101-612: Metro Rapid is a bus service in Los Angeles County, California , operated as part of the Los Angeles Metro Bus system. Metro Rapid service was introduced in the early 2000s to provide faster service on major corridors in Los Angeles, with stops spaced approximately 1 ⁄ 2 mile (800 m) apart. The first Metro Rapid lines featured physical infrastructure improvements, including signal priority at intersections in
202-677: A 1996 consent decree , the product of a federal lawsuit brought by a coalition of civil rights organizations, including the Bus Riders Union . The plaintiffs in the lawsuit argued that Metro's large subsidies for rail construction and operation, relative to its expenditures for bus service, were discriminatory. Metro Rapid service was one part of Metro's proposals to improve bus service, approved by special master Donald T. Bliss. In addition to introducing Metro Rapid service, Metro expanded local and express bus service, purchased hundreds of new buses, and lowered bus pass prices. Metro Rapid service on
303-598: A bill was authorized to create a new independent construction authority to finish the line. The agency, now known as the Foothill Gold Line Construction Authority, resumed light rail construction in 2000 and completed the line three years later. The now-renamed Gold Line, between Union Station and Sierra Madre Villa station in East Pasadena, opened on July 26, 2003. In 2016, the Gold Line
404-578: A decrease due to net migration of 361,895 people. Immigration resulted in a net increase of 293,433 people, and migration from within the United States resulted in a net decrease of 655,328 people. The racial makeup of Los Angeles County was 4,936,599 (50%) White, 1,346,865 (13.7%) Asian, 856,874 (9%) African American, 72,828 (0.7%) Native American, 26,094 (0.3%) Pacific Islander, 2,140,632 (21.8%) from other races, and 438,713 (4.5%) from two or more races. Non-Hispanic whites numbered 2,728,321, or 28% of
505-406: A large cluster of government buildings in the city's Civic Center. Historically, the courthouses were county-owned buildings that were maintained at county expense, which created significant friction since the trial court judges, as officials of the state government, had to lobby the county Board of Supervisors for facility renovations and upgrades. In turn, the state judiciary successfully persuaded
606-400: A median income of $ 36,299 versus $ 30,981 for females. The per capita income for the county was $ 20,683. There are 14.4% of families living below the poverty line and 17.9% of the population, including 24.2% of under 18 and 10.5% of those over 64. Los Angeles County has the highest number of millionaires of any county in the nation, totaling 261,081 households as of 2007. The homeownership rate
707-716: A separate line. It opened in 2003 and extended east to Azusa in 2016. Planning for the northern extension resumed in the early 2000s as part of the Regional Connector Transit Project , with construction starting in 2014. The project enabled A Line trains to run north to the San Gabriel Valley by constructing a light rail tunnel in Downtown Los Angeles, connecting the A Line to the L Line. The A Line's current Azusa–Long Beach service commenced in June 2023 with
808-456: A single county. As a result, both the county superior court and the federal district court are respectively the busiest courts of their type in the nation. Many celebrities have been seen in Los Angeles courts. In 2003, the television show Extra (based in nearby Glendale ) found itself running so many reports on the legal problems of local celebrities that it spun them off into a separate show, Celebrity Justice . State cases are appealed to
909-550: Is 365,000 workers. Despite a business exodus from Downtown Los Angeles since the COVID-19 pandemic , the city's urban core is evolving as a cultural center with the world's largest showcase of architecture designed by Frank Gehry . The following major companies have headquarters in Los Angeles County: The Los Angeles County Office of Education provides a supporting role for school districts in
1010-400: Is 47.9%, and the median value for houses is $ 409,300. 42.2% of housing units are in multi-unit structures. Los Angeles County has the largest number of homeless people , with "48,000 people living on the streets, including 6,000 veterans ," in 2010. As of 2017 the number of homeless people in the county increased to nearly 58,000. In 2015, there were over two thousand Christian churches ,
1111-633: Is a state-mandated county transportation commission that also operates bus and rail. In the United States House of Representatives , Los Angeles County is split between 17 congressional districts. In the California State Senate , Los Angeles County is split between 13 legislative districts. In the California State Assembly , Los Angeles County is split between 24 legislative districts. On November 4, 2008, Los Angeles County
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#17328516061841212-491: Is home to the largest Armenian population outside of Armenia. Los Angeles County contains the largest Iranian population outside of Iran of any other county or county equivalent globally. At the 2000 census, there were 9,519,338 people, 3,133,774 households, and 2,137,233 families in the county. The population density was 2,344 inhabitants per square mile (905/km ). There were 3,270,909 housing units at an average density of 806 units per square mile (311 units/km ). Of
1313-472: Is limited by the capacity of the station and the grade crossing of Pico Boulevard immediately adjacent to it. The wye junction at Flower and Washington is a similar bottleneck, as trains on both lines must cross a busy intersection and freeway onramp at-grade. Accidents, gridlocked traffic, and signal delays at the junction can cause cascading service disruptions across both lines. Various grade separation projects have been considered to improve capacity and resolve
