Transportation in Greater Los Angeles

Greater Los Angeles has a complex multimodal transportation infrastructure, which serves as a regional, national and international hub for passenger and freight traffic. The transportation system of Greater Los Angeles includes the United States' largest port complex, seven commuter rail lines, Amtrak service, a subway system within the city of Los Angeles, and numerous highways. Los Angeles is integrated into the Interstate Highway System by Interstate 5, Interstate 10, and Interstate 15, along with numerous auxiliary highways and state routes. Bus service is also included locally within the area by numerous local government agencies. Subways and light commuter rail lines are present within Los Angeles proper, allowing mass transportation within the city. Commuter railroads are run by Metrolink. Amtrak has numerous railroad lines that connect Los Angeles to the rest of the country.

Los Angeles Union Station, hub for LACMTA metro lines and buses, Metrolink and Amtrak trains, and the Hollywood Freeway, one of Los Angeles' major thoroughfares

People in Los Angeles rely on cars as the dominant mode of transportation, [1] but starting in 1990 Los Angeles Metro Rail has built over one hundred miles (160 km) of light and heavy rail serving more and more parts of Los Angeles.

Rail

Local Rail Services
Map of the Metrolink system.

As Greater Los Angeles' main commuter rail service, Metrolink runs seven lines through Southern California.

  • 91 Line (61.6 mile route between Union Station and Riverside-Downtown)
  • Antelope Valley Line (76.6 mile route between Union Station and Lancaster)
  • Inland Empire-Orange County (IEOC) Line (100.1 mile route between San Bernardino and Oceanside)
  • Orange County Line (87.2 mile route between Union Station and Oceanside)
  • Riverside Line (59.1 mile route between Union Station and Riverside-Downtown)
  • San Bernardino Line (61.5 mile route between Union Station and San Bernardino/Riverside-Downtown)
  • Ventura County Line (70.9 mile route between Union Station and Montalvo, Ventura)

Los Angeles County Metro Rail

The Los Angeles County Metro Rail is a light rail and subway system that serves primarily Los Angeles and its surrounding cities. There are several routes associated to this system, which follows:

Map of the Metro Rail and Metro Liner system.

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) runs six rail lines throughout Los Angeles County.

  • The Metro A Line (opened in 1990 as the Blue Line) is a light rail line running between 7th Street/Metro Center station in Downtown Los Angeles and Transit Mall station in Downtown Long Beach. It is the first of the MTA's modern rail lines since the 1961 demise of the Pacific Electric Railway's Red Car system.
  • The Metro B Line is a subway line running between Union Station in Downtown Los Angeles and North Hollywood station in North Hollywood. The first leg opened as the Red Line to Westlake / MacArthur Park in 1993, to Hollywood in 1999, and to North Hollywood in 2000.
  • The Metro C Line (opened in 1995 as the Green Line) is a light rail line running between Marine/Redondo station in the South Bay region of Los Angeles and the Norwalk station in Norwalk. The line operates mostly in the median of the Century Freeway (Interstate 105). It offers indirect access to Los Angeles International Airport via a shuttle bus from the Aviation/I-105 station. It is the region's only above-ground light rail line that is completely grade separated.
  • The Metro L Line (opened in 2003 as the Gold Line) is a light rail line that runs between Union Station in Downtown Los Angeles and Sierra Madre Villa station in Pasadena and runs through Highland Park and South Pasadena. Portions run elevated, below ground, in city streets, and in the median of a freeway.
  • The Metro D Line (named the Purple Line in 2006; first leg to Westlake/MacArthur Park opened in 1993; to Koreatown in 1996) is a subway line running between Union Station in Downtown Los Angeles and Wilshire/Western station in the Koreatown neighborhood of Los Angeles Mid-Wilshire district. It was considered a branch of the Red Line prior to 2006.
  • The Metro E Line Line (opened in 2013 as the Expo Line) is a light rail line running between Los Angeles and Santa Monica.

Linking Rail Services

Amtrak California Pacific Surfliner
Main article: Pacific Surfliner

The Pacific Surfliner is a 350-mile (563 km) Amtrak passenger train route serving communities on the coast of Southern California between San Diego and San Luis Obispo.

Amtrak Coast Starlight
Main article: Coast Starlight

The Coast Starlight is a 1,389-mile (2,235 km) passenger train route operated by Amtrak on the West Coast of the United States. It runs from Seattle, Washington's King Street Station to Los Angeles, California's Union Station.

Amtrak Southwest Chief
Main article: Southwest Chief

The Southwest Chief (formerly the Southwest Limited) is a passenger train operated by Amtrak along a 2256-mile (3631-km) route through the Midwestern and Southwestern United States. It runs from Chicago, Illinois, to Los Angeles, California, passing through Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and California.

Amtrak Sunset Limited
Main article: Sunset Limited

The Sunset Limited is a passenger train that for most of its history has run between New Orleans and Los Angeles, California, and that from early 1993 through late August 2005 also ran east of New Orleans to Florida, making it during that time the only true transcontinental passenger train in American history (ignoring, of course, the comparatively small gaps between its endpoint stations and the respective seacoasts).

Amtrak Texas Eagle
Main article: Texas Eagle

The Texas Eagle is a 1306-mile (2102 km) passenger train route operated by Amtrak in the central and western United States. Trains run daily between Chicago, Illinois, and San Antonio, Texas, and continue to Los Angeles, California, 2728 miles (4390 km) total, three days a week (incorporated as part of the Sunset Limited).

Bus

Buses in the Greater Los Angeles is serviced by several governmental entities, mostly notable Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (also known as Metro, MTA or LACMTA), Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA), Riverside Transit Agency, OmniTrans (San Bernardino County), Santa Barbara MTD and South Coast Area Transit (Ventura County).

Road

Public roads

The Greater Los Angeles area operates on a very extensive network of public roadways that allows vehicle drivers convenient direct access to all practical destinations in the area.

Major Freeways leading into and out of Greater Los Angeles Area

Greater Los Angeles Freeways

Air
Main articles: Los Angeles International Airport, LA/Ontario International Airport, John Wayne Airport, and San Bernardino International Airport

The Greater Los Angeles Area is serviced by 4 major airports and several minor airports. Los Angeles International (LAX), while LA/Ontario International and John Wayne Airport serves as overflow to LAX. The region is also serviced by Long Beach Airport, Hollywood Burbank Airport, Palm Springs International Airport, San Bernardino International Airport, and Palmdale Airport.

Ferry

Santa Catalina Island is served by several ferry lines with regular daily service to Newport Beach, San Pedro, Long Beach, Marina del Rey, and Dana Point.

References
  1. "History of Transportation".

See also
  • Transportation of Los Angeles
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