Jump to content

Transportation in Greater Los Angeles

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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

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.

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.

Airports

[edit]
An aerial view of Los Angeles International Airport, 2014

Greater Los Angeles has five airports served by commercial airlines. In addition to these airports, there are many general aviation airports in the region.

Public transportation

[edit]

Rail

[edit]

Local

[edit]
[edit]
Map of the Metrolink system

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

Los Angeles Metro Rail
[edit]
Map of the Metro Rail and Metro Busway system

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

Long-distance and intercity rail

[edit]
  • A passenger train route operated by Amtrak that normally connects Chicago Union Station with San Antonio station in San Antonio, Texas. Three times per week, the Texas Eagle joins the Sunset Limited in San Antonio and continues west to Los Angeles.

Bus

[edit]

Buses in Greater Los Angeles are provided by several governmental entities, including Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA), Riverside Transit Agency, Omnitrans (San Bernardino County), and Gold Coast Transit (Ventura County).

Roads

[edit]

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

[edit]

Greater Los Angeles Freeways

[edit]

Ferry

[edit]

Santa Catalina Island is served by Catalina Express and other ferry lines with regular daily service to Newport Beach, San Pedro, Long Beach, Marina del Rey, and Dana Point. Ferries typically stop at either one of the two communities on the island, Avalon or Two Harbors.

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "History of Transportation".
[edit]
Official web sites