1414-431: Is managed on a day-to-day basis by a chief executive officer and is organized into many departments, each of which is enormous in comparison to equivalent county-level (and even many state-level) departments anywhere else in the United States. Some of the larger or better-known departments include: The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority , despite its name, is not a County department. Technically it
1515-464: Is more arts-centered. Santa Monica's pier is a well known tourist spot, famous for its Ferris wheel and bumper car rides, which were featured in the introductory segment of the television sitcom Three's Company . Further north in Pacific Palisades one finds the beaches used in the television series Baywatch . The fabled Malibu , home of many film and television stars, lies west of it. In
1616-416: Is one of the most ethnically diverse U.S. counties. The county's seat , Los Angeles , is the second most populous city in the United States , with 3,822,238 residents estimated in 2022. The county has been world-renowned as the domicile of the U.S. motion picture industry since the latter's inception in the early 20th century. Los Angeles County is one of the original counties of California , created at
1717-480: Is operated out of two divisions, Metro's term for train maintenance and storage facilities. Division 11 is located at 4350 East 208th Street in Cota, North Long Beach between Del Amo and Wardlow stations. The facility can house and maintain 86 light rail vehicles and can perform heavy maintenance including repainting. Trains get to this yard via a wye junction on the southbound tracks. Northbound trains can enter and exit
1818-446: Is planned to begin in 2025 with service starting in 2035. Metro estimates it will take 10 years to build. The A Line often operates at capacity, and various options to increase capacity have been considered, such as four-car or more frequent trains. Both have problems: it would be difficult or impossible to lengthen some of the station platforms, and the number of trains already causes delays for other vehicles at level crossings . Since
1919-456: Is pressure to maintain travel times and headway schedule requirements (e.g., a passenger trip from Los Angeles to Long Beach in less than one hour). Other contributing factors identified were the high population density leading to more pedestrian and vehicular traffic around the tracks, the diverse, varied socio-economic community around the line that creates literacy and language difficulties for public education campaigns, driver frustration due to
2020-399: Is rainfall mostly in the wintertime, but the mountains in the north-central part of the county have snow during winter. In 2019, the median household income in the county was $ 72,797. Los Angeles County had a population of 9,818,605 in the 2010 United States Census . This includes a natural increase since the last census of 583,364 people (i.e., 1,152,564 births minus 569,200 deaths) and
2121-505: Is the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C. The following table includes the number of incidents reported and the rate per 1,000 persons for each type of offense. Crime in 2013 According to the authors of Wild L.A. , a book about urban biodiversity, "Los Angeles is the birdiest county in the country with over 500 recorded species." L.A.'s amenable climate supports a large number of introduced, tropical and migratory species. Because of
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#17328516061842222-619: Is the largest diocese in the United States. In 2014, the county had 3,275 religious organizations, the most out of all US counties. The Government of Los Angeles County is defined and authorized under the California Constitution , California law and the Charter of the County of Los Angeles. Much of the Government of California is in practice the responsibility of local governments such as
2323-448: Is the longest light rail line in the world, surpassing the 42-mile (68 km) Coast Tram in Belgium . The line's northern terminus is at APU/Citrus College station just west of Citrus Avenue and north of the two universities. The line runs west through Azusa before stopping at Azusa Downtown station at Azusa Avenue, north of Foothill Boulevard. Continuing west, the line crosses over
2424-589: The B and D rapid transit lines, Metrolink commuter rail , Amtrak , and buses. The entire section of the line north of Union Station follows the current and former right of way of the Pasadena Subdivision . South of Union Station, trains use the Regional Connector through Downtown Los Angeles. In Little Tokyo , the line enters the new tunnel north of Temple Street to serve the replacement underground Little Tokyo/Arts District station , where
2525-620: The Blue Line ) is a light rail line in Los Angeles County, California . It is one of the six lines of the Los Angeles Metro Rail system, operated by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro). The A Line serves 44 stations and runs east-west between Azusa and Pasadena , then north-south between Pasadena and Long Beach , interlining and sharing five stations with
2626-523: The County of Los Angeles and sometimes abbreviated as L.A. County , is the most populous county in the United States , with 9,861,224 residents estimated in 2022. Its population is greater than that of 40 individual U.S. states . Comprising 88 incorporated cities and many unincorporated areas within a total area of 4,083 square miles (10,570 km ), it is home to more than a quarter of Californians and
