World City Guide

Getting Around

Public Transport
Despite LA being one of the most car-oriented cities in the USA, public transport is good and swift. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA; tel: (800) COMMUTE/266 6883, route information or (213) 922 4682, customer relations; website: www.mta.net) actually operates over 1,900 buses (Metro Bus) (one of the largest fleets in the nation) as well as a subway system (Metro Rail). Due to the size of the city, buses can be time consuming and may involve changing, but if the subway stops where required, it is a very good option. For example, visitors could be whisked from Downtown to Hollywood in just 12 minutes, but add another 10 minutes or so if the train is not at the station.

The Metro Rail system has, at present, nearly 96km (60 miles) of interconnected subway and light rail tracks, covering 62 stations over four lines. The Blue Line connects Downtown Los Angeles and Long Beach. The Green Line runs along the median of Century Freeway and links Norwalk and El Segundo. The Red Line connects Union Station, Downtown LA, Hollywood, Universal City, North Hollywood. The new Gold Line runs from Union Station to Pasadena.

The standard fare for bus or rail is US$1.25 (US$1.35 for the Metro) one way. A weekly Metro pass (US$14) is good for unlimited rides on Metro Bus or Metro Rail, or passengers can buy ten Metro tokens for US$11 which can be used for one-way fares on either bus or rail. Many hotels, local convenience and grocery stores and Metro Customer Centers sell Metro passes and tokens.

Downtown Los Angeles also has a bus system called DASH, which circulates around the Downtown area. Fares are a low US$0.25. Maps and schedules are available on the bus or from a hotel concierge and signs are posted throughout the Downtown area. DASH is operated by LADOT (tel: 213, 310, 323 or 818 808 2273 or for route information (800) 252 9040; website: www.ladottransit.com).

Taxis
Although taxis are readily available, the size of Los Angeles makes them expensive and impractical for cross-town journeys. They are more useful for night journeys within one area. There are ten franchise taxi operators in the city. Visitors should look for the official Los Angeles Taxicab Seal before getting in, as those without it are ‘bandit’ cabs with no legal authorisation to operate. Taxis cannot be hailed on the street but there are ranks at major hotels and they can be telephoned for: Bell Cab (tel: (888) BELLCAB/235 5222; website: www.bellcab.com); Checker Cab (tel: (213) 481 2345) and LA Yellow Cab (tel: (310) 808 1000, (213) 808 1000, (818) 361 6959 or (877) 733 3305; website: www.layellowcab.com). All official taxis charge the same rates. The basic fare for a taxi ride is US$2 initial charge, then US$2 per mile.

Limousines
Chauffeur-driven cars and limousines are available from Chauffeurs Unlimited (tel: (800) 922 8583 or (310) 645 8711), ExecuCar (tel: (800) 801 7600; website: www.execucar.com), Integrated Transportation Services Inc (tel: (800) 487 4255; website: http://itslimo.com) and Orion Limousine Service (tel: (888) 431 5466; website: www.orionlimo.com). Rates start from around US$45 per hour and 18% tip.

Driving in the City
The distances between LA’s various points can seem intimidating at first, but it is relatively easy to get around the city in a car. However, it is hard to get a sense of compass points so visitors should try to plan their journey in advance and get to know a map of the major highways. Freeways running east-west have even numbers, while those running north-south have odd numbers. Most have a name as well as a number; and it is wise to ask for both when getting directions. The Downtown Visitor Information Center (tel: (213 689 8822) can help here.

The freeways are well marked, although very congested especially during rush hours (0700-0900 and 1600-1900). Using helicopters, local radio stations broadcast frequent traffic reports 0600-1000 and 1500-1900. Many southern Californian freeways have designated fast lanes for ‘HOV’s or High Occupancy Vehicles only (also known as ‘car pool’) – usually cars carrying more than one person. Visitors should not merge into an HOV lane unless their car has the specified number of passengers, as fines are levied. There are call boxes with free telephones every half-mile along the freeways for emergencies.

There are numerous parking lots and garages throughout the city; prices vary widely, from around US$2-42 per day. Check garages for earlybird specials (before 0900). For on-street parking, however, visitors should read all signs carefully, as there is often a complicated system of days or hours when parking is not allowed for street cleaning etc. Illegally parked vehicles are quickly ticketed and may be towed away. A red curb means no parking. A green curb allows parking for a limited time. A white curb is for loading and unloading passengers only. Some streets have metered parking; meters generally take quarters (25-cent coins) and the fees are US$0.25 per 15 minutes in the Downtown area and US$0.25 for 20-30 minutes elsewhere. Meters are generally free after 1800 and on Sundays, but visitors should always check the signs. Many restaurants offer valet parking either free or for a nominal fee; valets should always be tipped US$1-2.

Car Hire
All the major car hire companies have offices around the LA area. These include Alamo (tel: (800) 327 9633; website: www.alamo.com); Avis (tel: (800) 331 1212; website: www.avis.com), Budget (tel: (800) 527 0700; website: www.budget.com), Dollar (tel: (800) 800 4000; website: www.dollar.com), Hertz (tel: (800) 654 3131; website: www.hertz.com), National (tel: (800) 227 7368; website: www.nationalcar.com) and Thrifty (tel: (800) 367 2277; website: www.thrifty.com). Drivers must be at least 25 years of age, depending on company policy. Daily rates begin at about US$36 and weekly car hire rates start at around US$178.

Los Angeles Rent-A-Car (tel: (310) 670 9945 or (800) 441 7368; website: www.la-rentacar.com) rents to drivers under the age of 25. Los Angeles loves classic cars; to hire these or any slightly more exotic vehicle, visitors could try Beverly Hills Rent A Car (tel: (800) 479 5996 or (310) 337 1400; website: www.bhrentacar.com).

Bicycle & Motorcycle Hire
Hollywood Pro Bicycles (tel: (323) 466 5890 or (888) 775 BIKE/2453; website: http://hollywoodprobicycles.com) is one of a few stores that rents road and mountain bikes. Prices are US$25 per day or US$80 per week. Perry’s Beach Cafe, 2400 and 2600 Oceanfront Walk, Santa Monica (tel: (310) 372 3138; website: www.perryscafe.com), has bike and skate rentals and easy access to the bike paths either side of Santa Monica Pier. Rates for both bike and skate rentals are US$7 per hour or US$20 per day and bikes rentals begin at US$9 per hour or US$25 per day. Bikestation, 105 The Promenade North, Long Beach (tel: (562) 436 BIKE/2453; website: www.bikestation.org), which links to public transportation and 53km (33 miles) of scenic bike paths, has quality bike rentals.

EagleRider Motorcycle Rental is located close to LAX Airport at 11860 South La Cienega Boulevard (tel: (800) 501 8687 or (310) 536 6777; website: www.eaglerider.com) and has motorcycle rentals, including Harley Davidsons, as well as motorcycle guided tours. Rentals cost US$170 per day and US$749 per week.