Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
37
The
Cityline
shuttle is a gr eat way to
get around West Hollywood on w eekdays
(9am-4pm) and S aturday (10am-
7:30pm). For 50¢, it'll take you to most of
the major shops and r estaurants through-
out WeHo (v ery handy if y ou par k y our
car in a flat-fee lot). For more information,
call
&
800/447-2189.
By Rail & Subway
The
MetroRail
system is a sor e subject
around to wn. F or y ears, the MT A has
been digging up the city 's streets, sucking
in huge amounts of tax money, and push-
ing exhaust v ents up thr ough peaceful
parkland—and for what? Let's face it, L.A.
will never have New York's subway or San
Francisco's BART. Today the system is still
in its infancy , mainly popular with com-
muters fr om outlying suburbs. H ere's an
overview of what's currently in place:
The
Metro Blue Line,
an aboveground
rail line, connects Downtown Los Angeles
with Long B each. Trains operate daily
from 6am to 9pm.
The
Metro Red Line,
L.A.'s first sub-
way, opened a highly publiciz ed H olly-
wood-Universal City extension in 2000.
The line begins at Union Station, the city's
main train depot, and trav els west under-
neath Wilshire Boulev ard, looping nor th
into H ollywood and the S an F ernando
Valley. D iscount tokens ar e av ailable at
Metro service centers and many ar ea con-
venience stores.
The
Metro Purple Line
subway star ts
at Union Station, shares six stations with
the R ed Line D owntown, and continues
to the Mid-Wilshire area.
The
Metro G reen Line
runs for 20
miles along the center of I-105, the Glenn
Anderson (Centur y) F reeway, and con-
nects N orwalk in eastern Los Angeles
County to L AX and R edondo B each. A
connection with the B lue Line offers visi-
tors access fr om LAX to D owntown L.A.
or Long Beach.
The
Metro Gold Line
is a 14-mile link
between P asadena and U nion S tation in
Downtown L.A. S tops include O ld Pasa-
dena, the Southwest Museum, and China-
town.
The base M etro far e is $1.25 for all
lines. A Metro Day Pass is $5 and w eekly
passes ar e $17. P asses ar e av ailable at
Metro Customer Centers and local conve-
nience and grocery stores. For more infor-
mation on public transpor tation—
including construction updates, timetables,
and details on pur
chasing tokens or
passes—call
MTA
at
&
213/922-2000
or,
better yet, log on to their handy website at
www.mta.net
.
By Taxi
Distances are long in Los Angeles, and cab
fares ar e high; ev en a shor t trip can cost
$20 or more. Taxis currently charge $2.65
at the flag dr op, plus $2.45 per mile. A
service charge of $2.50 is added to far
3
es
originating from LAX.
Except in the heart of Downtown, cabs
will usually not pull o ver when hailed.
Cabstands ar e located at airpor ts, at
Downtown's Union Station, and at major
hotels. To ensur e a ride, or der a taxi in
advance from
Checker Cab
(
&
323/654-
8400
),
L.A. Taxi
(
&
213/627-7000
), or
United Taxi
(
&
213/483-7604
).
Tips
Public Transport Tip
The
L.A. County Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA)
website,
www.mta.net
,
provides all the practical information you need—hours, routes, fares—for using
L.A.'s nearly invisible network of public transportation (buses, subways, light rail).
