Metro Rapid

---

title: "Metro Rapid" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["los-angeles-county-metropolitan-transportation-authority", "public-transportation-in-los-angeles", "public-transportation-in-los-angeles-county,-california", "public-transportation-in-the-san-fernando-valley", "bus-rapid-transit-in-california", "2000-establishments-in-california"] description: "Bus service in Los Angeles County, California, US" topic_path: "sports" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metro_Rapid" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Bus service in Los Angeles County, California, US ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox Bus transit"]

Field	Value
name	Metro Rapid
logo_size	168px
image	D13 XN60.jpg
image_size	300px
image_caption	Metro Rapid Line 720 bus on Wilshire Boulevard
locale	Los Angeles County, California
service_type	Limited-stop, with some Bus rapid transit features
routes	3 (as of 2025)
operator	Los Angeles Metro
Big Blue Bus
Culver CityBus
Torrance Transit
website	https://www.metro.net/
commenced	June 24, 2000
::

::callout[type=note] the service in Los Angeles ::

| name = Metro Rapid | logo = | logo_size = 168px | image = D13 XN60.jpg | image_size = 300px | image_caption =Metro Rapid Line 720 bus on Wilshire Boulevard | company_slogan = | parent = | defunct = | headquarters = | locale = Los Angeles County, California | service_area = | service_type = Limited-stop, with some Bus rapid transit features | alliance = | routes =3 (as of 2025) | destinations = | stops = | hubs = | stations = | lounge = | fleet = | ridership = | operator = Los Angeles Metro Big Blue Bus Culver CityBus Torrance Transit | ceo = | leader_type = | leader = | website = https://www.metro.net/ |commenced=June 24, 2000}}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 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.[[File:Wilshire Western 720 stop.jpg|thumb|Metro Rapid stop on Wilshire Blvd from the 2000 pilot program, with amenities including a [[Passenger information system#Real-time arrival prediction systems|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 mi 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

| image1 = Olive St. & Kosciuszko Way- Metro Silver Line 1.JPG | image2 = New Rapid Line 710 Stop.JPG | image3 = LACMTA 5979 740 Vernon & Crenshaw 29-Nov-2019.jpg | total_width = 600 | direction = horizontal | align = right | footer = Bus stops on later Metro Rapid lines, as shown here, often lacked 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#Routes

::data[format=table]

Route	Terminals	via	Days of Operation	Notes
720
Santa Monica
Downtown Santa Monica station	Downtown LA
6th & Central	Wilshire Bl	Daily (Mon-Fri: 4:30a-1a; Sat/Sun: 5a-1a)
Westwood
Wilshire Bl & Westwood Bl
754
East Hollywood
Vermont Ave & Hollywood Bl	Athens
Vermont Ave & 120th St	Vermont Av	Daily (Mon-Fri: 5a-9:30p; Sa: 6a-9:15p; Su: 6a-8:30p)
761
Sylmar
Sylmar/San Fernando station	West LA
Expo/Sepulveda station	Van Nuys Bl, Sepulveda Bl	Daily (6a-9p)
::

Rapid routes operated by other agencies

::data[format=table]

Route	Terminals	via	Days of Operation	Notes
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)
Big Blue Bus Rapid 12	Westwood
UCLA Gateway Plaza	Palms
Overland Ave & 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
LAX/Metro Transit Center	Sepulveda Bl	Weekdays (5:50a-9:57a; 2:20p-7:35p)
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)
::

Former routes

::data[format=table]

