2025 is going to be an exciting year for public transit riders in Los Angeles. Over the last three years, LA Metro has noticeably improved its rail lines. While I’ve been enjoying these changes in Downtown LA, one of the most Metro-accessible parts of the city, I often wonder if these improvements will truly shift commuting habits across the LA Basin.
It’s worth mentioning that Los Angeles has an expansive bus system. In this column, however, I’ll be focusing on rail-based transit.
What’s Coming in 2025
According to current plans, in the next year, we’ll be able to take Metro Rail directly to and from the airport using the C and K lines, which will hopefully alleviate the often mind-numbing commute to and from LAX. Soon enough, an Automated People Mover will connect the LAX stop to the airport itself, allowing commuters to get directly to their terminals without the use of cars or buses.
Another A Line (Blue) extension is on track to open next year too. Soon, the A Line will go all the way from Long Beach to Pomona. Additional extensions are scheduled for future years.
The expansion I’ve been looking forward to the longest is the D Line (Purple) extension through Miracle Mile. For context, Miracle Mile to DTLA is only a 7-mile commute, but depending on the time of day, this can vary from 20 minutes to over an hour in a car. Since we moved downtown, I’ve found it much harder to justify going back to Miracle Mile; with the D Line extension opening in 2025, I’ll be making my way there on the train quite often. Had this extension been completed two decades ago, I would have grown up with walkable access to a subway system.
In addition to the D Line extension to Miracle Mile, the B (Red) and D (Purple) are getting brand new trains. Beginning operation at the end of 2024, the new HR4000 trains are bringing a much needed upgrade to the subway experience in LA. These trains are being added incrementally, so in order to check whether or not the new trains are running, I use Pantograph.
Will these Improvements be Enough to Convince Angelenos to Ride the Metro?
The commuter culture of Los Angeles is the result of the great automobile experiment, one that had dire consequences. The city was one of the first in the nation to commit to the freeway system, and at the cost of historic, predominantly black and brown neighborhoods, giant concrete arteries were installed across the Los Angeles Basin. On top of demolishing communities and greenspaces in favor of parking lots, gas stations, and freeways, our city’s commitment to fossil fuels has put us in quite a predicament when it comes to adapting to the climate crisis.
As of the 2020 census, the City of Los Angeles is home to 3.8 million people (Census.gov) and Los Angeles County is home to just over 10 million people (Census.gov). According to the DMV, in 2019, there were 6.5 million automobiles registered in LA County. That’s about 2 cars for every 3 people in LA County.
To put it simply, the average Angeleno drives a car to get where they’re going. And usually, they’re going quite far. According to a 2010 research project, “The average commuting distance to and from work for an L.A. citizen is over 30 miles and 79% of those trips are by car alone.”
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, a typical passenger vehicle emits about 4.6 metric tons of carbon dioxide per year. Additionally, the production of the vehicles themselves also has a carbon footprint. With that in mind, it’s important to prioritize other modes of transportation, and especially those that can carry large amounts of passengers at one time.
So what’s the attitude towards public transit in Los Angeles? Depending on who you’re talking to, it can vary. If you ask someone why they don’t take the Metro, you can expect a number of responses:
“I don’t live near any Metro Lines.”
“It’s faster for me to drive.”
“It’s dangerous.”
“It’s dirty.”
These answers can be rooted in both truth and misconceptions. It can sometimes feel like the average Angeleno has an antiquated view on the Metro Rail system; One of the easiest ways to tell is whether or not they still refer to the A line as the “gold line,” a relic from its original route and name.
Many of the blanket responses can be given by Angelenos who haven’t been on a train in years, but I’d be lying if I said I haven’t seen some unfortunate sights on the trains.
So how did we get here? Was LA’s public transit always half-baked?
The Pacific Electric Red Car System
It makes sense to compare LA’s current Metro system to the public transit systems of other cities like Chicago and New York (I even did it in a previous column), but it’s important to understand the history of the Pacific Electric rail system (known as the Red Car), a rail-based transit system that was at one point the most expansive rail system in the United States.
