Temporary bus and rail service adjustments effective Sunday, Feb. 20

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Like so many organizations across the country, Metro has been facing staffing shortages in all areas of our operation since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020.

Because of these shortages, Metro is making temporary service adjustments, effective Sunday, Feb. 20, to many of our bus and all rail lines in order to provide our riders with more reliable and predictable service.

Bus service changes

•The following lines will have service adjustments and will be scheduled to run on average 5 to 10 minutes less frequently than they normally do throughout the day and evening: 2, 4, 10, 14, 16, 18, 20, 28 30, 33, 37, 38, 40, 45, 51, 53, 55, 60, 62, 66, 70, 76, 78, 81, 90, 92, 94, 102, 105, 108, 110, 111, 115, 117, 120, 127, 150, 152, 161, 162, 164, 165, 166, 179, 180, 182, 204, 206, 207, 210, 212, 217, 222, 224, 230, 233, 234, 240, 244, 246, 251, 258, 260, 267, 268, 287, 344, 460, 487, 534, 602, 617, 662, 690, 720, 754, 761, 901 (G Line), 910/950 (J Line).

To see if your bus line’s schedule is changing, please use our online tool by clicking here.

•Our busiest bus lines will still be running every 5 to 15 minutes on weekdays. No bus line will run less than every 60 minutes. Service will begin and end at the usual times on each route. And routes are not changing.

•We have spread the service adjustments out widely and in such a way to lessen the impact on any particular bus line or service area.

•We recommend using the Transit app — Metro’s official app — to plan your trips. Here are the links to get Transit for iPhones and for Android phones.

•Current bus maps and timetables for each line can be found here: https://www.metro.net/riding/schedules/. We are working to post updated timetables on the Metro website as soon as possible.

Rail service changes

•On the B/D (Red/Purple) Line subway, during peak hours trains will run every 15 minutes instead of every 10 minutes. Off-peak and on weekend days, trains will run every 15 minutes instead of every 12 minutes — meaning trains will run every 7 to 8 minutes between Union Station and Wilshire/Vermont. Evening service will remain every 20 minutes.

•Our A, C, E and L light rail lines will run every 10 minutes during peak hour weekdays instead of every 8 minutes. Midday and weekend light rail service will remain at trains every 12 minutes and evenings will continue with trains every 20 minutes.

Metro staff shortages have been especially acute in recent months. Although we are seeing progress in our hiring efforts, the recent COVID-19 spike combined with restoration of service hours in September 2021 to pre-pandemic levels has stretched our operators to their limits.

As a result, Metro has experienced an increase in the number of canceled bus and rail trips in recent weeks. These canceled trips leave our riders with longer waits for the next bus or train. These changes will result in fewer canceled trips and more reliable service.

The Metro Board of Directors approved a motion at their meeting on Thursday, Jan. 27,  to set a goal to return to full service levels no later than this June.

As mentioned above, Metro is hiring and we’re offering a $3,000 bonus for new operators. Metro offers competitive hourly rates starting at $19.12 with benefits that include health insurance, tuition reimbursements, paid training, retirement plan options and flexible working hours. Please encourage friends, family and community members to become a part of the Metro team that provides excellence in service and support and keeps our region moving. Apply at metro.net/driveLA

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37 replies ›

  1. Well leat me tell you the 150 Ventura is a joke. I Ben. Waiting for 1:30 minutes yes to go to work a ride It use to take me 45 minutes now is 2 hours to work. From dwtla. Wow

  2. Your article lists the 222 as one of the lines that will come 5-10 minutes less often now, but according to the new schedules you’re actually cutting service from every 30min to every 60min! Honestly, how is that even acceptable? Cutting service by 50% doesn’t make any sense when your bus cancellations weren’t bad enough to justify cutting service in half. It’s no surprise metro’s overall bus ridership fell 20% from November 2021-February 2022. I guarantee we’re about to see if drop even further with these changes

    • Hi Brandon;

      The 5 to 10 minutes less often is an average — in the case of the 222, the temporary change is, as you correctly note, 30 minutes less often in the segment of the line north of Universal City Station. I do want to emphasize that these are temporary changes.

