Los Angeles Department of Transportation

Los Angeles Department of Transportation
Headquarters	Caltrans District 7 Headquarters
Locale	Los Angeles, California, United States
Service type	Bus Services, Paratransit, Transportation Planning, Signal Construction, Traffic Operations
Routes	36 DASH, 16 Commuter Express, 2 shuttles
Website	Official website

Birds-eye view of the Caltrans District 7 Headquarters building, where the department is housed.

The Los Angeles Department of Transportation, commonly referred to as LADOT, is a municipal agency that oversees transportation planning, design, construction, maintenance and operations within the city of Los Angeles. LADOT was created by city ordinance, and is run by a general manager appointed by the Mayor of Los Angeles, under the oversight of a citizens' commission also appointed by the mayor. LADOT is best known for providing public transportation to the City of Los Angeles. It currently operates the second-largest fleet in Los Angeles County next to Metro. It consist of over 300 vehicles, serving nearly 30 million passengers a year and operating over 800,000 hours.

LADOT also develops the traffic signal timing and transportation planning for the city. Actual road maintenance and construction is provided by the . LADOT performs many transportation related duties, with six main operating groups: Parking Enforcement & Traffic Control, Operations, Project Delivery, Parking Management & Regulations, Transit Services, and Administration.^[1]

Current LADOT transit services[]

DASH[]

The DASH (Downtown Area Short Hop) is a transit bus that currently operates 30 routes covering Downtown Los Angeles and many outlying communities within the city. Its primary function is to provide localized service, and is a feeder into the countywide MTA Metro service.

A typical DASH bus.

DASH Community Routes include:

Beachwood Canyon (connects with the Metro B Line) (LADOT community connection #208)
Boyle Heights/East LA (EX LACMTA #255, connects with Metro L Line)
Chesterfield Square (connects with the Metro A Line)
Crenshaw (connects with Metro E Line and soon K Line)
Downtown A: Little Tokyo/City West (connects with Metro B Line, Metro D Line, Metro L Line, Metro A Line and Metro E Line)
Downtown B: Chinatown/Financial District (connects with the Metro B Line, Metro L Line, Metro A Line, Metrolink Lines: Ventura County, Antelope Valley, San Bernardino, 91, Riverside, and Orange County, and Amtrak lines: Pacific Surfliner, Coast Starlight, Sunset Limited, Southwest Chief, and Texas Eagle
Downtown D: Union Station/South Park (connects with the Metro B Line, Metro L Line, Metro A Line, Metro E Line, Metrolink Lines: Ventura County, Antelope Valley, San Bernardino, 91, Riverside, and Orange County, and Amtrak lines: Pacific Surfliner, Coast Starlight, Sunset Limited, Southwest Chief, and Texas Eagle
Downtown E: City West/Financial District (connects with the Metro B Line, Metro A Line, Metro D Line, and Metro E Line)
Downtown F: Financial District Exposition Park, L.A. Coliseum/LAFC Stadium/USC (connects with the Metro B Line Metro A Line, Metro D Line and Metro E Line)
El Sereno/City Terrace
Fairfax
Highland Park/Eagle Rock (connects with Metro L Line)
Hollywood (connects with the Metro B Line)
Hollywood/Wilshire (Larchmont Shuttle) (connects with the Metro B Line, Metro D Line)
King-East (connects with Metro A Line and Metro E Line)
Leimert Park/Slauson
Lincoln Heights /Chinatown (connects with the Metro L Line)
Los Feliz (weekdays)/Weekend Observatory Shuttle (connects with the Metro B Line) (LADOT community connection #203)
Midtown (connects with the Metro E Line)
Northridge (connects with Metrolink Line: Ventura County)
Observatory (connects with the Metro B Line)
Panorama City/Van Nuys (connects with the Metro G Line, Metrolink Line: Ventura County)
Pico Union/Echo Park (connects with the Metro B Line, Metro D Line and Metro A Line)
San Pedro (LADOT community connection #147)
Southeast/Pueblo Del Rio (connects with the Metro A Line)
Sylmar (Ex-LACMTA Line 634, connects with Metrolink Antelope Valley Line)
Van Nuys/Studio City (connects with the Metro G Line)
Vermont/Main
Watts (connects with the Metro A Line, Metro C Line)
Wilmington
Wilshire Center/Koreatown (connects with the Metro B Line, Metro DLine )

Most DASH buses are El Dorado EZ-Rider vehicles powered by propane, although CNG Gillig BRTs have since been introduced. The first two digits of DASH bus numbers denote which year the bus came into service. For instance, 98001 denotes 1998 and 06301 denotes 2006. All DASH buses are 30 feet (9.1 m) long, making it easier to navigate in dense neighborhoods where there are narrower streets and tighter turns.