Here’s a map of what the Red Car system looked like at its most expansive (created by jkan997, a ShareMap user)
While it’s popular to attribute the failure of the Red Car system to the Auto Lobby, one of the biggest reasons the Red Car system failed is the post-WWII popularity and growing affordability of automobiles and gasoline. On top of its fares not being able to cover the expansive system, Pacific Electric simply couldn’t compete with new, federally-funded highways. For a fantastical, alternate history of the Red Car’s fate, I recommend viewing Who Framed Roger Rabbit?. Additionally, check out PBS SoCal’s video on the topic. There are still remnants of the Red Car system tracks across LA County.
After its complete removal in 1961, the first LA Metro Rail line wasn’t installed until 1990, then the gold line, now the A (Blue) line. Long story short: our current Metro Rail system is making up for a lot of lost progress.
What Needs to Change?
While these recent and upcoming improvements to LA Metro are exciting, a number of changes still need to occur to get riders on these trains.
This is a bit of a chicken-and-egg situation. First and foremost, more people need to take public transit. As ridership numbers continue to rise, there will be a greater incentive to continue to expand the lines, and there will be a higher level of accountability for the cleanliness and safety of the trains.
Regardless of the actual danger, public perception of transit safety needs to change. Currently, many of the people who take public transit have to, which makes perfect sense. If you have the convenience of a car, why would you take a train? But, commuters who predominantly use cars need to begin to shift their commutes toward public transit. I imagine this in a similar way to the idea of a “meatless Monday,” where one’s transition away from a car commute can be gradual.
Another complicated factor that’s important to account for is commuters and their cost of living. It’s common for Angelenos to live far from where they work, and to use our public transit most effectively, it’s best to live close to a rail line. Unfortunately, many areas aren’t near a rail line, and those that are can be expensive. It’s far cheaper to drive an hour to Santa Monica for work instead of living and working in Santa Monica.
My mom’s old commute is an excellent example. For her to get from Miracle Mile to Altadena, she’d take the 720 bus to the D (Purple) line, transfer at Union Station to the A (Blue) line, then transfer to another bus in Pasadena to get to work. That commute took up to two hours each way.
So, how can this be remedied? To start, we need more high-density, affordable housing near current Metro stops. This will incentivize more commuters to move closer to rail lines, and will also incentivize more businesses to open nearby.
Why I’m Optimistic
In my lifetime, there have been an impressive number of additions to this system. When I was a kid, it wasn’t possible to get to the beach on a rail line, downtown lacked the regional connector stops, and the K line through Inglewood didn’t exist. Now, LA is home to the longest light rail route on the planet, the A Line.
I’m also optimistic because I’ve come a long way as a commuter. Although I’m writing this column about public transit, I love my car, I love driving, and I’ve just recently started to come to terms with my addiction to the automobile. While I don’t have to commute to work, I have a long way to go if I want to fully remove gas-powered commutes from my life. If I’ve been able to adapt these parts of my lifestyle to public transit and get excited about its improvements, anyone can.
The recent Dodger World Series parade in downtown was an incredible look at what the future of LA’s commuter traffic can be. Thousands of people came downtown, many of them on the trains. It was the first time I’ve seen our block busy, and I hope that trend continues!
The Metro system isn’t perfect, but it’s moving in a direction that’s worth being excited about. It’s especially worth trying, even if it’s just for fun.
With fun in mind, here are some of my favorite Metro stops in Los Angeles as of February, 2025. Note, some A and E stops overlap, and some B and D stops overlap! Additionally, the A, B, D, and E lines all connect at the 7th and Metro stop in downtown!
A Line
Pasadena (multiple stops): The ride from Union Station to Pasadena is arguably the most beautiful light rail ride in LA County. The Arroyo Seco is in full display as you pass through some of the greenest sections of the city.
Highland Park: While I often criticize Highland Park’s rapid gentrification, it’s undoubtedly one of the most interesting and walkable places to hop off of the A Line and grab a bite to eat.