      Steve Hymon
      Editor, The Source

  3. Restore #780 and #704 Rapid service. Stop punishing the riding public with ALL local buses. People want FAST/ER service. And use these lines to get where they are going in a timely manner. What person in their right mind would want to sit on a disgusting bus that takes double the time to get to their destination. The NexGen is a failure. If this was done in NY where I’m from you would all be fired.

    Also, #94 bus on Los Feliz/San Fernando used to travel all the way on that route to IKEA and Burbank. Now the route is longer and circuitous as it goes on Los Feliz to Brand and across Brand to Broadway and then back to San Fernando all the way to Burbank.

    Why? The ridership has not increased and those people on Brand shopping either live there or use their car to get this area.
    BTW: I see people boarding (free) on back of bus when doors open. And driver says nothing while I’m paying my fare.

  4. H Metro can you explain why you adjusted to 15 minutes all day for red and purple line? If the ridership are high isn’t the service should be more frequent not less? You said adjustment is based on ridership are you observing ridership correctly on the subway lines? Because to me subway ridership has already rebounded pretty much lately but now you are significantly reducing subway services.

    • Because the cuts are not really based on ridership and actually based on labor shortage. For every hour there is one less train operator on the rail lines, there’s one extra one on the buses where there is a real shortage.

      Metro really failed big time because just as everyone government it’s only reactive and not proactive in managing itself.

      And people are against privatization? LOL, at this point that’s a better option in LA than how Metro is handling things: Too busy getting pushed around to pleasing everyone and reaching its own demise I. The process. Doesn’t wanna raise fares, no clear path for stability of the agency, cutting express bus services, cutting rail services as a result of loss of ridership by changes no one really wanted or did not have enough time to educate themselves of the result, failure to generate revenue by leasing out land inside their 5 busiest train stations etc. the list goes on and on.

      Meanwhile, from what it seems like, there are other places in the US that are actually seeing ridership slowly bounce back.

  5. Are all the changes a way of saying Metro is going to end services? I mean, schedules already suck! Last year was taking me 90 minutes each way to work and then back home, line 40 was reliable, couple of days ago it started taking me 3 hours to go back home. All that bs about distancing is just dumb already when buses are so crowded that we touch each others elbows. Bring back the old service and rapid lines

  6. So does that mean the metro rout line 130 bus is changing schedule to I need both to line 260 you can t change it please respect people who can’t drive

    • Hi Sean;

      The 130 bus is not changing its schedule on Sunday. Thanks for riding and writing!

      Steve Hymon
      Editor, The Source

  7. I’m hoping one day, there might be a dedicated funding source for a new Rapid program separate from the Local buses. NextGen hoped that people will be happy spending less time standing at the bus stop, and more time inside the bus. However, Rapid Buses served a good purpose for those of us without access to a rail line. Metro started loosening the Rapid brand’s criteria and made many of them useless a few years ago. Metro started coloring a bunch of lines red with horrible 45 minute headways and brought a bunch of infill stops to slow them down. It’s probably a good idea to do a reset on the Rapid bus program anyway, but definitely, please bring it back (after this driver shortage issue has been solved), and not at the expense of the Local lines.

    • Many Rapid Lines like 740, 745 (Sunday Only), 762, & even 750 had terrible headways and ridership. Those Rapid Lines mentioned above had weird frequencies from every 20 minutes to every 50 minutes. Also, these lines had no more than 3000 riders pre-COVID and also had no more than 30 riders per hour. Unlike their Local counterparts, Ridership are much higher than the Rapids. Example include Line 40 which had 14,500 riders while Line 740 had like 1500 from October 2019. Note: Line 740 used to have merely 9,000 riders while Line 40 had like 25,000 before the E Line (Expo) opened. After E Line (Expo) had open, ridership severely declined on the 40/740 especially when 740 was located to a terminal that duplicated an half of Line 710. More riders from the 740 have been transferred to take Line 40 instead to get the one-seat ride to DTLA which made Line 740 nearly a useless Rapid Line. Lines 750 & 762 were an another example of Rapid Lines with terrible headways. Similar to Line 740, Line 750 used to have 9,000 riders and used to operate daily. Ridership had declined after the G Line opening, the Great Recession, and the birth of Line 744. It was dropped to merely 2,000 riders with it’s weekend service being discontinued. Line 745 also had like 2,000 riders on Sunday PRE-COVID. Weekdays and Saturday service on frequency and ridership for Line 745 were not bad as it’s Sunday service. Line 762 ran from 20-60 minutes which was likely the only Rapid Line which ran greater than 30 minutes headways. I hate to say this, but Lines 740, 762, and 745 (Sundays) deserved to be cancelled while Lines 40, 260, & 45 (Sunday) deserved to increase its service). For Line 750, I suggest that it should’ve ran only on weekday peaks every 15 minutes instead of every 20-30 minutes all day. Midday service for Line 750 is worse than weekday peaks, so it is better to be kept on peaks only. Line 150, however, deserves to be increased to every 20 minutes midday.