Commuter Express[]

Commuter Express is an express bus service, consisting of 15 routes, all but one running during rush hours only. Service started in 1985.^[2] Routes 419, 423, 431, 437, 438, and 448 are former Metro lines that were cancelled;^[3] Route 142 was previously operated by Long Beach Transit.^[4] Fares are based on a flat rate for travel on streets plus an extra charge based on the distance traveled on freeways.

Unless otherwise noted, all services operates towards Downtown LA during the morning rush and from Downtown LA during the afternoon rush. For the purposes of this chart, closed-door means that customers are not allowed to use buses for local trips and open-door means that customers are allowed to use buses for local trips.

Route	Terminals		via	Notes
142 ^[5]	San Pedro LA Waterfront	Long Beach Transit Gallery	7th Street, Ocean Boulevard	Daily service Open-door along the entire route
409 ^[6]	Sylmar Foothill Boulevard and Glenoaks Boulevard	Downtown LA Hill Street and 12th Street	San Fernando Valley: Foothill Boulevard Downtown LA: Flower & Figueroa Streets, 7th Street	Closed-door along the entire route, except at Glendale Park & Ride
419 ^[7]	Chatsworth Station	Downtown LA University of Southern California	San Fernando Valley: Devonshire Street Downtown LA: Hill Street, Figueroa Street	Closed-door along the entire route, except at Devonshire St & Balboa Blvd
422 ^[8]	Downtown LA University of Southern California	Thousand Oaks The Oaks Shopping Center	Downtown LA: Figueroa & Flower Streets Ventura County: Thousand Oaks Boulevard, Agora Road	Service operates towards Thousand Oaks in the AM rush and towards Downtown LA in the PM rush Closed-door within Downtown LA, open-door elsewhere
423 ^[9]	Thousand Oaks Thousand Oaks Transit Center	Downtown LA University of Southern California	Ventura County: Agora Road, Ventura Boulevard Downtown LA: Figueroa & Flower Streets	Closed-door along the entire route, except at Ventura Blvd & Topanga Canyon Blvd and Encino Park & Ride
431 ^[10]	Westwood Sepulveda Boulevard and Ohio Avenue	Downtown LA Union Station	Westside: Wilshire Boulevard, Beverly Glen Boulevard Downtown LA: Venice Boulevard, Figueroa & Flower Streets, Grand & Olive Streets	Closed-door along the entire route
437 ^[11]	Venice Pacific Avenue and Washington Boulevard Playa Vista Lincoln Boulevard and Manchester Avenue	Downtown LA Temple Street and Vignes Street	Westside: Culver Boulevard, Jefferson Boulevard Downtown LA: Figueroa & Flower Streets, Grand & Olive Streets	Closed-door along the entire route
438 ^[12]	Redondo Beach Palos Verdes Boulevard and Via Valencia & Marine Park & Ride	Downtown LA Union Station	Beach Cities: Highland Avenue, Hermosa Avenue Downtown LA Figueroa & Flower Streets	Closed-door along the entire route, except at 37th St Transitway Station
439 ^[13]	Downtown LA Union Station	El Segundo El Segundo Boulevard & Nash Street	Downtown LA: Figueroa & Flower Streets El Segundo: Imperial Highway, Douglas Street	Closed-door within El Segundo, open-door elsewhere A reversal of the CE 438, where it heads to El Segundo during the A.M. rush hour & Downtown Los Angeles during the P.M. rush hour
448 ^[14]	Rancho Palos Verdes Crest Road and Crenshaw Boulevard	Downtown LA Temple Street and Los Angeles Street	South Bay: Hawthorne Boulevard, Pacific Coast Highway Downtown LA: Figueroa & Flower Streets	Closed-door along the entire route, except at Harbor/Century Transitway Station and 37th St Transitway Station
534 ^[15]	Downtown LA Union Station	Westwood Wilshire Boulevard and Veteran Avenue	Downtown LA: Figueroa & Flower Streets, 1st Street Westside: Wilshire Boulevard, Olympic Boulevard	Operates towards Westwood in the AM rush and towards Downtown in the PM rush Closed-door along the entire route
549 ^[16]	Encino Encino Park and Ride	Pasadena Lake L Line station	Burbank Boulevard, Ventura Freeway	Service is provided in both directions during peak hours. This is a service with only designated pick up points between cities operating as a limited stop service. Open-door along the entire route
573 ^[17]	Mission Hills Chatsworth Street and Orion Street	Century City Constellation Boulevard and Century Park West	San Fernando Valley: Balboa Boulevard Westwood: Gayley Avenue, Wilshire Boulevard	Service is provided in both directions during peak hours. Closed-door along the entire route, except at Balboa Blvd & Devonshire St and Encino Park & Ride
574 ^[18]	Sylmar Metrolink station	El Segundo Space Park Drive and Aviation Boulevard	San Fernando Valley: Balboa Boulevard, Chatsworth Street South Bay: Sepulveda Boulevard, Aviation Boulevard	Service operates towards the South Bay in the AM rush and towards Sylmar in the PM rush Closed-door along the entire route, except at Balboa Blvd & Devonshire St, Encino Park & Ride, and Sepulveda Blvd & Century Blvd (LAX)
Union Station/Bunker Hill Shuttle ^[19]	Downtown LA Union Station	Bunker Hill Hope Street and 4th Street	Grand Avenue	Operates towards Bunker Hill in the AM rush and towards Union Station in the PM rush Open-door along the entire route

