Los Angeles Official Visitor Guide 2008 - (Page 94) T R A N S P O RTAT I O N LA’s Public Offering: Photos (clockwise from left): Union Station; Metro subway station; FlyAway bus at Union Station ©LA INC./John Paul Iacoangelo, iStockphoto.com/P_Wei, LAWA The Transit System 5 a.m. to 1 a.m. and every hour from 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. from Bay 9 of the Patsaouras Transit Plaza, adjacent to Union Station in Downtown LA. The cost is a very affordable $4. Tickets can be purchased from the FlyAway kiosk in the Patsaouras terminal. The FlyAway service also includes the San Fernando Valley, with service between the Van Nuys private aviation airport and LAX, 24 hours a day, with 30-minute departures between 4:45 a.m. and 11:30 p.m., and hourly service from midnight to 4:30 a.m. Based on the success of these two routes, LAWA recently added FlyAway service to Westwood, with a drop-off and pick-up location on Kinross Avenue, two blocks west of Westwood Boulevard. Parking is available in UCLA Parking Structure 32 near the FlyAway bus stop. Once you’re in town, you can make quick work of LA by hopping on any one of the six color-coded transit lines that make up the Metro Rail System. The Metro Blue Line runs north and south between Long Beach and Downtown Los Angeles. The Metro Green Line runs east and west between Norwalk and Redondo Beach, curving south near LAX. The Metro Red Line subway meets the Blue Line in Los Angeles and provides service through Downtown, the Mid-Wilshire area, Hollywood and the San Fernando Valley, where it meets the Metro Orange Line transitway, which boasts the longest bus in the United States — a 65-foot bus holding 100 passengers. The Metro Purple Line runs between Union Station and Wilshire Boulevard and Western Avenue. The Metro Gold Line connects to the Red Line at Union Station and runs northeast to Pasadena. You can enjoy unlimited access to the rail lines by purchasing a $5 day pass, which includes all Metro bus routes as well as the Metro Rapid Lines and DASH routes. It’s a cost-effective and hassle-free way to see the sights and get from one exciting area of LA to another. One of LA’s best-kept secrets is the efficiency and success of its public transportation system. Getting around on the subway, light-rail and bus lines is a unique adventure, and it’s a great way to get to know the city. You’ll also be doing your part to make LA an eco-friendly city. The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority — Metro as it’s known locally — operates subway trains, light-rail, buses and shuttles to just about every corner of the Greater Los Angeles area, moving thousands of people to their destinations in an efficient, environmentally conscious and gridlock-relieving schedule of regular routes. The system covers a staggering 1,433 square miles with more than 190 individual bus routes and six rail lines, including both subway and light-rail trains. Each year, Metro accommodates more than 400 million boardings with an operating budget of more than $3 billion, making it one of the largest public transit systems in the United States. One of the biggest concerns for people using public transportation during their LA visit is getting to and from LAX. Fortunately, Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) has created the FlyAway Bus Service, which is perfect for visitors flying into Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). Its 24-hour schedule makes airport transfers a breeze with buses leaving every 30 minutes from 94 For more information about public transit in LA, visit our Web site at www.discoverLosAngeles.com.
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