      Honestly, I call the Rapid Lines a failure if the line end up reaching below 3000 daily riders and/or have terrible headways from every 30 minutes to even hourly. Other Rapid Lines that had an average of at least 5000-6500 riders pre-COVID deserved to be stayed especially the eastern segment of Line 720, but with an eastern extension to Montebello Station or at least to Garfield Bl to connect with MBL 30.

      • Since the NextGen is already took in place so I believe that the Metro is already restored on some of the rapid lines by June 2020 for preparing approval in October 2020 of the NextGen Plan with cancelation for Rapid 704, 705, 710, 728, 733, 740, 745, 750, 760, 762, 770, 780, 788 and 794 by December 2020 but I already know about the nextgen is unacceptable. The LACMTA Rapid Bus Lines 704, 705, 710, 720, 728, 733, 740, 745, 750, 754, 760, 762, 770, 780 and 794 should be remain for temporary discontinued service suspension until the Metro could be announcement updates with reinstate rapid lines for recovered long-short term plan of Covid total cases are going down just like the OCTA service without canceling by idiotic destructive of nextgen bad initiative service changes. Honestly, the OCTA Bravo Route 560 is already back in Oct 2021 by the way of the OCTA Bravo Route 529, Irvine Shuttle Route 402C is already back in this month of February 2022 which is the good thing for reinstate but the OCTA Route 53X, 57X, 64X, 206, 213, 701, 721, 794 and Irvine Shuttle Route 404E but unlike the Metro.

        Not a random rider, you are right about that the Metro Rapid Line a failure for below riders and/or have terrible headways are reduced times of half hour because during the pandemic. But you are not in the wrong so some of the other rapid lines are deserved to be stayed while the pre-COVID especially extension to Montebello Metrolink Station (last stop) on LACMTA Line 720 along Whitter Bl and Garfield Avenue for connection with MBL 30 so the Metro should have in first place. The Metro should be have re-extension to Montebello Station instead of Commerce Center on Rapid 720 without NextGen are able to cutting back from the east but until the Eastside Extension (future E Line) and San Gabriel Transit Study are approved with completion of the projects.

        To be honest, the Metro has already operated as microtransit about 8 zones (LAX/Inglewood/Playa Del Rey/Lennox/El Segundo/Hawthrone, El Monte/Temple City/Rosemead/City Of Industry, Highland Park/Eagle Rock/Glendale/Glassell Park/Cypress Park/Silver Lake/South Pasadena, Sierra Madre/Pasadena/Altadena/LA Canada Flintridge, Chatsworth/Northridge/Porter Ranch, Williowbrook/Watts/Compton/Lynwood/Long Beach/South Gate/Downey/Carson, North Hollywood/Burbank, UCLA/Westwood/Sawtelle/West LA). But in also the OmniTrans as well similar to LA Metro NextGen so the OmniTrans has 3 zones for now. The OmniTrans MicroTransit has already operated in Chino Hills/Chino, Upland/Montclair and Bloomington during some of the OmniTrans Local Bus Routes. Here is the OmniTrans Local Bus Routes has effectived and took over of the micro transit on-demand: Route 83 has cutting back north of Foothill / Euclid Blvd’s last stop instead of Upland Colonies Crossroads Shopping Center. Route 84 has shortened to Montclair Transit Center last stop instead of Upland Colonies Crossroads Shopping Center as well. Route 365 has been discontinued by September 2020. Route 329 has been discontinued by January 2022 which is last month. New Route 383 does not exist anymore but the Omnitrans is already to make decision but unfortunately because the OmniTrans is already decided to choose the MicroTransit On-demand instead since August 2021.

