Metro Rapid

Metro Rapid

Metro Rapid Line 761 bus in Westwood, headed north to Sylmar Station
Commenced operation	June 24, 2000
Locale	Los Angeles County, California
Service type	Limited-stop, with some bus rapid transit features
Routes	3 (as of 2024)
Operator	Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) Big Blue Bus Culver CityBus Torrance Transit
Website	https://www.metro.net/

Metro Rapid is a bus service in Los Angeles County, California, operated as part of the Los Angeles Metro Bus system. Metro Rapid routes, which feature characteristics of bus rapid transit were introduced in the early 2000s to provide faster service on major corridors in Los Angeles, with stops spaced approximately 1⁄2 mile (800 m) apart.

The first Metro Rapid lines featured physical infrastructure improvements, including signal priority at intersections in the City of Los Angeles, and enhanced bus shelters. The service was initially popular, expanding across Los Angeles County. Despite the service's initial popularity, service was cut on some major corridors in response to budget difficulties in the early 2010s.

A major reorganization of the Metro Bus network, the NextGen Bus Plan, was proposed in 2019. Much of the Metro Rapid network was suspended in 2020, as part of the broader impacts on transit from the COVID-19 pandemic, and most Rapid lines were not reinstated. The changes from the NextGen plan, implemented beginning in 2021, merged most Rapid lines back into their local counterparts.

Service

Metro Rapid service is a limited-stop bus service, with characteristics of bus rapid transit. These characteristics include off-board fare payment on some lines, enhanced bus stops that are spaced farther apart than corresponding local services, and signal priority at some intersections.

The lack of dedicated bus lanes for Metro Rapid service has led scholars to describe it as "BRT-lite," as opposed to "bus rapid transit" or "full-service bus rapid transit."

History

A delegation from the Los Angeles city government, including Mayor Richard Riordan, visited the Brazilian city of Curitiba in early 1999. The civic leaders were impressed by Curitiba's comprehensive bus rapid transit system, the Rede Integrada de Transporte, and sought to replicate it. By the summer of 1999, planning was underway for a pilot program of bus rapid transit service on two corridors: Wilshire Blvd/Whittier Blvd and Ventura Blvd.

The establishment of Metro Rapid service followed a 1996 consent decree, the product of a federal lawsuit brought by a coalition of civil rights organizations, including the Bus Riders Union. The plaintiffs in the lawsuit argued that Metro's large subsidies for rail construction and operation, relative to its expenditures for bus service, were discriminatory. Metro Rapid service was one part of Metro's proposals to improve bus service, approved by special master Donald T. Bliss. In addition to introducing Metro Rapid service, Metro expanded local and express bus service, purchased hundreds of new buses, and lowered bus pass prices.

Metro Rapid stop on Wilshire Blvd from the 2000 pilot program, with amenities including a real-time arrivals display

Metro Rapid service on the two pilot corridors began in June 2000, opening on the same day as the Red Line extension to North Hollywood. Both lines were immediately popular, generating ridership growth of 25% in their first 90 days of operation. Travel time was improved by over 20% on both lines, aided by the signal priority at intersections in the City of Los Angeles. Customer satisfaction increased relative to the previous local and limited-stop bus services, and the Rapid service quickly captured over 60% of bus ridership on both corridors.

Following the initial pilot program of two lines in 2000, the Metro Rapid system expanded quickly. 6 lines were in operation in 2003, expanding to 26 lines in 2010. This rapid expansion was followed by significant reduction, with 5 Rapid lines cut in 2011 due to a budget crisis.

The NextGen Bus Plan, a Metro initiative to redesign its entire bus network, proposed to eliminate most of the Metro Rapid network beginning in 2020. Implementation of the NextGen plan was interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, which caused service cuts independent of the network redesign. In the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, beginning in late 2020, service was reallocated from Metro Rapid lines to local lines. A December 2020 service change eliminated 6 lines, and much of the rest of the network was proposed to be eliminated by 2021. The NextGen plan included the construction of over 30 miles (48 km) of new bus lanes across Los Angeles, a feature notably absent from the Metro Rapid system since its introduction.

