Transit Equity Day: a look at our commitment to equity

The birthday of civil rights icon Rosa Parks is Tuesday, Feb. 4. We honor the occasion with Transit Equity Day, which celebrates what Rosa Parks is best known for: her refusal to surrender her seat on a bus to a white passenger in Montgomery, Alabama, in 1955. Parks’ courage led to the end of segregation on public transit. 

Transit Equity Day is a chance to recall the abhorrence of segregation and recognize that good public transit is a fundamental right, connecting people to jobs, education, healthcare, culture and family. That’s especially important in our region where about 12.5% of households have no vehicles and 55% have a household income of less than $60,000.  

It’s Metro’s priority to ensure equitable access to transportation for all Angelenos on Transit Equity Day — and every day. As is our custom, we’re offering free rides across buses, rail, bike share, and Micro systems on Transit Equity Day. Use code 020425  for Metro Bike and code EQUITY25 for Metro Micro. 

Here’s an overview of our work: 

Keeping fares affordable  

Owning and maintaining a car costs thousands of dollars a year. Riding Metro does not!   

Metro’s regular fare of $1.75 has remained unchanged since 2014 and is lower compared to other major transit agencies. Each agency’s funding situation varies and fares reflect that — we’re not trying to throw shade. The point is: we have kept fares affordable as other costs in our region have increased.  

New York $2.90 

King County (Seattle) $2.75 

Chicago $2.25 bus $2.50 train 

SF Muni $2.75

Philadelphia $2.50 

Boston $2.40 rail, $1.70 bus 

Miami $2.25 

Washington $2.25 minimum 

LA Metro $1.75 

Houston $1.25 

Friendly reminder: our fare capping program limits daily regular fares to $5 and weekly fares to $18 on Metro.  

We also keep fares inexpensive with programs offering free rides for K-12 and community college students (GoPass), free and discounted rides for low-income residents (LIFE), and discounted fares for seniors, Medicare recipients, and disabled customers. Follow the links to learn more.  We’re also offering our fare programs for victims of the recent wildfires. Click here for more info. 

These programs are popular. LIFE riders took 20.5 million rides in 2024 and there were 19.6 million GoPass boardings last year. Another great option for getting around: Metro Micro vans offer short, on-demand rides for $2.50, much cheaper than ride-hailing services. Here’s how to ride. 

Ensuring public safety  

Everyone deserves a safe ride.  

Metro is advancing equity through a people-centered approach to public safety to ensure that our riders and employees are safe and treated with respect.

Metro faces the same challenges as the broader community, including public safety concerns shaped by diverse experiences with injustice, mental health, crime and homelessness. To address this, we’ve implemented Bias-Free Policing and Public Safety Analytics to ensure fairness and security for all riders. Since 2020, our Public Safety Advisory Committee — comprised of riders with relevant expertise — has helped guide our efforts. 

Over the past three years, we’ve also:  

•Increased law enforcement foot patrols and community outreach. 

•Worked to eliminate crime-prone areas through our Station Experience program. 

•Installed fully enclosed bus operator barriers to protect operators – so they can safely get you to your destination. 

•Launched our Metro Ambassadors program — providing a friendly presence for riders and de-escalation support.  

•Expanded homelessness services, partnering with the County and six nonprofits to connect people with housing and resources. 

This work continues to evolve. We believe it’s making a difference. As we launch Metro’s Transit Community Public Safety Department in the coming years, these lessons will help us create a safer system. 

Bringing high-quality transit to more residents  

Metro is working on multiple transit projects that will improve access for people to more homes, jobs and communities. Three notable projects forecast to open in 2025 include: 

•The LAX/Metro Transit Center station for the C and K Lines, which will create easy access to LAX from all C and K Line stations, as well as several local bus lines. Below is a recent pic of the station, which is in the final stages of construction.

•The first section of the D Line Extension to Wilshire/La Cienega to speed transit trips along busy Wilshire Boulevard and make it easier to reach homes, jobs and the museums in the Miracle Mile. 

•The A Line extension to Pomona, which will bring Metro Rail to Glendora, San Dimas, La Verne and Pomona, with easy transfers there to/from Metrolink and the Inland Empire.  

Enhancing mobility for all  

Metro seeks to give all people access to what they need to thrive in life. According to our most recent On-Board Survey, about 20% of Metro riders live with a disability. 

“Universal & Inclusive Design” is the idea that “an environment…should be designed to meet the needs of all people who wish to use it,” according to the Center for Universal Design.  

Metro incorporates Universal & Inclusive Design principles into our work to create a “human centered system” that helps people with different abilities get around and use our system. 

We also partner with community groups to promote Metro’s accessibility features and provide extensive training to staff.  As part of that, Metro holds an annual “Wheelchair Securement Competition,” which celebrates bus operators who demonstrate the greatest skills in helping people who use wheelchairs.  

Environmental justice  

Metro aims to ensure clean air, a healthy environment, and protection from the elements for all L.A. County residents. Key initiatives include: 

•Reducing greenhouse gas emissions from Metro vehicles and facilities by 79% by 2030 (65% achieved so far). 

•Transitioning the 2,000-plus bus fleet to zero-emission vehicles by 2035 to help improve air quality in the neighborhoods we serve. The G Line is already fully electric and the J Line is on deck.  

•Fighting climate change by preventing over 496,491 metric tons of carbon dioxide (a greenhouse gas) emissions in 2023 through transit use.  

•Improving bus stops with more shade and tree canopies, and upgrading equipment so that it will work during a variety of weather — from heavy rain to extreme heat. 

Please visit the sustainability page on metro.net for more on our sustainability work. 

Equity in planning 

We’ve been putting a renewed focus on ensuring marginalized voices are heard when we plan our service and projects – for example Spanish-only speakers, youth, older adults and other groups. By the numbers: in Dec. 2024, Metro hosted 479 public events with over 44,000 participants, up from 74 events and 4,326 participants in January of that year. 

A good example of our work is the Long Beach-East LA Corridor Mobility Investment Plan.  

Quick background: the I-710 corridor is a vital trade route, moving cargo from the ports but the freeway is often congested, is a source of pollution and has displaced surrounding communities. When expansion plans for the 710 emerged in the early 2000s, Community opposition to expanding the 710 led the Metro Board to adopt a “No Build” approach in 2021 and establish the Long Beach-East LA Corridor Task Force to develop a more sustainable solution. 

That task force was led by a team of nominated members and met monthly for 31 months with stakeholders from diverse industries, agencies, businesses and labor groups. It was further guided by the LB-ELA Community Leadership Committee — 28 residents with insight into the experiences of those directly impacted by the 710 corridor. 

As a result, the mobility plan prioritizes community-centered investments and a variety of mobility options. The plan is expected to create thousands of jobs, improve traffic safety and lower pollution. This effort serves as a model for equity-driven transportation planning between Metro and the community. 

Building housing near transit  

We’re working to do our part to tackle the housing crisis. Metro aims to build 10,000 housing units near transit by 2030, with 5,000 being income-restricted affordable apartments. To date, 2,362 housing units have been completed, with 3,387 more in progress. 

In 2024, Metro opened mixed-use developments near the E Line in Boyle Heights and approved a project at North Hollywood Station with 311 affordable units for low-income individuals and families.  

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We encourage you to visit Metro’s Equity Information Hub, to learn more about Metro’s Equity efforts and resources. Thank you for supporting public transit and helping us create a more equitable system for everyone.