Metro has purchased buses using alternative fuels to diesel, generally consuming compressed natural gas (CNG), since the mid-1990s. The CNG fleet reduces emissions of particulates by 90%, carbon monoxide by 80%, and greenhouse gases by 20%. Alternative fuel buses have logged more than 450,000,000 mi (720,000,000 km) of operation since 1993, an industry record.
In 2015, a battery electric BYDK11M demonstrator was used on the G Line. Metro has committed to move the entire fleet to zero emissions by 2030, ahead of the California Air Resources Board's Innovative Clean Transit requirement for California transit operators to transition by 2040. Since then, the deadline has been pushed back to 2032. Metro board members subsequently rejected a move to delay fleet electrification until 2035. As a first step, the G (formerly Orange) Line will move to full zero-emissions operation by 2020, followed by the J (formerly Silver) Line as soon as possible after that.[1]: 28 The G/Orange Line transitioned to all-electric operation by October 2021, using a fleet of 40 New Flyer Xcelsior XE60 Charge NG buses. Each bus has a range of approximately 150 mi (240 km), and rapid overhead charging stations were installed at the North Hollywood, Canoga, and Chatsworth stations.[2]
Vehicle technology
Interior of NABI 31-LFW (2016), looking forward. A screen is still installed over the front curb-side wheel, but is not being used.
Metro has also increased its use of on-board vehicle technology. Many buses were equipped with monitors to display real-time bus maps to show the location through GPS navigation starting in 2004; this the first of its kind in the United States. Later, the screens began showing Transit TV broadcasts,[3] including local news programs, starting in August 2006.[4][5]
The screens were shut off and Transit TV service was discontinued in early 2015, as more passengers were relying on their personal mobile devices, such as cell phones, smartphones, and electronic tablets, for entertainment while riding the buses.[6] The increased use of personal mobile devices by passengers led to the implementation of WiFi on all buses by April 2017. Also, as part of Metro's Advanced Transportation Management System (ATMS) project, most buses include a marquee displaying the date and time, Automatic Voice Annunciation (AVA) for audio and visual announcements of each stop,[7] and an audio and visual "Stop Requested" announcement was added to all buses in 2008. A supplemental audio announcement of "For your safety, watch your step when exiting the bus" was added to all buses on February 28, 2013, and changed voice in March 2015.
Bus fleet
Timeline
When it was formed in 1993, Metro inherited a large fleet of GM/TMC RTS diesel buses; these were initially replaced by Neoplan USATransliner buses as they aged and retired. Starting in the early 2000s, the primary supplier to the Metro bus fleet was NABI, over a period of approximately 15 years. As one of its largest clients, Metro had considerable influence on NABI designs, including its bus rapid transit vehicles, the 60-BRT designed for the G Line[8]: 13 and the composite-bodied Metro 45C, which was named after the agency and shared with Valley Metro.[9]: 20
After NABI’s closure in 2015, several variants of the New Flyer Xcelsior and the ENC Axess were purchased to replace the NABI fleet.
As of September 2019[update], Metro has the third largest bus fleet in North America with 2,320 buses, behind New York City's Metropolitan Transportation Authority (5,825) and New Jersey's NJ Transit (3,003).[10] Metro operates the nation's largest fleet of compressed natural gas powered buses.[11][needs update]
757 CNG buses are scheduled to be converted to battery-electric during their midlife refits in 2027 and 2028 as part of Metro's efforts to operate an entirely zero-emission fleet by 2032.[12] This will consist primarily of 2020 and later ENC Axess vehicles but may include what are currently New Flyer XN60s.