As of 2024, three Metro Rapid lines remain in operation, serving the Wilshire Blvd, Vermont Av, and Van Nuys Blvd/Sepulveda Pass corridors.

Perception and criticism

A 2009 study by the National Bus Rapid Transit Institute found that the public perception of Metro Rapid service was better than that of Metro's corresponding local bus services, and similar to the Blue Line. However, Metro Rapid service was perceived as lower-quality than Orange Line BRT and Metro's other rail services.

This 2012-era Metro Rapid stop at Expo/Crenshaw station features no amenities

Transit planner Jarrett Walker, who is unaffiliated with Metro, criticized the rapid growth of the Metro Rapid service on multiple occasions. Walker characterized the system as "diluted," commenting that Metro Rapid lines introduced after the first two lacked the bus stop amenities, service frequency, and signal priority that defined the two initial lines. Walker nonetheless praised the system for the attitude it represented, describing it as "a remarkable effort to step up mobility all over the city in a very short time."

Routes

Current Metro Rapid routes

Main article: Los Angeles Metro Bus

Route	Terminals		via	Days of Operation	Notes
720	Santa Monica Downtown Santa Monica station	Downtown LA 6th & Central	Wilshire Bl	Daily (M-F: 4:30a-1:00a; Sa/Su: 5:00a-1:00a)	Service began June 2000, part of the initial pilot program Operates alongside Line 20
	Westwood Wilshire Bl & Westwood Bl
754	East Hollywood Vermont Av & Hollywood Bl	Athens Vermont Av & 120th St	Vermont Av	Daily (M-F: 5:00a-9:30p; Sa: 6:00a-9:15p; Su: 6:00a-8:30p)	Service began December 2002 Operates alongside Line 204
761	Sylmar Sylmar/San Fernando station	West LA Expo/Sepulveda station	Van Nuys Bl, Sepulveda Bl	Daily (Northbound: 5:30a-9:45p; Southbound: 4:00a-7:45p)	Operates alongside Line 233. Returned service in June 2021 due to the NextGen Bus Plan, with modifications

Rapid routes operated by other agencies

Route	Terminals		via	Days of Operation	Notes
Big Blue Bus Rapid 3	Santa Monica 4th St & Wilshire Bl	Westchester Aviation/LAX station	Lincoln Bl	Weekday peak hours (6a-9a, 1p-7p)	Operates alongside Big Blue Bus Line 3
Big Blue Bus Rapid 7	Santa Monica Broadway & 5th St	Koreatown Wilshire/Western Station	Pico Bl	Weekdays (6a-7:30p)	Operates alongside Big Blue Bus Line 7 and Express 7
Big Blue Bus Rapid 10	Santa Monica 2nd St & Colorado Av	Downtown LA Main St & Alameda St	Santa Monica Bl, Bundy Dr, I-10, Grand Av/Olive St, Figueroa St/Flower St, Temple St	Weekday peak hours (6a-8:15a, 3:30p-6:15p)	Branded as a Rapid route, but is primarily a freeway express route Operates into Downtown LA in the AM rush and into Downtown Santa Monica in the PM rush
Big Blue Bus Rapid 12	Westwood UCLA Gateway Plaza	Palms Overland Av & Venice Bl	Westwood Bl, Overland Av	Daily (M-F: 5:30a-11:00p; Sa/Su: 6:30a-11:00p)
Culver CityBus Rapid 6	Westwood UCLA Gateway Plaza	Westchester Aviation/LAX Station	Sepulveda Bl	Weekdays (5:50a-9:57a; 2:20p-7:35p)	Operates alongside Culver CityBus Line 6
Torrance Transit Rapid 3	Torrance Mary K. Giordano Regional Transit Center	Long Beach Downtown Long Beach Station	Carson St, Avalon Bl, Pacific Coast Hwy	Weekdays (6:05a-10:20a; 2:15p-7:40p)	Originally operated alongside Torrance Transit Line 3