2727-698: The E Line in Downtown Los Angeles . It operates for approximately 19 hours per day with headways of up to 8 minutes during peak hours . It runs for 48.5 miles (78.1 km), making it the world's longest light rail line since 2023. The A Line is the oldest and busiest light rail line in the Los Angeles Metro Rail system, carrying over 15 million passengers in 2023, with an average of 69,216 weekday riders in May 2024. Its initial segment from Downtown Los Angeles to Long Beach opened in 1990, utilizing much of
2828-568: The Gold Line to the A (then Blue) Line fleet. These vehicles were used before their refurbishment. As of 2023, some are currently being tested on the A Line, and they made a rocky return to the A Line in late 2024. In 2017, the Blue Line received 78 Kinki Sharyo P3010 light rail vehicles, the first new cars for the line since it opened in 1990. As the P3010 fleet was introduced, Metro gradually retired all of
2929-654: The I-210 freeway and runs parallel to it, entering Irwindale before stopping at Irwindale station at Irwindale Avenue. After this station, the line continues west, crossing over the San Gabriel River and underneath the I-605 freeway, diverging from I-210 and entering Duarte , before stopping at Duarte/City of Hope station located on the north side of Duarte Road, across from the City of Hope National Medical Center . Continuing west,
3030-597: The Kinki Sharyo P3010 , the Siemens P2000 , and the AnsaldoBreda P2550 , but has seen every type of light rail rolling stock on Metro's roster throughout its history of operation. When the A Line, then known as the Blue Line, first opened in 1990, the line had 54 Nippon Sharyo P865 light rail vehicles, numbered 100–153. These cars wore a unique livery of several blue stripes and a single red stripe, reflecting
3131-687: The La Brea Tar Pits , the Arboretum of Los Angeles , and two horse racetracks and two car racetracks ( Pomona Raceway and Irwindale Speedway ), also the RMS ; Queen Mary located in Long Beach, and the Long Beach Grand Prix , and miles of beaches—from Zuma to Cabrillo. Venice Beach is a popular attraction whose Muscle Beach used to attract throngs of tourists admiring "hardbodies". Today, it
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3232-712: The Los Angeles Basin , San Fernando Valley , and San Gabriel Valley . Other population centers are found in the Santa Clarita Valley , Pomona Valley , Crescenta Valley and Antelope Valley . The county is divided west-to-east by the San Gabriel Mountains , which are part of the Transverse Ranges of southern California, and are contained mostly within the Angeles National Forest . Most of
3333-677: The San Emigdio Mountains , the southernmost part of Tehachapi Mountains and the Sierra Pelona Mountains . Los Angeles County includes San Clemente Island and Santa Catalina Island , which are part of the Channel Islands archipelago off the Pacific Coast . The Northern part of the county has a Desert climate , while the rest of the county generally is a mix of Semi-arid and a hot-summer Mediterranean climate . There
3434-706: The San Gabriel River and the Santa Clara River flow in Los Angeles County, while the primary mountain ranges are the Santa Monica Mountains and the San Gabriel Mountains . The western extent of the Mojave Desert begins in the Antelope Valley , in the northeastern part of the county. Most of the population of Los Angeles County resides in the south and southwest, with major population centers in
3535-773: The broader impacts on transit from the COVID-19 pandemic , and most Rapid lines were not reinstated. The changes from the NextGen plan, implemented beginning in 2021, merged most Rapid lines back into their local counterparts. Metro Rapid service is a limited-stop bus service, with characteristics of bus rapid transit . These characteristics include off-board fare payment on some lines, enhanced bus stops that are spaced farther apart than corresponding local services, and signal priority at some intersections. The lack of dedicated bus lanes for Metro Rapid service has led scholars to describe it as " BRT-lite ," as opposed to "bus rapid transit" or "full-service bus rapid transit." A delegation from
3636-459: The "Pasadena Metro Blue Line." Planners envisioned extending the existing Blue Line (A Line) north of 7th Street/Metro Center, but it was canceled due to funding shortages. However, the mostly above-ground segment of the extension from Union Station to Pasadena advanced and began construction in 1994 as a separate line but was suspended again by 1998 due to the Proposition A ban. Later that year,
3737-460: The 1870s, Los Angeles County was divided into townships (many of which were amalgamations of one or more old ranchos ): As shown by the map below, Los Angeles County is bordered on the north by Kern County , on the east by San Bernardino County , on the southeast by Orange County , on the south by the Pacific Ocean , and on the west by Ventura County . According to the U.S. Census Bureau ,
3838-496: The 3,133,774 households 37% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48% were married couples living together, 15% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32% were non-families. 25% of households were one person and 7% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.98 and the average family size was 3.61. The age distribution was 28% under the age of 18, 10% from 18 to 24, 33% from 25 to 44, 19% from 45 to 64, and 10% 65 or older. The median age
3939-575: The 48.5-mile (78.1 km) line is approximately two hours, including a brief layover at Union Station to change train crews. Southbound trips over the full line are scheduled at 1 hour and 55 minutes, with northbound trips scheduled at 1 hour and 55 minutes. The line's scheduled average speed is approximately 25–26 miles per hour (40–42 km/h). Top speeds on the line vary, from below 10 miles per hour (16 km/h) at surface level in Downtown Los Angeles, to 55 miles per hour (89 km/h) on grade-separated infrastructure. The following table lists