75 electric buses to be used in the San Fernando Valley on lines 152, 162, 166, and 240, as part of the North San Fernando Valley BRT Corridor Project.[14] These routes have termini at or near the G Line stations in North Hollywood and Chatsworth which already operates exclusively using battery-electric buses, and thus have some of the required infrastructure for expanding charging to local buses
In 1971, RTD took delivery of the first units of its Flxible New Look fleet, painted in a "Copperhead" livery which RTD described as "orange and champagne".[15] The livery, as implemented on its GM and Flxible "New Look" fleet, had the window area painted in ochre yellow and the lower body and front painted in champagne/copper, separated by a broad silver or white stripe down the sides. When RTD introduced a 25 cent flat-fare program in 1974, some of the reserve buses pressed into service were painted a plain white instead of "Copperhead".[16] In 1976, the existing GM Old Look bus fleet were repainted in the new "Copperhead" livery.[17] RTD introduced an "Express" livery in 1977, colored yellow, white, and black, with a broad wedge-shaped stripe down the side.[18]
RTD introduced the "Tri-Stripe" livery in March 1980, designed by Saul Bass and Herb Yager, starting with the existing Grumman/Flxible 870 fleet and continuing with the Rapid Transit Series scheduled for delivery in October 1980. Under this scheme, the window area was painted black and the base was painted white, separated by red, orange, and yellow stripes.[19] The Bass/Yager firm was engaged to rebrand the agency, including a new logo, in June 1979 after the increase in ridership driven by the 1979 oil crisis proved that many residents were unfamiliar with RTD.[20] The oldest "Old Look", which was also the first diesel bus to operate in Los Angeles starting from 1950, was retired with the delivery of the last RTS in June 1981.[21] Most of the existing "New Look" fleet was repainted in the Bass/Yager "Tri-Stripe" livery by August 1984.[22] "Tri-Stripe" was simplified in the early 1990s to facilitate graffiti removal.[23]
Initial stripe schemes
Buses inherited from RTD generally carried over a simplified "RTD Tri-Stripe" livery; the base color of the bus was white (including the window area) with a triple-stacked stripe of red, orange, and yellow extending from the base of the windshield down the sides of the bus, carried below the side windows. This was simplified to "Red Stripe", white with a double-stacked stripe of red and yellow in the same position, and "Yellow Jacket" in 1997, white with a double-stacked gold stripe in the same position, featuring a stylized text logo "Metro Bus" prominently on the front and sides of the bus.[24]
Service livery
Starting in the early 2000s, the "Metro Service" livery was implemented under the leadership of creative director Michael Lejeune and lead designer Neil Sadler.[25] The base color of buses, visible on the lower edge and the extended roof cap for CNG storage, was Silver / Pantone 877 C metallic, supplemented by a broad stripe starting just below the side windows and extending to the top of the bus, denoting the service type:[26]
Metro Local: Local poppy / Pantone 158 C for local service
Metro Rapid: Rapid red / Pantone 193 C for rapid (limited) service
Metro Express: Express blue / Pantone 286 C for express (freeway) service
Metro Liner: Liner silver / Pantone 8401 C for bus rapid transit lines
The colors are supplemented by text restating the service type in the FF Scala Sans typeface, bold weight.[26][27] This branding scheme won an honor award from the Society for Experiential Graphic Design in 2007.[28] Since then, the Express services have been scaled back and the colors have been modified.[29]
Updates
Typically, the supplemental text agree with the livery, such as Metro Local used with the Poppy Orange color. However as of late 2020, Metro dropped the text specification for newer buses and those undergoing their midlife refit. Since then, beginning with the second batch of New Flyer XN60s delivered in 2020-2021 and newer (buses 8865 and newer), buses are now simply labeled "Metro Bus" echoing the "Yellow Jacket" livery while buses still retain the "Service" color distinctions for local, rapid, and liner liveries. New Flyer XE60s used to replace the G Line fleet and convert it to zero-emissions operation were delivered before this change in late 2020, and as such, use a "Go Metro" label not found on other buses. Other buses feature a large text "Go Metro" on their roof rails, however not as a bus label such as "Metro Rapid", "Metro Local", or "Metro Bus". Since then, BYD K-series vehicles on the J line and newer buses have adopted the "Metro Bus" labels, defining that label as the preferred option moving forward
The XE60s that replaced the NABI Metro Liners on the G (Orange) line dropped the orange accents and text colors so they could be used elsewhere without too much confusion. Although there are currently no other divisions or lines that are equipped with the required supporting infrastructure, Metro may need to conduct early replacement of the XE60s in favor of larger, potentially double-articulated vehicles for the G line, as the line is at capacity and needs an upgrade before its eventual conversion to light rail. Thus, the flexible branding enables Metro to reassign the XE60s currently belonging to the G line without needing to take them out of service for re-brands.
With the same logic, new J line buses are no longer branded with the tagline "A faster way to downtown" as old J line buses are entering service on other routes such as the 2 with the addition of BYD K9Ms to electrify the J line and the fact that new electric busway-designated buses are also sometimes used on innagural runs of new routes such as the 33 in addition to local service and thus don't feature exclusive branding to the busway line the bus is normally usually assigned to.
Under the Metro governance structure, the routes operating out of each division are supervised by an integrated/centralized operations division with oversight provided by one of five Service Councils covering a distinct geographical region of Los Angeles County. Each Service Council has a three-letter abbreviation.[30]
Each Service Council is composed of elected officials, appointed representatives, and transit users from a given area served by each division. While the Councils have geographical boundaries, in practice they only define where the members come from, as most of Los Angeles is served by routes operating out of multiple sectors. For instance, the former Olympic Boulevard Rapid bus was operated by buses from the San Gabriel Valley sector, despite its entire route being in the Westside or Central Los Angeles areas.
