or shared-use busways — 55.7 miles (89.6 km), 29 stations, and over 42,000 daily weekday boardings as of May 2016. It is designed to mimic Metro Rail, with dedicated stations, intersection priority, and a silver livery similar to rail vehicles.

G Line — bus rapid transit between Chatsworth and North Hollywood, with some trips terminating in Canoga Park. It opened in 2005 as the Orange Line, runs 24/7, and has 17 stations at roughly one-mile intervals; the North Hollywood stop is a Park & Ride connecting to the B Line.
J Line — bus rapid transit between El Monte, Downtown Los Angeles, and Harbor Gateway, with some trips continuing to San Pedro. It is 38 miles long, runs 24/7, and has 12 stations plus additional street stops.

The J Line runs over two busways built into the freeway system: the El Monte Busway, in the median of the San Bernardino Freeway (I-10), providing express service between Downtown LA and the San Gabriel Valley; and the Harbor Transitway, in the median of the Harbor Freeway (I-110), providing express service between San Pedro and Downtown LA. Both are also used by other bus routes to speed up their trips.

Metro Bus

Metro is the primary bus operator in the Los Angeles Basin, the San Fernando Valley, and the western San Gabriel Valley as far east as Arcadia. Other parts of the county, including the Antelope Valley and the eastern San Gabriel Valley, are served by separate bus operators that receive some Metro funding. As of June 2023 the Metro Bus system included 117 routes serving over 11,000 bus stops. Most lines are local services stopping at marked stops roughly every two blocks; limited-stop Metro Rapid services stop only at major intersections, and Metro Express services use the freeways for nonstop runs between regional destinations. In 2020 the NextGen Bus Plan retired the old Local, Rapid, and Express brands, with most Rapid routes retired in favour of more frequent former Local routes.

Other services

Metro Micro — an on-demand, rideshare-style van service operating in eight zones around the region, including Watts/Compton, LAX/Inglewood, El Monte, North Hollywood/Burbank, Highland Park/Eagle Rock/Glendale, Altadena/Pasadena/Sierra Madre, the Northwest San Fernando Valley, and UCLA/Westwood/VA Medical Center. Vehicles seat up to nine passengers and are intended for first/last-mile connections and intra-community travel.
Metro Bike Share — a bicycle-sharing system in Downtown LA, Central LA, Hollywood, North Hollywood, and on the Westside.
Metro Art — a programme that commissions and integrates public art into Metro stations and facilities.
Metro ExpressLanes — high-occupancy toll lanes on the El Monte Busway and Harbor Transitway.
Metro Freeway Service Patrol — a joint effort with Caltrans and the California Highway Patrol offering free quick-fix repairs and towing from freeways.

Metro also funds sixteen municipal bus operators. Within the City of Los Angeles, the city's own Department of Transportation (LADOT) runs a smaller bus-only system called DASH, which often overlaps with Metro Bus routes and stops, primarily in the central part of the city. Metrolink provides regional commuter rail, and Amtrak also serves Union Station. There are no ferry services in the Metro network.

Tickets & fares

Fares below are approximate and change — always check the operator's website for current prices.

The standard regular one-way Metro fare is $1.75, and it includes free transfers within two hours when you tap to ride (round trips are not included). Children under age 6 ride free with a fare-paying adult. Since July 2023 Metro has used fare capping: with a TAP card you never pay more than $5 per day (equivalent to three rides, with rides free after that) or $18 per 7 days.

Reduced and free fares are available:

Seniors (62+) and riders with disabilities: a maximum of $2.50 per day or $5 per 7 days, then free.
Students: free with GoPass at participating K-12 schools, adult schools, and community colleges.
Low-Income Riders (LIFE): qualifying LA County residents get 20 free rides per month.
College U-Pass: discounted passes via participating colleges.
EZ Transit Pass: a monthly pass valid on local service across 23 regional transit agencies.