Commuter Express services are provided by a variety of suburban vehicles, including Gillig Phantoms, , and Stewart & Stevenson . Also part of the fleet are a small number of CNG powered Orion V coaches.

CityRide[]

CityRide is a program for individuals in the city of Los Angeles, aged 65 or older and for qualified disabled persons.

In popular culture[]

The transit agency makes a cameo appearance in the Animaniacs episode "Hooray for North Hollywood Part 2", where Dot Warner spots an LADOT bus, thinking it was named in her honor.^[20] She then sings gleefully about it, but Yakko corrects his sister, telling her what LADOT actually means. Realizing her mistake, Dot nevertheless finishes her song on a positive note.

References[]

^ "Operating Groups : Department of Transportation : City of Los Angeles". LADOT. 29 September 2013. Archived from the original on 2013-09-29. Retrieved 2017-07-22.
^ LADOT Short Range Transit Plan FY 2011-12, Retrieved 2014-09-20
^ 1985 RTD Bus Map, Retrieved 2014-09-20
^ 1989 RTD Bus System Map, Retrieved 2014-09-20
^ Commuter Express 142
^ Commuter Express409
^ Commuter Express 419
^ Commuter Express 422
^ Commuter Express 423
^ Commuter Express 431
^ Commuter Express 437
^ Commuter Express 438
^ Commuter Express 439
^ Commuter Express 448
^ Commuter Express 534
^ Commuter Express 549
^ Commuter Express 573
^ Commuter Express 574
^ Union station/bunker Hill Shuttle
^ "96- Discussing Animaniacs Episode 96 "Hooray for North Hollywood" Part Two". Listen Notes. Retrieved 2019-08-14.

External links[]

[1] "Operating Groups : Department of Transportation : City of Los Angeles". LADOT. 29 September 2013. Archived from the original on 2013-09-29. Retrieved 2017-07-22.

[2] LADOT Short Range Transit Plan FY 2011-12, Retrieved 2014-09-20

[3] 1985 RTD Bus Map, Retrieved 2014-09-20

[4] 1989 RTD Bus System Map, Retrieved 2014-09-20

[5] Commuter Express 142

[6] Commuter Express409

[7] Commuter Express 419

[8] Commuter Express 422

[9] Commuter Express 423

[10] Commuter Express 431

[11] Commuter Express 437

[12] Commuter Express 438

[13] Commuter Express 439

[14] Commuter Express 448

[15] Commuter Express 534

[16] Commuter Express 549

[17] Commuter Express 573

[18] Commuter Express 574

[19] Union station/bunker Hill Shuttle

[20] "96- Discussing Animaniacs Episode 96 "Hooray for North Hollywood" Part Two". Listen Notes. Retrieved 2019-08-14.

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