Chinatown: The Chinatown stop is not only beautiful, it’s also a quick walk from some incredible food, historic sights, and my favorite park in Los Angeles, LA State Historic Park.
Union Station: LA’s central rail hub. Not only is it beautiful, it connects to a number of state-wide trains like the famous Surfliner and Metrolink. It’s also across the street from a number of historic sites.
Watts Towers: One of the most unique art pieces in LA County is Watts Towers, which conveniently has its own stop.
Long Beach: While the ride down to downtown Long Beach is often over an hour, it truly beats the drive during rush hour!
B Line
Vermont/Sunset: A great stop for exploring Los Feliz (locally pronounced “Los Feel-is”) and visiting Barnsdall Art Park.
Hollywood/Highland: While not my favorite area due to crowds and tourists, this stop is my favorite way to get to the Hollywood Bowl for concerts, see a 70mm film at the Chinese Theater, and avoid having to park in Hollywood.
Universal City: The best way to transfer to buses in the Valley, and a convenient way to get to Universal Studios and Universal CityWalk.
C Line
Willowbrook/Rosa Parks: The transfer point for the A and C lines!
Aviation/LAX: Currently the closest stop for the airport.
D Line
Civic Center/Grand Park: Take a walk through Grand Park and visit City Hall’s observation deck to get a great view of Los Angeles!
Wilshire/Normandie: Right next to BCD Tofu house and central in Koreatown. (metro food list anyone?)
Wilshire/Western: Another great way to get to Koreatown and right across the street from the Wiltern, a famous music venue.
E Line
Mariachi Plaza: One of the most historic plazas in East LA has its own Metro stop! Listen to some mariachi and eat at delicious restaurants right off of the train.
Little Tokyo: One of the newest stops in Downtown is in Little Tokyo; there’s so much to see and do just a couple of blocks in every direction! You can also transfer to the A Line here.
7th & Metro: Need to connect to the A, B, and D lines? 7th and Metro is the place to go. Additionally, it’s right below the Alamo Drafthouse movie theater in Downtown LA.
Exposition Park/USC: Check out the Natural History Museum, Science Center, California African American Museum, the Rose Garden, BMO Stadium, and the Coliseum all from this one stop!
Culver City: Culver City used to be a bumper-to-bumper traffic nightmare that interrupted a good beach day. Now, it’s transitioning to a walkable hub for public transit!
Santa Monica: One of the quintessential stops for all things beach tourism in LA. Want to see places like Venice Beach and the Santa Monica pier? This is your stop.
K Line
Crenshaw: Not only does this stop transfer from the E Line, it’s a quick walk from Earle’s, one of the best vegan friendly restaurants in LA, and one of the best places to get a Jamaican patty in the city!
Martin Luther King Jr: Located on the same block as the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Mall, which is home to one of the only Cinemark theaters in LA.
Leimert Park: Known for its historic and culturally iconic markets, Leimert Park has a ton of options for outdoor experiences!
Downtown Inglewood: A convenient stop to explore Inglewood, and located just a couple blocks away from a skateboarding/bmx pump track and a great park!
Aviation/LAX: Currently the closest stop for the airport.
Redondo Beach: The furthest into the South Bay you can currently ride on the rail system.
Here’s a new goal for you: get on the nearest bus, subway, or light rail and go on an adventure!
If you’re looking to change your own commuting habits, even if you’re not here in LA, I’d highly recommend toggling on the “transit” option on Google Maps, which allows you to see rail lines on your map.
About the Author
Stevie Gray
Born and raised in Miracle Mile, Los Angeles, Stevie Gray is a non-fiction storyteller and film production sustainability professional determined to produce solutions-forward work that evokes systemic change. In his travels, Stevie has witnessed the intense effects of our species on Earth's ecosystems, fueling his commitment to share intersectional stories that have local and global impact. Stevie hopes to motivate readers to work towards dismantling the harmful systems that have brought us to this point in our history.
Image Credits
Stevie Gray LA Metro Map
Red Car Network Map - jkan997, ShareMap
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