LA area residents, how extensive is your public transportation system?
How far out do the commuter trains and bus lines run?
I’m planning a trip out there within the next year, and would rather not drive or take taxis if I can avoid it.
If you can provide me with a link to route maps and timetables, that would be great. Thanks, and let’s see if you can come through like the San Francisco people did when I asked them a similar question.
The commuter trains run into all the surrounding counties. The metro rail runs through several cities in LA county. The buses run everywhere.
Basically, the rail system is excellent, but very limited. It takes you to a few key places. If you want to see downtown, Hollywood, Universal Studios or Disneyland, you can use the trains. But like I said, the trains don’t go everywhere. For other places (including all of west LA), there are only buses. The bus network is very comprehensive, but the buses are slow.
Here are the relevant websites:
mta.net (LA County metro rail and bus)
metrolinktrains.com (commuter trains to surrounding counties)
amtrak.com (Pacific Surfrliner service from LA to San Diego)
In my opinion, a trip to LA relying on public transportation is very doable if you plan in advance. There is a Flyaway shuttle from the airport to downtown, and most hotels have shuttles also. Once you get downtown (Union Station) you can access all the key places by metro rail.
Raw Video: Deadly LA Commuter Train Wreck