        Hopefully it will happen in the future of BRT so the OmniTrans are planned new service extension of sBX BRT Lines (Pomona-Rancho Cucamonga) and including the San Gabriel Transit Study (Bus Rapid Transit) so the LA Metro Staff and Foothill Transit Staff could be involved with the San Gabriel Transit Study. On the LA Metro BRT Vision And Principles Study so it won’t be the same as previous rapid bus lines back in 2000’s.

        • I mean I forgot to put about the OCTA Route 53X, 64X, 206, 213, 701, 721, 794 and Irvine Shuttle Route 404E are still remain temporary suspension until further notice but unlikely the LA Metro has removed some of the bus lines and doesn’t care about listen by the patrons are being asked to MTA staff for delay in 2 or 3 years until pandemic situation over with term recovering. The nextgen 2020-2021 destructive bad initiative service changes are completely joke period.

      • Exactly. Metro has sort of expanded the Rapid program too fast, and it essentially became applying red paint to buses. They need to focus on a core system of Rapid lines that make sense, and keep to the original goals of the Rapid brand: frequent, fast, limited stop service throughout the daytime, with signal priority. Most of the newer Rapid lines were useless, with horrible frequencies, but there should be some that are kept in NextGen for all day Rapid service. Rail is not everywhere.
        The 720 is a very important line, and they are keeping it for some peak period service in NextGen, but it should really go back to what it used to be, with 2-4 min service, until the Purple Line extension opens. Or maybe, have the eastern terminus be at Wilshire/Western. An eastern extension to Garfield Ave and Montebello Station would be nice too. It can probably coordinate or do some swaps with lines 18 or 66.

  8. Agree with the consensus that the NextGen bus has made using MTA buses WORSE than ever, and I mean even worse than back in the old RTD days when there was NO MONEY compared to the billions upon billions the MTA receives per year from the four sales taxes today. Let’s remember this NextGen was pushed by the previous CEO of our MTA, not the current CEO who has a chance to FIX her predecessor’s MISTAKE.

    The transportation agencies and industry are just as affected by “the hip new thing” as any other industry or consumer. The entire notion of the MTA’s NextGen bus services was because of how Houston, TX radically changed their bus system, and just about every transit agency was thinking of doing the SAME things Houston did. However, Houston’s bus service was so bad, almost any change was bound to be for the better. I’m glad Houston’s change seems to have been for the better (although more than a few people have claimed to have gotten WORSE bus service in Houston). But what works for Houston works for HOUSTON, not necessarily any other city. Meanwhile, our MTA bus services, even with all its warts, was superior, and our MTA flaws had more to do with overcrowded buses (due to low frequency of service and/or victims of heavy street traffic and a lack of dedicated bus lanes), and poor services in suburban areas of LA County. We had a sensible GRID bus system that greatly reduced time-consuming transfers which as a fix from the meandering bus lines we had back in the late 1970’s/early 1980’s when the then CEO or the RTD put the grid system in place and it was a wonderful IMPROVEMENT that really worked well–UNLIKE the stupid NextGen. NextGen MTA Bus is smoke and mirrors designed to make it LOOK as if the management and CEO at the MTA were addressing a problem, but, instead, only making things by WORSE, such as eliminating the bus line serving Union Station and LAC+USC that was heavily used for its convenience and by eliminating Limited and Rapid services so that they could increase the local services by shifting equipment and drivers: a rob Peter to pay Paul cheapskate solution that guaranteed not a few LOSERS but a great many LOSERS who are the passengers. And YES, at the least NextGen should have been delayed until we were well PAST Covid19 major problems.

    OK, I suppose the smarties who do the monitoring (and no nothing of the history of the transit here and were never here to understand how former LA Supe Antonovich tried to single-handedly DESTROY the then under construction Subway with a whiney letter to the Federal money bags at the Transportation Administration–and do check the Times library for the FRONT PAGE story) are expecting some sort of solution from this complaining public bus riding person: yours truly. Well, first none of this stupid NextGen was the current CEO’s doing. She was not at the MTA when NextGen was developed nor implemented. The current CEO can admit NextGen is a failure, and promptly put the bus system back the way it was. Then persuade the MTA Board that MORE has to spent on the bus system to be an effective feeder to the rail lines and to serve those who have NO ACCESS to a rail line. This means we need MORE buses and drivers and Bus Lanes in more key Blvds and Aves so that buses are not held up in mixed use traffic lanes.