Former routes

Route	Terminals		via	Notes/History
704	Santa Monica 2nd St & Santa Monica Blvd	Downtown LA Union Station	Santa Monica Blvd	Service began June 2007, replaced Line 304 and operated alongside Line 4 Discontinued in September 2021, as part of Phase 2.5 of the NextGen Bus Plan
705	West Hollywood West Hollywood Library	Vernon Vernon Av & Santa Fe Av	La Cienega Bl, Vernon Av	Service began June 2004 and operated alongside Line 105. Discontinued in December 2020 as part of a restructuring for NextGen Bus Plan.
710	Koreatown, Los Angeles Wilshire/Western Station	Redondo Beach South Bay Galleria	Crenshaw Bl	Service began February 2004, replaced Line 310 and operated alongside Line 210. Saturday service was added to Line 710 in June 2006 until it was discontinued in April 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Used to run as far as Hollywood/Vine Station via Vine Bl until it was shortened to Wilshire/Western Station in June 2007. Discontinued in December 2020 as part of a restructuring for NextGen Bus Plan.
711	Inglewood Inglewood Transit Center	Bell Gardens Florence Av & Garfield Av	Florence Av	Began service on June 29, 2003, to replace the Local Limited Line 311. Reverted to Limited Line 311 in December 2010, and Line 311 was once again cancelled in June 2016.
714	Beverly Hills Santa Monica Bl & Canon Dr	Grand/LATTC Station	Beverly Bl	Originally operated daily before the service cut to only on weekday peak hours. Discontinued in December 2010 due to low ridership.
715	Westchester, Los Angeles LAX City Bus Center	Downey Downey Depot Transportation Center	Manchester Bl, Manchester Av, Firestone Bl	Began service in June 2008, replaced the Local Limited Line 315 for weekday services. Originally ended at South Gate at Firestone/Atlantic until it was extended to City of Downey in December 2008. Discontinued in December 2010 due to low ridership.
	Inglewood Inglewood Transit Center
717	Hollywood Hollywood/Vine station	Culver City West Los Angeles Transit Center	Hollywood Bl, Fairfax Av	Began operating in June 2005, replacing the Local Limited Line 317, which began in December 2004. Merged with Line 780 in June 2006
724	Sylmar, Los Angeles Sylmar/San Fernando Station	North Hollywood, Los Angeles North Hollywood station	San Fernando Rd, Lankershim Bl	Began service in June 2008, and operated alongside Metro Line 224 Discontinued in June 2009 due to low ridership [1] Line 724 deviation on San Fernando Rd was replaced by an extension of Line 794.
728	Century City, Los Angeles Constellation Bl & Century Park W	Downtown LA Union Station	Olympic Bl	Began December 2007, replaced Line 328 and operates alongside Line 28. Discontinued in December 2020 as part of a restructuring for NextGen Bus Plan.
730	Mid-City, Los Angeles Pico/Rimpau Transit Center	Little Tokyo Little Tokyo/Arts District station	Pico Bl	Began operating in June 2008, replaced Local Limited Line 330. Originally ran into Union Station until it was relocated to Little Tokyo/Arts District Station in June 2009. Reverted to Line 330 in June 2012, and Line 330 was cancelled once again in December 2020.
733	Santa Monica 2nd St & Santa Monica Blvd	Downtown LA Union Station	Venice Blvd	Began June 2010, replaced Line 333 and operated alongside Line 33 Discontinued in September 2021, due to Phase 2.5 of the NextGen Bus Plan
734	Sylmar, Los Angeles Sylmar/San Fernando station	West LA Expo/Sepulveda station	Sepulveda Bl	Began June 2006, operated alongside Line 234 (which replaced service everyday during late evenings and early mornings and all day on weekends). Discontinued in June 27, 2021 due to the 2nd phase of NextGen Bus Plan. Service between Ventura Bl and Sylmar Station is replaced by a higher frequency Line 234. Service south of Ventura Bl is replaced by Line 761.