4040-502: The A Line due to the completion of the Regional Connector project on June 16, 2023. The Southeast Gateway Line is a planned light rail line, mostly following the Pacific Electric 's historic West Santa Ana Branch , connecting Downtown Los Angeles to the city of Artesia , along with other cities in southeastern Los Angeles County. It will link the southeast/Gateway cities with the A Line at Slauson station . Construction
4141-575: The A Line's right of way north of Union Station through the San Gabriel Valley was built by the Los Angeles and San Gabriel Valley Railroad in 1885. It was eventually taken over by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway , as part of the Pasadena Subdivision , which saw Amtrak service until 1994, when construction began on the conversion to light rail. The light rail project was initially called
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4242-464: The A, E, and L Line trains ran through the Regional Connector tunnel for final testing. The project officially opened for revenue service on June 16, 2023. Once the Regional Connector was completed, the alignment of the L Line was split into two parts at Little Tokyo/Arts District station, with the portion north of the station joined to the A Line, extending it to connect Long Beach with Azusa. The alignment east of Little Tokyo/Arts District station
4343-531: The Blue Line on Saturday, July 14, 1990, and ran from Pico to Anaheim Street . The Long Beach Loop section to Long Beach opened in September 1990, followed by the tunnel into 7th Street/Metro Center in February 1991. The initial light rail segment cost US$ 877 million ($ 2.05 billion in 2023 adjusted for inflation). The route reached full capacity after one decade of service, and from 1999 to 2001,
4444-490: The Blue Line underwent a US$ 11 million project to lengthen 19 of its platforms to accommodate three-car trains. There were also plans since the 1980s to extend the Blue Line north to Pasadena but the connection through downtown was postponed due to funding constraints from the voter-approved 1998 Proposition A. The proposition restricted local county subway funding, halting the process of the Blue Line extension and other rail transit projects from advancing. The Blue Line
4545-529: The Blue Line's color designation and its Pacific Electric Red Car heritage. In 2000, Metro transferred all 15 Nippon Sharyo P2020 (numbered 154-168) light rail vehicles from the Green Line (now the C Line ) to the Blue Line fleet. These light rail vehicles were nearly identical to the older P865 model but were about five years newer and originally had equipment for automatic train operation . In 2012, Metro transferred some Siemens P2000 light rail vehicles from
4646-633: The City of Los Angeles, and enhanced bus shelters. The service was initially popular, expanding across Los Angeles County. Despite the service's initial popularity, service was cut on some major corridors in response to budget difficulties in the early 2010s. A major reorganization of the Metro Bus network, the NextGen Bus Plan, was proposed in 2019. Much of the Metro Rapid network was suspended in 2020, as part of
4747-933: The Court of Appeal for the Second Appellate District, which is also headquartered in the Civic Center , and then to the California Supreme Court , which is headquartered in San Francisco but also hears argument in Los Angeles (again, in the Civic Center). Federal cases are appealed to the Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit , which hears them at its branch building in Pasadena . The court of last resort for federal cases
4848-452: The Government of Los Angeles County. The county's voters elect a governing five-member Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors . The small size of the board means each supervisor represents over 2 million people. The board operates in a legislative, executive, and quasi-judicial capacity. As a legislative authority, it can pass ordinances for the unincorporated areas (ordinances that affect
4949-627: The Greater Los Angeles Area. LAX is operated by Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA), an agency of the City of Los Angeles. Other important commercial airports in Los Angeles County include: The following general aviation airports also are located in Los Angeles County: The U.S. Air Force operates three airports in Los Angeles County: A Line (Los Angeles Metro) The A Line (formerly and colloquially known as
5050-489: The L Line to the A Line. This enabled A Line trains to run from Long Beach to Azusa through the new tunnel. The southern ( Pico/Aliso – East LA ) segment was combined with the existing E Line between Downtown Los Angeles and Santa Monica . The new east-west line kept the E Line name but uses the L Line's gold color. Two new stations were also constructed in the tunnel, providing more service to destinations and communities in Downtown Los Angeles. Formal studies and planning for
5151-529: The Long Beach Transit Mall while making a loop using 1st Street, Pacific Avenue, and 8th Street. A Line service hours are from approximately 4:30 a.m. and 11:45 p.m daily. Trains operate every 8 minutes during peak hours, Monday to Friday. Trains run every 10 minutes, during midday on weekdays and weekends, from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Night and early morning service is approximately every 20 minutes every day. The full travel time of
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#17328516061845252-602: The Los Angeles city government, including Mayor Richard Riordan , visited the Brazilian city of Curitiba in early 1999. The civic leaders were impressed by Curitiba's comprehensive bus rapid transit system, the Rede Integrada de Transporte , and sought to replicate it. By the summer of 1999, planning was underway for a pilot program of bus rapid transit service on two corridors: Wilshire Blvd / Whittier Blvd and Ventura Blvd . The establishment of Metro Rapid service followed
