Los Angeles Metro

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA), known as Metro, plans, runs, and finds money for most of the transportation system in Los Angeles County, California. This county is the biggest one in the whole United States by how many people live there.

Metro runs many ways for people to get around. This includes buses, fast buses called bus rapid transit, trains on special tracks called light rail, and very fast trains called rapid transit. Metro also helps pay for other transportation it doesn’t run itself, like Metrolink trains between towns, buses from other local companies, and special help for people who can’t use regular buses called paratransit. It even helps plan big roads like the Los Angeles freeway system and train tracks in the area.

In 2025, many people used Metro. Over 300 million people rode Metro that year, and about 900,000 people used it each day in the last part of the year. Metro is the biggest transit system in the state of California and the second biggest in all of the United States, just after the system in New York City.

Background

Main articles: History of Los Angeles Metro and History of Los Angeles Metro Rail and Busway

Metro started on February 1, 1993, when the California State Legislature combined two groups: the Southern California Rapid Transit District (RTD) and the Los Angeles County Transportation Commission (LACTC).

The RTD began in 1964 to run public transportation in Southern California, including Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Orange, and Riverside counties. The LACTC started in 1977 to manage transportation money for Los Angeles County.

Metro now plans and runs most transportation in Los Angeles County. It is the main public transit provider for Los Angeles, the second largest city in the United States. Since 1995, Metro has been located next to Los Angeles Union Station, a big train station.

Metro operates many buses and trains and helps fund other transportation projects in the area. It also works to make transportation better for everyone by improving bike and walking paths.

Services

Metro Rail

Metro Rail is a train system with four light rail lines and two rapid transit lines. It covers many miles with many stops.

The A Line is a train between Pomona and Long Beach through Downtown Los Angeles.

The B Line is a train between North Hollywood and Downtown Los Angeles.

The C Line is a train between Westchester and Norwalk. It connects to Los Angeles International Airport via the LAX/Metro Transit Center.

The D Line is a train between Beverly Hills and Downtown Los Angeles. It is being made longer.

The E Line is a train between Santa Monica and East Los Angeles through Downtown Los Angeles.

The K Line is a train between Expo/Crenshaw and Redondo Beach through Westchester. It also connects to Los Angeles International Airport.

Metro Bus

Metro is the main bus service in the Los Angeles Basin, the San Fernando Valley, and parts of the San Gabriel Valley. Other areas use different bus services.

The Metro Bus system has many routes and stops. Most routes stop every two blocks, while some stop only at big places. Express routes use freeways for faster trips.

Metro Busway

Metro Busway is a fast bus system with two lines on special roads. It covers many miles with many stops.

The G Line runs between Chatsworth and North Hollywood, with some trips ending in Canoga Park.

The J Line runs between El Monte, Downtown Los Angeles, and Harbor Gateway, with some trips going to San Pedro.

Busways

The Metro Busway J Line uses two special roads built into freeways. These roads help buses go faster.

The El Monte Busway runs along the San Bernardino Freeway (I-10). It is used by Metro and Foothill Transit.

The Harbor Transitway runs along the Harbor Freeway (I-110). It is used by Metro, LADOT, and Torrance Transit.

Other services

• Metro Art: A program that adds public art to stations.
• Metro Bike Share: A bike-sharing program.
• Metro ExpressLanes: Special lanes for express buses.
• Metro Freeway Service Patrol: A service that helps fix cars on freeways.
• Metro Micro: A service using vans for rides.
• Bike paths: Many miles of paths for biking.
• HOV Lanes: Lanes for carpooling and express buses.
• Metrolink: A train system for travel in Southern California.
• Pacific Surfliner: A train system partly funded by Metro.

Fares and fare collection

The cost for most Metro trips is $1.75. Metro changed how fares work to make sure passengers always pay the lowest price. Special prices are available for some groups.

Most people use a TAP card to pay for rides. These cards work on Metro and many other services. They are needed for trains and free bus transfers. Passengers can also pay with cash for some bus rides. TAP cards can be bought at stations, stores, online, and Metro offices.

Fare gates are at many train stations to make sure people pay for their rides.

K-12 and community college students in Los Angeles can get free unlimited rides on Metro through the GoPass program.

Security

Metro works with the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), Los Angeles Sheriff's Department, and the Long Beach Police Department to keep passengers safe. Metro started its own police force to save money and improve safety.

Metro also has the Ambassador Program. Ambassadors wear bright green clothes and help passengers with information and solve problems. They work on busier lines and stations.

Ridership

In 2024, the most popular ways people traveled on the Los Angeles Metro were on the B & D Lines, the A Line, and the Metro Bus. The A Line had the most riders and was also the cheapest. The K Line had the fewest riders among the letter-named lines. Here are the average daily numbers of people getting on and the distance they traveled for all of 2024:

Governance

Metro is led by Chief Executive Officer Stephanie Wiggins. It is guided by a board of directors with 14 members. The board includes the five members of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, the mayor of the city of Los Angeles, three people chosen by the mayor, four city leaders from different areas of the county, and one non-voting member chosen by the Governor of California.

