Los Angeles Department of Transportation
The Los Angeles Department of Transportation, commonly referred to as LADOT, is a municipal agency that oversees transportation planning, design, construction, maintenance and operations within the city of Los Angeles. LADOT was created by city ordinance, and is run by a general manager appointed by the Mayor of Los Angeles, under the oversight of a citizens' commission also appointed by the mayor. LADOT is best known for providing public transportation to the City of Los Angeles. It currently operates the second-largest fleet in Los Angeles County next to Metro. It consist of over 300 vehicles, serving nearly 30 million passengers a year and operating over 800,000 hours.
Headquarters | Caltrans District 7 Headquarters |
---|---|
Locale | Los Angeles, California, United States |
Service type | Bus Services, Paratransit, Transportation Planning, Signal Construction, Traffic Operations |
Routes | 36 DASH, 16 Commuter Express, 2 shuttles |
Website | Official website |
LADOT also develops the traffic signal timing and transportation planning for the city. Actual road maintenance and construction is provided by the Los Angeles City Department of Public Works. LADOT performs many transportation related duties, with six main operating groups: Parking Enforcement & Traffic Control, Operations, Project Delivery, Parking Management & Regulations, Transit Services, and Administration.[1]
Current LADOT transit services
DASH
The DASH (Downtown Area Short Hop) is a transit bus that currently operates 30 routes covering Downtown Los Angeles and many outlying communities within the city. Its primary function is to provide localized service, and is a feeder into the countywide MTA Metro service.
DASH Community Routes include:
- Beachwood Canyon (connects with the Metro B Line) (LADOT community connection #208)
- Boyle Heights/East LA (EX LACMTA #255, connects with Metro L Line)
- Chesterfield Square (connects with the Metro A Line)
- Crenshaw (connects with Metro E Line and soon Crenshaw/LAX Line)
- Downtown A: Little Tokyo/City West (connects with Metro B Line, Metro D Line, Metro L Line, Metro A Line and Metro E Line)
- Downtown B: Chinatown/Financial District (connects with the Metro B Line, Metro L Line, Metro A Line, Metrolink Lines: Ventura County, Antelope Valley, San Bernardino, 91, Riverside, and Orange County, and Amtrak lines: Pacific Surfliner, Coast Starlight, Sunset Limited, Southwest Chief, and Texas Eagle
- Downtown D: Union Station/South Park (connects with the Metro B Line, Metro L Line, Metro A Line, Metro E Line, Metrolink Lines: Ventura County, Antelope Valley, San Bernardino, 91, Riverside, and Orange County, and Amtrak lines: Pacific Surfliner, Coast Starlight, Sunset Limited, Southwest Chief, and Texas Eagle
- Downtown E: City West/Financial District (connects with the Metro B Line, Metro A Line, Metro D Line, and Metro E Line)
- Downtown F: Financial District Exposition Park, L.A. Coliseum/LAFC Stadium/USC (connects with the Metro B Line Metro A Line, Metro D Line and Metro E Line)
- El Sereno/City Terrace
- Fairfax
- Highland Park/Eagle Rock (connects with Metro L Line)
- Hollywood (connects with the Metro B Line)
- Hollywood/Wilshire (Larchmont Shuttle) (connects with the Metro B Line, Metro D Line)
- King-East (connects with Metro A Line and Metro E Line)
- Leimert Park/ Slauson
- Lincoln Heights /Chinatown (connects with the Metro L Line)
- Los Feliz (weekdays)/Weekend Observatory Shuttle (connects with the Metro B Line) (LADOT community connection #203)
- Midtown (connects with the Metro E Line)
- Northridge (connects with Metrolink Line: Ventura County)
- Observatory (connects with the Metro B Line)
- Panorama City/Van Nuys (connects with the Metro G Line, Metrolink Line: Ventura County)
- Pico Union/Echo Park (connects with the Metro B Line, Metro D Line and Metro A Line)
- San Pedro (LADOT community connection #147)
- Southeast/Pueblo Del Rio (connects with the Metro A Line)
- Van Nuys/Studio City (connects with the Metro G Line)
- Vermont/Main
- Watts (connects with the Metro A Line, Metro C Line)
- Wilmington
- Wilshire Center/Koreatown (connects with the Metro B Line, Metro DLine )
Most DASH buses are El Dorado EZ-Rider vehicles powered by propane, although CNG Gillig BRTs have since been introduced. The first two digits of DASH bus numbers denote which year the bus came into service. For instance, 98001 denotes 1998 and 06301 denotes 2006. All DASH buses are 30 feet (9.1 m) long, making it easier to navigate in dense neighborhoods where there are narrower streets and tighter turns.
Commuter Express
Commuter Express is an express bus service, consisting of 15 routes, all but one running during rush hours only. Service started in 1985.[2] Routes 419, 423, 431, 437, 438, and 448 are former Metro lines that were cancelled;[3] Route 142 was previously operated by Long Beach Transit.[4] Fares are based on a flat rate for travel on streets plus an extra charge based on the distance traveled on freeways.