5353-451: The Metro Rapid network beginning in 2020. Implementation of the NextGen plan was interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, which caused service cuts independent of the network redesign. In the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, beginning in late 2020, service was reallocated from Metro Rapid lines to local lines. A December 2020 service change eliminated 6 lines, and much of the rest of the network
5454-520: The Rapid service quickly captured over 60% of bus ridership on both corridors. Following the initial pilot program of two lines in 2000, the Metro Rapid system expanded quickly. 6 lines were in operation in 2003, expanding to 26 lines in 2010. This rapid expansion was followed by significant reduction, with 5 Rapid lines cut in 2011 due to a budget crisis. The NextGen Bus Plan, a Metro initiative to redesign its entire bus network, proposed to eliminate most of
5555-452: The Regional Connector began in 2004 and was approved in 2012. A groundbreaking ceremony was held on September 30, 2014, marking the start of major construction. To accommodate the new tunnel, the existing at-grade L Line Little Tokyo/Arts District station was demolished in 2020 and rebuilt as a subway station approximately 500 feet (150 m) south and on the opposite side of Alameda Street from its former location. Starting on April 9, 2023,
5656-671: The area. The county office also operates two magnet schools, the International Polytechnic High School and Los Angeles County High School for the Arts . There are a number of private schools in the county, most notably those operated by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese . The county's public education sector is run by numerous school districts with the Los Angeles Unified School District being
5757-459: The bus rapid transit J Line at 7th Street/Metro Center, Pico , and Grand/LATTC stations. The A and E Lines diverge at Flower Street and Washington Boulevard . E Line trains continue south along Flower Street, and the A Line turns east onto Washington Boulevard before turning south into the former Pacific Electric right of way at Long Beach Avenue. This historic rail corridor has four tracks, two for A Line trains and two for freight trains. Along
5858-448: The completion of the project, incorporating the Union Station–Pasadena–Azusa portion of the L Line. Subsequently, the L Line ceased service, and as part of the project, three additional downtown stations opened in the constructed tunnel alignment. Construction is underway to extend the A Line further east to Pomona and Montclair . The A Line runs 48.5 miles (78.1 km) between Azusa and Downtown Long Beach , serving 44 stations. It
5959-428: The corridor, there are some flyovers to either eliminate grade crossings in more densely populated areas or pass over diverging freight tracks. Passengers can connect with the C Line at the Willowbrook/Rosa Parks station . Just south of Willow Street station , A Line trains exit the rail corridor and begin street running in the median of Long Beach Boulevard into the city of Long Beach, where trains travel through
6060-437: The county are considered ecologically significant indicators of ecosystem health and may be documented using the iNaturalist app. Los Angeles County is commonly associated with the entertainment and digital media industry; all five major film studios — Paramount Pictures , Sony Pictures , Warner Bros. , Universal Pictures , and Walt Disney Studios —are located within the county. Numerous other major industries also define
6161-402: The county has an area of 4,751 square miles (12,310 km ), of which 4,058 square miles (10,510 km ) (85%) is land and 693 square miles (1,790 km ) (15%) is water. Los Angeles County borders 70 miles (110 km) of coast on the Pacific Ocean and encompasses mountain ranges, valleys, forests, islands, lakes, rivers, and desert. The Los Angeles River , Rio Hondo , Ballona Creek ,
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#17328516061846262-532: The county is 48.7% White, 11.0% African American, 0.8% Native American, 10.0% Asian, 0.3% Pacific Islander, 23.5% from other races, and 4.9% from two or more races. 44.6% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race. The largest European-American ancestry groups are German (6%), Irish (5%), English (4%) and Italian (3%). 45.9% of the population reported speaking only English at home; 37.9% spoke Spanish, 2.22% Tagalog , 2.0% Chinese, 1.9% Korean , 1.87% Armenian , 0.5% Arabic , and 0.2% Hindi . The county has
6363-405: The county's highest peaks are in the San Gabriel Mountains, including Mount San Antonio 10,068 feet (3,069 m) at the Los Angeles– San Bernardino county lines, Mount Baden-Powell 9,399 feet (2,865 m), Mount Burnham 8,997 feet (2,742 m) and Mount Wilson 5,710 feet (1,740 m). Several lower mountains are in the northern, western, and southwestern parts of the county, including
6464-409: The county's wide range of biomes it is possible to see desert bighorn sheep and green sea turtles in the same day, without crossing the county line. The range of habitats in the county is "greater than in many states, with mountains, wetlands, desert, ocean, meadows and chaparral, each with its own endemic species." There are at least 100 species of trees, and 1000 species of non-native plants, in
6565-411: The eastern Antelope Valley – California State Parks' largest in area within the county. The California Poppy Reserve is located in the western Antelope Valley and shows off the State's flower in great quantity on its rolling hills every spring. Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), located in the Westchester district, is the primary commercial airport for commercial airlines in the county and