740	Jefferson Park, Los Angeles Expo/Crenshaw station	Redondo Beach South Bay Galleria	Crenshaw Bl, Hawthorne Bl	Began December 2004, replaced Line 340 and operated alongside Line 40. Originally ran into Union Station via Martin Luther King Bl and Broadway until it was relocated to Expo/Crenshaw Station in June 2012. Discontinued in December 2020 as part of a restructuring for NextGen Bus Plan.
741	Northridge Reseda Blvd & Devonshire St	Tarzana Ventura Bl & Reseda Bl	Reseda Bl	Began operating in December 2006. Was one of the shortest Rapid Lines in the system. Replaced by Line 744 in December 2014.
744	Pacoima Van Nuys Bl & Glenoaks Bl	Northridge Reseda Bl & Devonshire St (weekdays only)	Van Nuys Bl, Ventura Bl, Reseda Bl	Began December 2014, replaced Lines 741 and 761. It operated alongside Lines 233 and 240 This line and Line 788 were the last Rapid Lines ever released as a new number line. Discontinued in June 27, 2021 due to the 2nd phase of NextGen Bus Plan. Service west on Ventura and Sepulveda Bls was replaced by a higher frequency of Line 240. Service on Van Nuys Bls was reverted to Line 761 except the northern terminal was relocated to Sylmar instead of Pacioma.
		Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles Sherman Oaks Galleria
745	Downtown LA Union Station	South LA Harbor Freeway station	Broadway	Began December 2002, replaced Line 345 and operated alongside Line 45. Discontinued in December 2020 as part of a restructuring for NextGen Bus Plan.
750	Canoga Park, Los Angeles Canoga station	Studio City, Los Angeles Universal City/Studio City station	Ventura Bl	Began June 2000, one of the two original routes, operated alongside Line 150 Originally operated daily until it was reduced to a weekday-only route in December 2010. Discontinued in June 27, 2021 due to the 2nd phase of NextGen Bus Plan. Replaced by a higher frequency of Line 150 west of Reseda Bl and higher frequency of Line 240 east of Reseda Bl.
751	Cypress Park, Los Angeles Av 28 & Idell St	Huntington Park Palm Pl & Seville Av	Av 26, Daly St, Soto St	Began June 2004, replaced Line 350 and operated alongside Line 251. Originally ran far to Long Beach Bl Station on weekdays only until it was shortened to its present terminal in June 2007 to lower the overlap for Line 760. Originally had a Saturday service until it was discontinued in June 2011 due to low ridership. Discontinued in December 2020 as part of a restructuring for NextGen Bus Plan.
753	Downtown LA 5th St & Beaudry Av	Willowbrook Willowbrook/Rosa Parks station	Central Av	Began operating in June 2008, replaced Local Limited Line 350. Discontinued in December 2010 due to low ridership.
757	East Hollywood, Los Angeles Hollywood/Western station	Hawthorne Crenshaw station	Western Av	Began December 2005, replaced Line 357 and operated alongside Line 207 Originally operated 7 days a week until its weekend service was discontinued in June 2011 due to lack of time travel savings.[2] Discontinued in June 27, 2021 due to the 2nd phase of NextGen Bus Plan. Replaced by a higher frequency of Line 207.
760	Downtown LA 5th St & Beaudry Av	Lynwood Long Beach Boulevard station	Santa Fe Av, Pacific Bl, Long Beach Bl	Began June 2007, replaced Line 360 and operated alongside Line 60. Used to run as far south to Artesia Station and operated daily until it was shortened to its present terminal and discontinued its Sunday service in June 2011 due to lack of time travel savings. Discontinued in December 2020 as part of a restructuring for NextGen Bus Plan.