Unless otherwise noted, all services operates towards Downtown LA during the morning rush and from Downtown LA during the afternoon rush. For the purposes of this chart, closed-door means that customers are not allowed to use buses for local trips and open-door means that customers are allowed to use buses for local trips.
Route | Terminals | via | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|
142 [5] |
San Pedro Ports O'Call |
Long Beach Transit Mall | 7th Street, Ocean Boulevard |
|
409 [6] |
Sylmar Foothill Boulevard and Glenoaks Boulevard |
Downtown LA Hill Street and 12th Street |
San Fernando Valley: Foothill Boulevard Downtown LA: Flower & Figueroa Streets, 7th Street |
|
419 [7] |
Chatsworth Station | Downtown LA University of Southern California |
San Fernando Valley: Devonshire Street Downtown LA: Hill Street, Figueroa Street |
|
422 [8] |
Thousand Oaks The Oaks Shopping Center |
Downtown LA University of Southern California |
Ventura County: Thousand Oaks Boulevard, Agora Road Downtown LA: Figueroa & Flower Streets |
|
423 [9] |
Thousand Oaks Thousand Oaks Transit Center |
Downtown LA University of Southern California |
Ventura County: Agora Road, Ventura Boulevard Downtown LA: Figueroa & Flower Streets |
|
431 [10] |
Westwood VA Medical Center Park and Ride |
Downtown LA Union Station |
Westside: Wilshire Boulevard, Beverly Glen Boulevard Downtown LA: Venice Boulevard, Figueroa & Flower Streets, Grand & Olive Streets |
|
437 [11] |
Venice Pacific Avenue and Washington Boulevard |
Downtown LA Temple Street and Los Angeles Street |
Westside: Culver Boulevard Downtown LA: Figueroa & Flower Streets, Grand & Olive Streets |
|
438 [12] |
Downtown LA Temple Street and Los Angeles Street |
Redondo Beach Palos Verdes Boulevard and Via Valencia |
Downtown LA Figueroa & Flower Streets Beach Cities: Highland Avenue, Hermosa Avenue |
|
439 [13] |
Downtown LA Temple Street and Los Angeles Street |
El Segundo El Segundo Boulevard & Nash Street |
Downtown LA: Figueroa & Flower Streets El Segundo: Imperial Highway, Douglas Street |
|
448 [14] |
Downtown LA Temple Street and Los Angeles Street |
Rancho Palos Verdes Crest Road and Crenshaw Boulevard |
Downtown LA: Figueroa & Flower Streets South Bay: Hawthorne Boulevard, Pacific Coast Highway |
|
534 [15] |
Westwood Wilshire Boulevard and Veteran Avenue |
Downtown LA Union Station |
Westside: Wilshire Boulevard, Olympic Boulevard Downtown LA: Figueroa & Flower Streets, 1st Street |
|
549 [16] |
Encino Encino Park and Ride |
Pasadena Lake L Line station |
Burbank Boulevard, Ventura Freeway |
|
573 [17] |
Mission Hills Chatsworth Street and Orion Street |
Century City Constellation Boulevard and Century Park West |
San Fernando Valley: Balboa Boulevard Westwood: Gayley Avenue, Wilshire Boulevard |
|
574 [18] |
Sylmar Metrolink station | El Segundo Space Park Drive and Aviation Boulevard |
San Fernando Valley: Balboa Boulevard, Chatsworth Street South Bay: Sepulveda Boulevard, Aviation Boulevard |
|
Union Station/Bunker Hill Shuttle [19] |
Downtown LA Union Station |
Bunker Hill Hope Street and 4th Street |
Grand Avenue |
|
Commuter Express services are provided by a variety of suburban vehicles, including Gillig Phantoms, Neoplan Metroliners, and Stewart & Stevenson Apollo T-40s. Also part of the fleet are a small number of CNG powered Orion V coaches.
CityRide
CityRide is a program for individuals in the city of Los Angeles, aged 65 or older and for qualified disabled persons.
In popular culture
The transit agency makes a cameo appearance in the Animaniacs episode "Hooray for North Hollywood Part 2", where Dot Warner spots an LADOT bus, thinking it was named in her honor.[20] She then sings gleefully about it, but Yakko corrects his sister, telling her what LADOT actually means. Realizing her mistake, Dot nevertheless finishes her song on a positive note.
References
- "Operating Groups : Department of Transportation : City of Los Angeles". LADOT. 29 September 2013. Archived from the original on 2013-09-29. Retrieved 2017-07-22.
- LADOT Short Range Transit Plan FY 2011-12, Retrieved 2014-09-20
- 1985 RTD Bus Map, Retrieved 2014-09-20
- 1989 RTD Bus System Map, Retrieved 2014-09-20
- Commuter Express 142
- Commuter Express409
- Commuter Express 419
- Commuter Express 422
- Commuter Express 423
- Commuter Express 431
- Commuter Express 437
- Commuter Express 438
- Commuter Express 439
- Commuter Express 448
- Commuter Express 534
- Commuter Express 549
- Commuter Express 573
- Commuter Express 574
- Union station/bunker Hill Shuttle
- "96- Discussing Animaniacs Episode 96 "Hooray for North Hollywood" Part Two". Listen Notes. Retrieved 2019-08-14.