    However, one has to wonder how the MTA Board feel about such a mea culpa (the Board approved the stupid NexGen), and yes, the current CEO worked under the previous CEO and she may iew him as a mentor and be hesitant to make MAJOR changes that might make the previous CEO look like he made a mistake, but the current MTA CEO has to do the right thing for the people who depend upon MTA bus services. The best thing to do is just RIP the band-aid off, admit defeat, and MOVE ON to a re-dedication to the previous grid system and its services (the return of Limited and Rapid services), and focus on MORE buses and drivers and dedicated bus lanes or anything to get the buses moving more efficiently on even more crowded streets as time passes, AND BRING BACK ALL THE BUS STOPS that were eliminated during NextGen bus so that the riders we lost can take the bus again, and remediate this “inequity” of access to MTA bus services. Of course it will take time with hiring until we get further along this pandemic, but now, during Covid, would be a good time to change things back to the way they were with the current reduced ridership and with time to plan and implement the addition of services and bus lanes or other GOOD ideas for when things get better. Thank You.

    • I do agree with you, the Metro is supposed to be a under of the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Vision & Principles Study for release with service changes. Yes, the MTA shouldn’t be with elimination of 18 rapid bus lines but they should be keeping 18 rapid bus lines from previous until the future service changes approved by BRT Vision & Principles Study. The LACMTA should be demonstrated just like the San Diego MTS and North County Transit District with San Diego Forward Plan of adding future NextGen Rapid Bus Routes then it won’t be worst as first place.

  9. The frequency table from the online tool is not accurate. I just checked for lines 76 and 260, according to the table, these lines should run every 20 and 15 minutes respectively from 3PM – 7PM; but per the line schedule, Line 76 starts to run every 25-30 minutes after 5:30PM (westbound) and Line 260 starts to run every 20-30 minutes after 5PM (southbound). This service pattern really put me in an awkward position, as I get off work after 5:30PM and need to make a transfer. It won’t be a pleasant thing to stand over 20 minutes at bus stop for transfer after more than 8 hours stressful work 5 days a week. The 3PM-7PM time frame should be used for departing from the first stop instead of arriving at the last stop. I really hope Metro should consider the travel pattern for those people who have regular working hours from 8:30AM to 5:30PM and those who work from 9AM to 6PM, and Metro should also take transfer time into consideration when making up bus schedule, especially now when Metro is cutting the service.

    • Yup I also get 76 at night ! Get out at 11:00 p.m . Then need to transfer to another bus. I was waiting for 1 hour 1/2 for the bus. In the app it kept saying it was on its way. But it wasn’t ! I ended up taking a lyft!

  10. I understand that metro is losing staff, I can’t say it’s their fault but they already reduced staff. I think Metro should try their hardest to restore routes instead of shortening them with longer schedules. Nobody’s gonna wait for an hour to take one bus.

  11. So the 115 that sometimes takes 1 hour to arrive is going to be even later now? Got it. We’ve all learned that with metro, 5 minutes actually means 25 minutes. So I’m expecting a 1 hour and 25 minute delay on some days. Thanks metro. You guys are extremely helpful. That was sarcasm.

  12. I understand that changes have to be made. But you guys keep promoting the Transit app but it’s inacurate. I just rode the 720. Got on a packed bus because the other one was supposedly 15 minutes behind. Wouldn’t you know it 3 minutes later I see another 720 pass us by. . It also keeps changing the bus arrivals every 10 minutes. How are you supposed to plan your commute? You tell Transit the issue and they keep passing the blame..

    • This is my biggest complaint. Metro needs to address this issue immediately. I wish our public transportation ran more frequently, but in inability to PLAN is killing me. I lose hours upon hours relying on faulty information. If a bus needs to run once or twice and hour, so be it. But STICK TO THE SCHEDULE so riders can plan out their day.

  14. You know what, good. I honestly want to see Metro fail and this idiotic Nextgen stunt that was apparently supposed to “radically change the way people use transit in LA” is turning out to be a huge embarrassment for the city and county. When you’re smaller munis are performing better than you are, that’s when you know you messed up.