6666-430: The economy of Los Angeles County, including international trade supported by the Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach , music recording and production, aerospace and defense, fashion, and professional services such as law, medicine, engineering and design services, financial services. High-tech sector employment within Los Angeles County is 368,500 workers, and manufacturing employment within Los Angeles County
6767-407: The extension back to its full original plan of reaching Montclair. Once construction is completed, it will be the first Metro Rail line to cross into another southern California county. Provided that there is approval and funding from the state and San Bernardino County, further extensions of the line can be considered, including one for a terminus at Ontario International Airport . It is served by
6868-412: The freeway's median. In Old Pasadena , the line travels underground for almost half a mile, passing under Pasadena's main thoroughfare, Colorado Boulevard , which makes the Memorial Park station below grade. The station serves most of Pasadena's fine dining, shops, malls, and civic center. The line continues south through downtown Pasadena and South Pasadena , primarily at grade. North of Highland Park,
6969-455: The high ridership (over 70,000 per day) was a contributor: The MBL has one of the highest ridership counts for light rail lines in the Country. This factor is perhaps the most important contributor to the grade-crossing accident rate. The high ridership results in increased pedestrian traffic near stations compared to other light rail systems. In addition, although MTA Operations does not allow high passenger loads to dictate safe operations, there
7070-420: The issues with this section of track. Over 120 motorists and pedestrians have been killed at A Line level crossings since 1990. There have been more than 800 collisions, making the line easily the country's deadliest and most collision-prone rail line. In 1998, the MTA commissioned Booz Allen Hamilton, Inc. to evaluate the cause of Blue Line collisions and recommend affordable solutions. The study reported
7171-430: The largest Native American population of any county in the nation: according to the 2000 census, it has more than 153,550 people of indigenous descent, and most are from Latin America . As estimated by the Public Policy Institute of California in 2008, Los Angeles County is home to more than one-third of California's undocumented immigrants , who make up more than ten percent of the population. Los Angeles County
7272-724: The largest one running public schools primarily within the city of Los Angeles and its immediately neighboring cities. The county's most visited park is Griffith Park , owned by the city of Los Angeles. The county is also known for the annual Rose Parade in Pasadena, the annual Los Angeles County Fair in Pomona, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art , the Los Angeles Zoo , the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County ,
7373-618: The line continues, with a handful of stations serving the hillside areas north of downtown, including Lincoln Heights , Mount Washington , and the Southwest Museum of the American Indian . Northeast of Chinatown , the line crosses over the Los Angeles River on an elevated viaduct. Continuing on the elevated viaduct, the line stops at Chinatown station before arriving at Union Station . At Union Station, passengers can transfer to
7474-594: The line crosses over the Arroyo Seco Parkway (State Route 110) via the Santa Fe Arroyo Seco Railroad Bridge towards Highland Park . After Highland Park station , the line runs in the median of Marmion Way, where trains go at only 20 miles per hour (32 km/h). After Avenue 50, the line runs primarily at grade in its own right of way, except for a short tunnel underneath the intersection of Figueroa Street and Pasadena Avenue. From here,
7575-455: The line merges with the E Line. The two lines turn west to run under 2nd Street and the 2nd Street Tunnel , as well as the B and D lines, with clearances as low as 7 feet (2.1 m). The Regional Connector tunnel connects to the north end of 7th Street/Metro Center station , the former northern terminal of the A Line. The line continues south along Flower Street, transitioning from underground to street level at 11th St. Passengers can connect to
7676-463: The line parallels Duarte Road, entering Monrovia , before diverging northwest just before arriving at Monrovia station . Entering Arcadia , the line crosses all street crossings on bridges except for First Avenue at the at-grade Arcadia station . Continuing west, the line reconverges with and enters the median of I-210 and continues west to Sierra Madre Villa station in Pasadena . Six stations serve different parts of Pasadena, with three of them in
7777-434: The majority of which are Catholic. Roman Catholic adherents number close to 40% of the population. There were 202 Jewish synagogues , 145 Buddhist temples, 38 Muslim mosques , 44 Baháʼí Faith worship centers, 37 Hindu temples , 28 Tenrikyo churches and fellowships, 16 Shinto worship centers, and 14 Sikh gurdwaras in the county. The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles has approximately 5 million members and
7878-508: The mountain, canyon, and desert areas one may find Vasquez Rocks Natural Area Park , where many old Westerns were filmed. Mount Wilson Observatory in the San Gabriel Mountains is open for the public to view astronomical stars from its telescope, now computer-assisted. Many county residents find relaxation in water skiing and swimming at Castaic Lake Recreation Area – the county's largest park by area – as well as enjoying natural surroundings and starry nights at Saddleback Butte State Park in
7979-431: The opening of the Regional Connector, ridership on the A Line continues to increase, potentially resulting in even more capacity problems. One of the biggest constraints on the capacity of the A and E lines is the at-grade section along Flower Street in Downtown Los Angeles, especially Pico Station and the wye junction at Flower and Washington. Pico Station serves both lines and cannot be bypassed, so service on both lines