You can pay in several ways. Contactless credit or debit cards, including digital wallets such as Apple Pay and Google Pay, work by tapping on a bus or at station fare gates. Apple Wallet users can add a TAP transit card and tap an iPhone or Apple Watch. A reusable TAP card, or the TAP app, holds stored value that you tap to ride. Cash is accepted on buses only, requires the exact fare, and does not earn fare caps. If you hold a valid Metrolink ticket, you can scan it at Metro Rail fare gates or show it to a bus operator as a transfer.

TAP cards are available from vending machines at all Metro Rail stations and at J and G Line stations, and can also be bought and loaded online at TapToGo.net. Note that phone and web purchases through TAPTOGO require about three days to upload to your card and must be tapped within 30 days or they become unavailable. Metro's fare information is published in multiple languages, including English, Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, Armenian, Russian, Japanese, and Korean.

LADOT Transit, which is separate from Metro, runs DASH and Commuter Express. Commuter Express uses a zone-based fare system with five zones (Base plus zones 1–4), and all 31-Day Passes and Trip Tickets are loaded on the TAP card. A valid Metrolink ticket or pass equals the Commuter Express Base fare, giving a $1.50 credit toward your fare. On multi-zone Commuter Express routes, tell the driver your destination before paying or tapping so the validator is set to the correct zone — otherwise an incorrect charge may occur and cannot be reversed. LADOT passes and stored value can be bought at the LADOT Transit Customer Service Center in downtown LA, at selected TAP retailers, by phone, or online at taptogo.net.

From the airport

Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) is the region's main airport, and it is served by public transport in two main ways.

Metro Rail via the LAX/Metro Transit Center — the C and K Lines both provide direct access to LAX through the LAX/Metro Transit Center, from which a free airport shuttle connects you to the terminals.
LAX FlyAway Bus — a comfortable, fast, and relatively frequent express bus service running nonstop between LAX and Union Station in Downtown LA, and between LAX and Van Nuys in the San Fernando Valley. At Union Station you can connect to the Metro subway and light rail, Metrolink, Amtrak, and local buses at the adjacent Patsaouras Bus Plaza.

LAX itself has no direct train service. The other major airports in the region — Hollywood Burbank (BUR), Long Beach (LGB), Ontario (ONT), and John Wayne (SNA) — also lack direct train services, though Burbank's Bob Hope Airport is somewhat proximate to a Metrolink commuter rail station (not to be confused with Metro Rail).

Etiquette & customs

Los Angeles transit is busy and practical, and a few local habits will make your trips smoother.

Queuing and boarding — let passengers exit before you board, and have your fare card or phone ready before you reach the fare gate or bus door so you do not hold up the line.
Escalators — stand on the right and walk on the left, the standard convention in the United States.
Priority seating — seats near the doors on buses and trains are reserved for seniors and riders with disabilities; give them up when someone needs one.
Eating and drinking — keep food and drink off the trains and buses; Metro property is patrolled, and security and law enforcement services are provided on buses and trains by the Transit Services Bureau in conjunction with the Metro Transit Enforcement Department and the LAPD.
Rush hour — trains and buses fill up at peak times, so move into the carriage rather than blocking doorways, and keep bags close to your body.
At Union Station — the station is patrolled by private security staff, and people lingering too long in the seats may be asked to show a ticket. It can get uncomfortable when it is hot or crowded.

Official links

Survival terms

Los Angeles transit operates in English, so the key terms you will see and hear are:

subway / metro — Metro Rail (the rapid transit and light rail network)
ticket — fare / TAP card
line — line (lettered, e.g. A Line, B Line)
entrance — entrance / station entrance
exit — exit
transfer — transfer (free within two hours when you tap to ride)
single fare — one-way fare ($1.75 regular)
day pass — daily cap ($5 per day with a TAP card)

Load a TAP card or add a contactless bank card to your phone before you travel, and always tap when you board or enter — that single habit earns you free transfers and automatically caps your daily and weekly spending.