Route	Terminals	via	Notes/History
704	Santa Monica
Ocean Ave & Arizona Ave	Downtown LA
Union Station	Santa Monica Bl
705	West Hollywood
West Hollywood Library	Vernon
Vernon Ave & Santa Fe Ave	La Cienega Bl, Vernon Av
710	Koreatown, Los Angeles
Wilshire/Western Station	Redondo Beach
South Bay Galleria	Crenshaw Bl
711	Inglewood
Inglewood Transit Center	Bell Gardens
Florence Ave & Garfield Av	Florence Av
714	Beverly Hills
Santa Monica Bl & Canon Dr	Downtown LA
Grand/LATTC station	Beverly Bl
715	Westchester, Los Angeles
LAX City Bus Center	Downey
Downey Depot Transportation Center	Manchester Bl, Manchester Av, Firestone Bl
Inglewood
Inglewood Transit Center
717	Hollywood
Hollywood/Vine station	Culver City
West Los Angeles Transit Center	Hollywood Bl, Fairfax Av
724	Sylmar, Los Angeles
Sylmar/San Fernando Station	North Hollywood, Los Angeles
North Hollywood station	San Fernando Rd, Lankershim Bl
728	Century City, Los Angeles
Constellation Bl & Century Park W	Downtown LA
Union Station	Olympic Bl
730	Mid-City, Los Angeles
Pico/Rimpau Transit Center	Little Tokyo
Little Tokyo/Arts District station	Pico Bl
733	Santa Monica
2nd St & Santa Monica Bl	Downtown LA
Union Station	Venice Bl
734	Sylmar, Los Angeles
Sylmar/San Fernando station	West LA
Expo/Sepulveda station	Sepulveda Bl
740	Jefferson Park, Los Angeles
Expo/Crenshaw station	Redondo Beach
South Bay Galleria	Crenshaw Bl, Hawthorne Bl
741	Northridge
Reseda Blvd & Devonshire St	Tarzana
Ventura Bl & Reseda Bl	Reseda Bl
744	Pacoima
Van Nuys Bl & Glenoaks Bl	Northridge
Reseda Bl & Devonshire St (weekdays only)	Van Nuys Bl, Ventura Bl, Reseda Bl
Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles
Sherman Oaks Galleria
745	Downtown LA
Union Station	South LA
Harbor Freeway station	Broadway
750	Canoga Park, Los Angeles
Canoga station	Studio City, Los Angeles
Universal City/Studio City station	Ventura Bl
751	Cypress Park, Los Angeles
Ave 28 & Idell St	Huntington Park
Palm Pl & Seville Av	Ave 26, Daly St, Soto St, Pacific Bl
753	Downtown LA
5th St & Beaudry Av	Willowbrook
Willowbrook/Rosa Parks station	Central Av
757	East Hollywood, Los Angeles
Hollywood/Western station	Hawthorne
Crenshaw station	Western Av
760	Downtown LA
5th St & Beaudry Av	Lynwood
Lynwood station	Santa Fe Av, Pacific Bl, Long Beach Bl
762	Pasadena
Fair Oaks Ave & Colorado Bl	Compton
Artesia station	Fair Oaks Av, Atlantic Bl
Lynwood
Imperial Hwy & Atlantic Bl
770	Downtown LA
Broadway & Venice Bl	El Monte
El Monte station	Cesar E. Chavez Av, Garvey Av
780	Pasadena
Pasadena City College	Culver City
West Los Angeles Transit Center	Colorado Bl, Hollywood Bl, Fairfax Av
788	Arleta
Van Nuys Bl & Woodman Av	West LA
Expo/Sepulveda station	Van Nuys Blvd, Interstate 405
794	Sylmar, Los Angeles
Sylmar/San Fernando Station	Downtown LA
Hill St & Venice Bl	San Fernando Rd
920	Santa Monica
Colorado Ave & Ocean Ave	Koreatown, Los Angeles
Wilshire/Vermont station	Wilshire Bl
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
Big Blue Bus Rapid 3	Santa Monica
4th St & Wilshire Bl	Westchester
LAX/Metro Transit Center	Lincoln Bl
Big Blue Bus Rapid 7	Santa Monica
Broadway & 5th St	Koreatown
Wilshire/Western Station	Pico Bl
::

References

References

1. Chiland, Elijah. (2020-02-18). "Metro's bus shakeup will eliminate most rapid lines". Curbed LA.
2. Walker, Jarrett. (2020-02-24). "Los Angeles: The End of the Metro Rapid?". Human Transit.
3. Fried, Ben. (2022-03-09). "Lessons From the Roll-Out of LA Metro's NextGen Bus Network Redesign".
4. (2013). "Examining the Ridership Attraction Potential of Bus Rapid Transit: A Quantitative Analysis of Image and Perception". Journal of Public Transportation.
5. (January 2011). "Recent Developments in Bus Rapid Transit: A Review of the Literature". Transport Reviews.
6. (December 2018). "Choosing the Right Public Transport Solution Based on Performance of Components". Transport (16484142).
7. Transportation Management & Design, Inc.. (March 2002). "Final Report: Los Angeles Metro Rapid Demonstration Program".
8. (2004). "Running on empty: Transport, social exclusion and environmental justice". Bristol University Press.
9. (2001). "2001 Long Range Transportation Plan for Los Angeles County". Los Angeles Metro.
10. (August 2003). "Metro Bus and Rail System Map". Los Angeles Metro.
11. (June 2010). "Bus and Rail System". Los Angeles Metro.
12. (2010-11-29). "Cash-Strapped MTA To Cut Bus Lines, Trim Service". CBS Los Angeles.
13. Hymon, Steve. (2020-11-24). "Service changes coming to Metro Bus system on Dec. 13 including more frequent buses". Metro.
14. Lipmen, Eli. (2023-10-02). "LA is (Not-So) Quietly Adding a LOT of Bus Lanes".
15. Walker, Jarrett. (2009-06-19). "When Expansion is Dilution". Human Transit.
16. (December 10, 2023). "Line 720".
17. (December 10, 2023). "Line 754".
18. (December 10, 2023). "Line 761".
19. "Archived copy".
20. "Line 704 Route Map".
21. "New Metro Rapid, Rapid Express Lines Among Service Changes". LACMTA.
22. "L.A. Metro to Add More Bus Trips and Implement other Service Enhancements Effective Sunday, September 12". LACMTA.
23. "Line 705 route map".
24. "Route Map : 710".
25. "Route Map : 711".
26. "Route Map : 714".
27. "Route Map: 728".
28. (2018-12-16). "Route Map: 733".
29. "Route Map : 734".
30. "Route Map : 740".
31. "Route Map : 741".
32. "Route Map : 744".
33. "Route Map : 745 (12/15/19)".
34. "Route Map : 750".
35. "Route Map : 751".
36. "Route Map : 757".
37. "Route Map : 760".
38. "Route Map : 762".
39. "Route Map : 770".
40. "Route Map : 780".
41. "Route Map : 788".
42. "Route Map : 794".
43. "Route Map : 920".
44. "Route Map : 940".
45. (June 12, 2016). "Big Blue Bus Rapid 3 Schedule".
46. "LAX/Metro Transit Center".

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::