8080-455: The original right of way of the former Pacific Electric Long Beach Line . Since its opening, the line has undergone numerous upgrades to improve its capacity, safety, and reliability. Plans to extend the line north to Pasadena in the San Gabriel Valley surfaced in the 1980s but were postponed due to funding constraints. The Gold Line (renamed the L Line in 2020) completed a segment of the planned extension from Union Station to Pasadena on
8181-668: The original Gold Line to Pasadena, and the first phase of the Foothill Extension is being built by the Foothill Gold Line Construction Authority. The original plan called for the extension to end at Montclair in San Bernardino County , but budget challenges forced the construction authority to cut the line back to Pomona and delay further construction. On July 9, 2024, the state of California released $ 500 million in funding to A Line extension projects, with San Bernardino County funding an extra $ 80 million, effectively reverting
8282-617: The population. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race numbered 4,687,889 (48%); 36% of Los Angeles County's population was of Mexican ancestry, 3.7% Salvadoran, and 2.2% Guatemalan heritage. The county has a large population of Asian Americans , being home to the largest numbers of Burmese , Cambodian , Chinese , Filipino , Indonesian , Korean , Sri Lankan , Taiwanese , and Thai outside their respective countries. The largest Asian groups in Los Angeles County are 4.0% Chinese, 3.3% Filipino, 2.2% Korean, 1.0% Japanese, 0.9% Vietnamese, 0.8% Indian, and 0.3% Cambodian. The racial makeup of
8383-425: The public perception of Metro Rapid service was better than that of Metro's corresponding local bus services, and similar to the Blue Line . However, Metro Rapid service was perceived as lower-quality than Orange Line BRT and Metro's other rail services. Transit planner Jarrett Walker , who is unaffiliated with Metro, criticized the rapid growth of the Metro Rapid service on multiple occasions. Walker characterized
8484-743: The right of way with freight rail between Willowbrook station and Artesia station. The gates prevent drivers from going around lowered gates. Metro also improved the safety of the A Line's pedestrian crossings by 2018. On Metro Rail's internal timetables, the A Line is called line 801 . Because of the length of the line, operators do not take trains from end to end, swapping out at Union Station. Trains are operated between APU/Citrus College and Union Station by employees based at Division 24 in Monrovia. Between Long Beach and Union Station, operators are based out of Division 11 in Rancho Dominguez. The A Line
8585-406: The slow traffic speeds around the line that leads to more risk-taking behavior, and the shared right of way with freight traffic in the fastest running section from Washington station to Willow station, where trains operate at a maximum of 55 mph (89 km/h) between stations. Due to this, Metro started in the early 2000s to install four-quadrant gates at crossings where the A Line shares
8686-423: The state Legislature to authorize the transfer of all courthouses to the state government in 2008 and 2009 (so that judges would have direct control over their own courthouses). Courthouse security is still provided by the county government under a contract with the state. Unlike the largest city in the United States, New York City , all of the city of Los Angeles and most of its important suburbs are located within
8787-465: The stations (including the six future stations) of the A Line, from north to south: Much of the initial segment of the A Line from Downtown Los Angeles to Long Beach follows the route of the Pacific Electric 's Long Beach Line , which ended service in 1961. The old route gave the new light rail trains a private right of way between Washington and Willow Street stations allowing them to reach higher speeds between stops. The line initially opened as
8888-1325: The system as "diluted," commenting that Metro Rapid lines introduced after the first two lacked the bus stop amenities, service frequency, and signal priority that defined the two initial lines. Walker nonetheless praised the system for the attitude it represented, describing it as "a remarkable effort to step up mobility all over the city in a very short time." Inglewood Transit Center LAX City Bus Center Downey Depot Transportation Center Inglewood Transit Center Hollywood/Vine station West Los Angeles Transit Center Sylmar/San Fernando Station North Hollywood station Little Tokyo/Arts District station 2nd St & Santa Monica Blvd Union Station Sylmar/San Fernando station Expo/Sepulveda station Expo/Crenshaw station South Bay Galleria Sherman Oaks Galleria Harbor Freeway station Canoga station Universal City/Studio City station Willowbrook/Rosa Parks station Hollywood/Western station Crenshaw station Long Beach Boulevard station Artesia station El Monte Station Pasadena City College West Los Angeles Transit Center Expo/Sepulveda station Sylmar/San Fernando Station Wilshire/Vermont station Del Amo Fashion Center Los Angeles County, California Los Angeles County , officially
8989-422: The time of statehood in 1850. The county originally included parts of what are now Kern , San Bernardino , Riverside , Inyo , Tulare , Ventura , and Orange counties. In 1851 and 1852, Los Angeles County stretched from the coast to the state line of Nevada . As the population increased, sections were split off to organize San Bernardino County in 1853, Kern County in 1866, and Orange County in 1889. Before