The board makes big decisions and works with five Service Councils to help with smaller choices, like where to place bus stops. These councils represent different parts of the county: Gateway Cities, San Fernando Valley, San Gabriel Valley, South Bay, and Westside/Central. Each council has leaders who help make decisions for their area.

Metro’s staff also serve on boards of other transportation groups in the region, including the LOSSAN Rail Corridor Agency, the Alameda Corridor Transportation Authority, the Foothill Gold Line Construction Authority, the Southern California Regional Rail Authority, and the Inglewood Transit Connector Joint Powers Authority.

Board of Directors

Chair

• Fernando Dutra, Appointee of Los Angeles County City Selection Committee, Southeast Long Beach sector, City of Whittier, District 4

Vice Chair

• Jacquelyn Dupont-Walker, Appointee of the Mayor of the City of Los Angeles

2nd Vice Chair

• Kathryn Barger, Los Angeles County Board Supervisor, District 5

Executive Board Members

• Karen Bass, Mayor of Los Angeles
• James T. Butts Jr., Appointee of Los Angeles County City Selection Committee, Southwest Corridor sector, Mayor of Inglewood
• Janice Hahn, Los Angeles County Board Supervisor, District 4
• Lindsey Horvath, Los Angeles County Board Supervisor, District 3
• Holly Mitchell, Los Angeles County Board Supervisor, District 2
• Ara Najarian, Appointee of Los Angeles County City Selection Committee, North County/San Fernando Valley sector, City of Glendale, At Large District
• Imelda Padilla, Appointee of the Mayor of the City of Los Angeles, District 6
• Tim Sandoval, Appointee of Los Angeles County City Selection Committee, San Gabriel Valley sector, Mayor of Pomona
• Hilda Solis, Los Angeles County Board Supervisor, District 1
• Katy Yaroslavsky, Appointee of the Mayor of the City of Los Angeles, District 5

Ex-officio Board Member

• Gloria Roberts, Appointee of the Governor of California, Caltrans District 7 Director

Funding

Metro gets its money from many places. This includes taxes from the government, bonds, and money from passengers. In 2020, Metro’s budget was $7.2 billion.

Jurisdiction

The agency helps with public transportation and planning in California. It follows state rules but can also work on local projects, like housing, since where people live affects how they travel.

The agency checks if its projects work by seeing if more people with lower incomes use public transit and if the environment and health of the community improve. This is important because many public transit users have lower incomes, and a healthier environment helps everyone.

Fleet

Most of Metro's buses run on clean energy called compressed natural gas. This helps keep the air cleaner. These buses are the biggest group of this type in the United States. Metro is also adding more electric buses, especially on certain routes, and plans to use only electric buses in the future. These buses have signs and voices that tell passengers when the next stop is coming.

Metro's trains come in two types: light rail and rapid transit. The light rail trains are longer cars that get power from wires above and run on tracks. The rapid transit trains are shorter cars that get power from a special electric strip along the track and also run on tracks.

Future

D Line Extension

Further information: D Line Extension

The first part of the D Line Extension added three new subway stops. These stops opened in May 2026. The next part will go to Century City and should finish in 2026. After that, the line will continue to Westwood in 2027.

Los Angeles Aerial Rapid Transit

Main article: Los Angeles Aerial Rapid Transit

Metro is working to build an aerial gondola system. This will connect Dodger Stadium and nearby areas to Union Station in Downtown Los Angeles. Once done, it could carry many people each hour, taking just seven minutes to travel from Union Station to Dodger Stadium. The project will also help the nearby Los Angeles State Historic Park.

Long-range Measure M plans

Measure M, approved in November 2016, changed the Measure R tax to a permanent one-cent sales tax. This tax will support many road and public transport projects over the next 40 years. It will also help create jobs and bring economic benefits to the Los Angeles area.

Projects funded by Measure M include:

• A streetcar in Downtown Los Angeles
• The Los Angeles County part of the High Desert Corridor, which would connect cities in the Antelope and Victor Valleys with roads, trains, and bike paths. However, the road part was paused in 2019.
• Bus Rapid Transit linking the G and B Lines in North Hollywood with the A Line in Pasadena
• Changing the G Line from Bus Rapid Transit to Light Rail
• Light Rail along Van Nuys Boulevard to San Fernando (East San Fernando Valley Light Rail Transit Project)
• Light Rail along the West Santa Ana Branch from Union Station to Artesia
• Bus Rapid Transit along Vermont Avenue between the B Line at Hollywood Boulevard and the C Line at 120th Street
• Extending the A Line east to the Claremont Metrolink station
• Extending the K Line south to the Torrance Transit Center
• Extending the C Line east to the Norwalk/Santa Fe Springs Metrolink station
• A Heavy Rail tunnel underneath or monorail over the Sepulveda Pass connecting the G Line in the San Fernando Valley with the D Line at Westwood/UCLA
• Extending Heavy Rail or Monorail from the D Line at Westwood/UCLA to LAX
• Extending the E Line from East Los Angeles with a branch to Whittier near the San Gabriel River
• Bus Rapid Transit from LAX to the E Line at Santa Monica along Lincoln Boulevard
• Bus Rapid Transit in the North San Fernando Valley (now planned as local bus improvements)