    And Metro, please stop giving the lame excuse of “we didn’t forecast something like this to occur.” Since June 2021 it was obvious that there was a shortage issue. You had Patrons asking you to delay nextgen for at least 18 months that way the agency can have a better idea of all the short and long term effects the Pandemic caused on transit, but instead you decided to continue on making these changes by any means necessary and YOU WERE ALREADY FAILING TO KEEP THE FREQUENCY PROMISED SINCE BEFORE DAY 1!!!!! Before Day 1 of these changes you said you could not initially promise the frequency proposed because of the Pandemic. That was your first red flag right there and you decided to ignore it, along with all the red flags

    Just admit this was one of the dumbest executions in the agency’s history and go back to the April 2020 service changes already. Then we can start over on whatever changes that ACTUALLY make sense.

    • Exactly, you are right about that these temporary service adjustments should been change on December 2020 just like back in April 2020 to avoid cancellations of NextGen inconsiderate changes so the Metro should be done in first place by according to Sunday February 13th, 2022 which is upcoming this weekend. MTA staff and transit planners should have gone over to pause and delay NextGen in future but they didn’t go over the steps by listening the patrons. All they want to make drastic with idiotic NextGen changes for their lame excuse of public hearing in August 2020 #SMH. That’s why the Metro has gone reckless to admit that the Metro need to start over what they did wrong on whatever changes that are inconvenient with merging bus lines and put endangered local frequency lines as well. The Metro could be end up with proposed service changes in next 2 or 3 years in order to bring back Rapid bus lines and including the local bus lines as well so hopefully the Metro needs to be endeavors for something make sense.

  16. I believe Metro should have been stayed temporary service adjustments for recovered plan in December 2020 until June 2022 without canceling bus coverage and rapid lines of NextGen. I am sorry so I already know is too late but the NextGen is very crucial failure so far and that’s how some riders doesn’t like the revised service change of join the movement and no more era then end up forcing on driving automobile with spending gas prices because the NextGen reason.

  17. I understand about the adjustments you guys are making. But the frequencies have to be a joke for Lines 92, 150 & 460. They’ll now run every 20-40 minutes on weekdays, while on weekends they’ll be 45 minutes. Compared to Lines 242/243, it’ll be every 40 minutes on weekends. I don’t understand why Lines 242/243 will have slightly more frequency than Lines 92, 150 & 460 as those two lines have a much lower ridership compared to the latter three. Also, Line 460 have more demand on stops at Knott’s & Disneyland on the weekends. At least those three lines should’ve been adjusted to every 35-40 minutes or adjust Lines 242-243 to every 60 minutes on the weekends.

    • I agree with you; not a random rider because Line 92, 150 & 460 people like these bus lines; with the frequencies like that, I bet the buses will be crowded on those lines. On the other hand, I see some of the other lines with low cancellation percent on average but a huge reduction with frequencies. For Line 754 service, huge percentage cancellation, but it did not frequency too much. Some of the schedules are just a joke on some of them.

    • i have not been happy after june 27 to know most buses are cancell late iwant 750 will back

    • Before 8 months ago i was happy from tampa ventura to ventura hazeltine only one bus i took it 150 and 750 i was comfortable easy for me but now iam tired when i get home 2 or 3 bus are not fair. 2 bus change stop why iam tired of this line schedule

    • Don’t take it wrong but I don’t care much about metros changes anymore, and I’m not surprised. I got access and will be getting my drivers license soon. So by the end of 2022 I’d be having my own car.

      • I’m leaving the states in a few years so I just don’t see the point in getting a car (currently use a relatives car on the weekends), but I get what you’re saying.

        I had to end up compromising with jobs that are lower pay but no more than 30 min away via driving or transit because as soon as you commute more than 5 miles on Metro, the system is EXTREMELY unreliable. Metro Micro (which can also be unreliable at times), as well as an bike or scooter is all I need going forward.

    • 92 indeed. This is the core line that connects downtown, Angelino Heights, Echo Park, Silver Lake, Atwater, Glendale and Burbank. It was a prime Red Car streetcar line for that reason. Metro has been deprecating service on it progressively, and surprise! Ridership keeps falling! Who could see that happening!