Los Angeles Transportation

Big Blue Bus and Tide Shuttle

Run by the City of Santa Monica, the Big Blue Bus provides local service on the Westside. Buses connect to the MTA lines and go to LAX, UCLA, Venice, Brentwood, the Palisades and downtown.

DASH

The L.A. Department of Transportation runs the DASH (Downtown Area Short Hop), which provides a minibus service that runs downtown routes between hotels, shops and other points of interest. They also operate DASH services and Commuter Express buses throughout other parts of the city and outlying areas on the Westside.

Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA)

Operates Metro Rail and Metro Bus services throughout L.A. Three Metro Rail lines are operational -- the Red, Blue and Green - and can take you to a number of popular places. Ticket vending machines are located in each station. The Red Line runs from Union Station (downtown) through Hollywood to North Hollywood. The Blue Line runs from 7th and Flower streets to downtown Long Beach. The Green Line runs east and west, crossing the Blue Line between Norwalk and Redondo Beach and ends south, near LAX. The Gold Line (open mid-2003) connects downtown L.A. to Pasadena. The bus system is notoriously slow if you're trying to get across town during rush hour (buses get caught in traffic jams, too). Exact change is required.