762	Pasadena Fair Oaks Av & Colorado Bl	Compton Artesia station	Fair Oaks Av, Atlantic Bl	Began June 2008, replaced Line 361 and operated alongside Line 260. Originally had a Saturday service until it was discontinued in December 2010 due to low ridership. Discontinued in December 2020 as part of a restructuring for NextGen Bus Plan.
		Lynwood Imperial Hwy & Atlantic Bl
770	Downtown LA Broadway & Venice Bl	El Monte El Monte Station	Cesar E. Chavez Av, Garvey Av	Began December 2007, replaced Lines 368 and 370 and operated alongside Lines 68 and 70 Saturday service was added in June 2008 until was it was discontinued in April 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Discontinued in June 27, 2021 due to the 2nd phase of NextGen Bus Plan. Replaced by a higher frequency of the newly rerouted Line 70 which now follows the path of the former Line 770.
780	Pasadena Pasadena City College	Culver City West Los Angeles Transit Center	Colorado Bl, Hollywood Bl, Fairfax Av	Began operating in December 2004 Replaced 380 in June 2005 to have a western terminus at Hollywood/Highland Station and combined it with the 717 in June 2006 to extend to its current western terminus at West Los Angeles Transit Center. Weekend service was added between Pasadena and Hollywood in June 2008, until it was discontinued in December 2010 due to low ridership. Operated alongside Lines 180, 181 and 217 Discontinued in June 27, 2021 due to the 2nd phase of NextGen Bus Plan. Replaced by a higher frequency of the newly rerouted Line 180 from Hollywood/Vine to Pasadena City College, and a higher frequency of Line 217 which is now extended east to Vermont/Sunset Station.
788	Arleta Van Nuys Bl & Woodman Av	West LA Expo/Sepulveda station	Van Nuys Blvd, Interstate 405	Began December 2014 Closed-door along the San Fernando Valley for northbound service and Westwood for southbound service. Also known as "Valley - Westside Express" Was the only Rapid-Express Line that ever ran on a freeway. This Line and Line 744 were the last Rapid Lines ever released as a new number line. Was suspended in June 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic until it was discontinued permanently in June 2021 due to the NextGen Bus Plan. Alternatives to this line include the resurrected Line 761 on Van Nuys and Sepulveda Bls from Arleta to West LA.
794	Sylmar, Los Angeles Sylmar/San Fernando Station	Downtown LA Hill St & Venice Bl	San Fernando Rd	Began June 2008, replaced Line 394 and operated alongside Lines 94 and 224 Was extended to Sylmar Station in June 2009 replacing Line 724 segment on San Fernando Rd and weekend service was added. Weekend service was discontinued in June 2012 due to a lack of travel time savings. Discontinued in June 27, 2021 due to the 2nd phase of NextGen Bus Plan. Replaced by a higher frequency of Line 94 from Burbank to Downtown LA, and a new Line 294 from Burbank to Sylmar.
920	Santa Monica Colorado Av & Ocean Av	Koreatown, Los Angeles Wilshire/Vermont station	Wilshire Bl	Began operating in June 2007 Former Rapid Express Line Operated during weekday peak hours Discontinued in December 2010 due to low ridership, although riders have advocated improvements, during the service's short life
	Westwood, Los Angeles Wilshire Bl & Westwood Bl
940	Downtown LA Union Station	Torrance Del Amo Fashion Center	Martin Luther King Jr. Bl, Crenshaw Bl, La Brea Av, Hawthorne Bl	Began operating in June 2007 Former Rapid Express Line Operated during weekday peak hours in peak directions Discontinued in June 2008 due to low ridership, although riders have advocated improvements [3], during the service's short life

External links

• Metro Rapid Homepage

Further reading

• Tong, Jeremy (2022). Metro Local Versus Metro Rapid Bus Service: An Analysis of Performance on Western Avenue and Vermont Avenue (Master's thesis). California State Polytechnic University, Pomona.