Detail at the base of the driver's-side windshield, declaring the bus fleet number (9321), service council ('WSC' for Westside/Central), and operating division (10)
Decals with service sector abbreviations and division numbers are affixed to the windows of Metro buses. A list of routes operating from each sector can be found in the Service Council Bylaws.[31]
Division 3 in Cypress Park is the oldest bus yard owned by Metro, operating since 1907. About 200 buses currently operate out of the yard.
The following table lists all current bus divisions (rail divisions are not included):[37][38]
East Los Angeles (all retiring vehicles, construction staging for other divisions)
Gateway Cities
13
Downtown Los Angeles
Central Maintenance Facility (CMF)
15
East Valley
San Fernando Valley
18
South Bay
South Bay
Division 10 was closed for revenue service during the COVID-19 pandemic in September 2020. Vehicles were re-assigned, however Metro has kept the property. It will be used to store other buses when their respective divisions are being equipped for zero-emissions revenue service. Due to the nature of the upgrades required at each division, some divisions may need to temporarily relocate their current CNG buses to have enough space for construction.[39]
^Hymon, Steve (February 10, 2015). "Metro statement on Transit TV monitors on buses". The Source [blog]. Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Archived from the original on October 27, 2021. Retrieved December 30, 2021.
^Flynn, Jennifer; Thole, Cheryl; Perk, Victoria; Samus, Joseph; Van Nostrand, Caleb (October 2011). Metro Orange Line BRT Project Evaluation(PDF) (Report). Federal Transit Administration. Archived(PDF) from the original on January 6, 2020. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
^Peak, Matt; Henke, Cliff; Wnuk, Lawrence (June 2005). Bus Rapid Transit Ridership Analysis(PDF) (Report). Federal Transportation Administration. Archived(PDF) from the original on December 30, 2021. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
^"Great start for 25c flat fare"(PDF). Headway. Vol. 1, no. 8. Southern California Rapid Transit District. April 16, 1974. pp. 1–2. Archived(PDF) from the original on September 18, 2021. Retrieved December 30, 2021.
^"Getting a New Look"(PDF). Headway. Vol. 3, no. 1. Southern California Rapid Transit District. January 1976. p. 4. Archived(PDF) from the original on April 5, 2023. Retrieved December 30, 2021.
^"RTD Begins Full-Scale Airport Service"(PDF). Headway. Vol. 4, no. 3. Southern California Rapid Transit District. March 1977. p. 1. Archived(PDF) from the original on November 17, 2019. Retrieved December 30, 2021.
^"Firm developing 'new look' for District"(PDF). Headway. Vol. 6, no. 9. Southern California Rapid Transit District. September 1979. p. 1. Archived(PDF) from the original on December 30, 2021. Retrieved December 30, 2021.
^"Old 6500 heads for the pasture"(PDF). Headway. Vol. 8, no. 7. Southern California Rapid Transit District. July 1981. p. 4. Archived(PDF) from the original on October 29, 2020. Retrieved December 30, 2021.
^"South Park operation gives RTD a new look"(PDF). Headway. Vol. 9, no. 2. Southern California Rapid Transit District. February 1982. p. 7. Archived(PDF) from the original on June 2, 2022. Retrieved December 30, 2021.
^"Back in Business"(PDF). Headway. Vol. 20, no. 10. Southern California Rapid Transit District. October 1992. p. 20. Archived(PDF) from the original on December 30, 2021. Retrieved December 30, 2021.
^"MTA Goes for the Gold"(PDF). MTA Review. March 1997. Archived(PDF) from the original on December 30, 2021. Retrieved December 30, 2021.
^ ab"Metro Signage Standards"(PDF). Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority. January 14, 2013. Archived(PDF) from the original on December 30, 2021. Retrieved December 30, 2021.
^Shapiro, Ellen (September 2006). "Metro Design Studio". CommArts. Archived from the original on December 30, 2021. Retrieved December 30, 2021.
^"Los Angeles Metro: Honor Award". Society for Experiential Graphic Design. October 28, 2013. Archived from the original on December 30, 2021. Retrieved December 30, 2021.
^"Making Metro: Color". Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Archived from the original on December 30, 2021. Retrieved December 30, 2021.
^ ab"Local Service Councils". Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Archived from the original on January 14, 2022. Retrieved January 14, 2022.
^"Gateway Cities". Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Archived from the original on January 14, 2022. Retrieved January 14, 2022.
^"San Fernando Valley". Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Archived from the original on January 14, 2022. Retrieved January 14, 2022.
^"San Gabriel Valley". Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Archived from the original on January 14, 2022. Retrieved January 14, 2022.
^"South Bay Cities". Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Archived from the original on June 9, 2022. Retrieved June 9, 2022.
^"Westside/Central". Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Archived from the original on June 3, 2022. Retrieved June 9, 2022.
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