 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 service was 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.[1]
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.[2]
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.[3]
- ^ Chiland, Elijah (February 18, 2020). "Metro's bus shakeup will eliminate most rapid lines". Curbed LA. Retrieved 2024-05-10.
- ^ Walker, Jarrett (February 24, 2020). "Los Angeles: The End of the Metro Rapid?". Human Transit. Retrieved 2024-05-10.
- ^ Fried, Ben (March 9, 2022). "Lessons From the Roll-Out of LA Metro's NextGen Bus Network Redesign". TransitCenter. Retrieved 2024-05-10.