9090-504: The two pilot corridors began in June 2000, opening on the same day as the Red Line extension to North Hollywood . Both lines were immediately popular, generating ridership growth of 25% in their first 90 days of operation. Travel time was improved by over 20% on both lines, aided by the signal priority at intersections in the City of Los Angeles. Customer satisfaction increased relative to the previous local and limited-stop bus services, and
9191-1022: The urban areas of the county. Charismatic biodiversity indicator species native to the area include three species of amphibian ( Baja California chorus frog , black-bellied slender salamander , western toad ), 14 species of bird ( acorn woodpecker , California quail , canyon wren , cinnamon teal , great blue heron , great horned owl , greater roadrunner , hooded merganser , Northern harrier , red-tailed hawk , red-winged blackbird , spotted towhee , western bluebird , western meadowlark ), nine kinds of invertebrates ( Behr's metalmark , bramble green hairstreak , bumblebees , El Segundo blue butterfly , harvester ants , Lorquin's admiral , North American Jerusalem crickets , Sara orangetip , velvet ants ), five mammals ( bobcat , dusky footed woodrat , gray fox , mountain lion , mule deer ), and six reptiles ( California kingsnake , coachwhip snake , gopher snake , side-blotched lizard , western pond turtle , western rattlesnake ). Any observations of these species within
9292-506: The whole county, like posting of restaurant ratings, must be ratified by the individual city). As an executive body, it can tell the county departments what to do, and how to do it. As a quasi-judicial body, the Board is the final venue of appeal in the local planning process, and holds public hearings on various agenda items. As of 2020, the Board of Supervisors oversees a $ 35.5 billion annual budget and over 112,000 employees. The county government
9393-777: The yard via the cross tracks on the north and south sides of the junction. Division 24 is located south of the I-210 freeway in Monrovia between Monrovia and Duarte/City of Hope stations. Just like Division 11, trains access the yard via the westbound/southbound tracks from either direction of its wye junction. Crossovers from the eastbound track to the yard junction are located near the California Avenue and Mountain Avenue railroad crossings. The A Line operates trains with three light rail vehicles on weekdays and two on weekends. The line currently uses three different types of light rail vehicles:
9494-463: Was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.0 males. The median personal earnings for all workers 16 and older in Los Angeles County are $ 30,654, slightly below the US median; earnings, however vary widely by neighborhood, race and ethnicity, and gender. The median household income was $ 42,189 and the median family income was $ 46,452. Males had
9595-550: Was almost evenly split over Proposition 8 , which amended the California Constitution to ban same-sex marriages. The county voted for the amendment 50.04% with a margin of 2,385 votes. The Los Angeles County Superior Court is the county's court of general jurisdiction, while the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California may hear cases where federal jurisdiction is present. Both are headquartered in
9696-513: Was assigned to the E Line, extending it to connect Santa Monica and East Los Angeles directly. At this time, the L Line ceased to exist as a separate line. Phase 2B of the Foothill Extension, running between APU/Citrus College station in Azusa and the Pomona–North Metrolink station in Pomona, is currently under construction, with a current estimated completion in 2025. This extension, like
9797-510: Was extended east from Pasadena as part of Phase 2A (Phase 1 was the initial Los Angeles to Pasadena segment) of the Foothill Extension , running between Sierra Madre Villa and APU/Citrus College stations in Azusa. The extension was constructed by the Foothill Gold Line Construction Authority and added six new stations to the Gold Line serving the cities of Arcadia, Monrovia, Duarte, Irwindale, and Azusa. A groundbreaking ceremony for Phase 2A
9898-481: Was held on June 26, 2010; construction began the following summer and was completed in September 2015, with the extension entering service on March 5, 2016. Like other lines in the Los Angeles Metro system, the Gold Line's designation became a letter in 2020. This was the beginning of a process where all Metro Rail and Busway lines would be identified by a letter name rather than a system of colors. The Gold Line
9999-578: Was proposed to be eliminated by 2021. The NextGen plan included the construction of over 30 miles (48 km) of new bus lanes across Los Angeles, a feature notably absent from the Metro Rapid system since its introduction. As of 2024, three Metro Rapid lines remain in operation, serving the Wilshire Blvd, Vermont Av, and Van Nuys Blvd/Sepulveda Pass corridors. A 2009 study by the National Bus Rapid Transit Institute found that
10100-400: Was renamed to the L Line. The Regional Connector Transit Project constructed a 1.9-mile (3.1 km) light rail tunnel across Downtown Los Angeles that connected A and E lines to the L Line, with the purpose of reducing transfers and travel times through downtown. The project completed the late 1990s vision of the "Pasadena Blue Line," connecting the northern (Union Station–Azusa) segment of
10201-504: Was renovated in 2019, with the southern half of the line being closed for the first five months and the northern half closing for the following five months (10 months total). Metro provided a bus shuttle service to compensate for the lack of rail service. Metro officially reopened the line on November 2, 2019, rebranding it as the A Line. The renovation helped improve the line's speed and reliability by replacing and modernizing old tracks, signals, train control systems, and bridges. Much of
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