Metro Express is a form of express bus service in Los Angeles County, California

Los Angeles County, California

Los Angeles County is a county in the U.S. state of California. As of 2010 U.S. Census, the county had a population of 9,818,605, making it the most populous county in the United States. Los Angeles County alone is more populous than 42 individual U.S. states...

, operated by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority

Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority is the California state-chartered regional transportation planning agency and public transportation operating agency for the County of Los Angeles formed in 1993 out of a merger of the Southern California Rapid Transit District and the...

. Buses are usually express for a portion of the route, then run either local or limited stop in other areas. Buses are identified by numbers in the 400's going to and from downtown and 500's for suburb-to-suburb trips.

There are two routes with an "X" at the end of their route schedule, the 450X and 577X. These two are the only routes that use Metro's blue painted buses (referred to by Metro as "Business Blue") and the only routes with blue timetables. Note that the "X" suffix does not appear on the buses' headsign

Headsign

A destination sign or destination indicator is a sign mounted on the front or side of a public transport vehicle, such as a bus, tram/streetcar or light rail vehicle, that displays the vehicle's route number and destination, or the route's number and name on transit systems using route names...

s. This service concept is planned to be expanded in the future. There are also at least 13 routes traveling by their respective transitways (Harbor Transitway and El Monte Busway).

Metro charges two zones maximum for their express services. Each zone is $0.70 added to the base fare of $1.50. Students with K-12 and College/Vocational passes, seniors, and the disabled with monthly passes are not required to pay the zone fees, but those with a Day, Weekly, or Monthly pass without a zone sticker are required to pay the zone fees.

The busiest Metro Express line is Line: 460 (Downtown Los Angeles- Knott's Berry Farm- Disneyland Express). Line 460 has the highest passenger ridership for the Metro Express Lines (Metro Silver Line not included, because the Silver Line belongs to the Metro Liner category). Metro Express Line 460 also has the most frequent service for the express lines.

X Lines- Premium Express Routes

"X-lines" are Metro's premium express routes; they operate with very minimal stops. Metro labels these X-lines as Metro Express in the timetables.

Route	Terminals		via	Notes
	Downtown LA Downtown Los Angeles Downtown Los Angeles is the central business district of Los Angeles, California, United States, located close to the geographic center of the metropolitan area... Figueroa-Flower Streets and 5th Street (weekday peaks)	San Pedro San Pedro, Los Angeles, California San Pedro is a port district of the city of Los Angeles, California, United States. It was annexed in 1909 and is a major seaport of the area... Pacific Avenue and 21st Street	In Downtown LA: Figueroa & Flower Streets Express Portion: Harbor Transitway In San Pedro: Pacific Avenue, 1st Street	Operates daily (Mon-Fri: 5:00a-9:20p); (Sa: 5:40a-9:20p); (Su: 7:00a-9:20p) Operated by SB-18
	Artesia Transit Center
	El Monte Station	Cal State Long Beach	Express Portion: San Gabriel River Freeway In Long Beach: 7th Street	Operates weekdays only (Mon-Fri: 5:00a-9:30p) Operated by Southland Transit

Local/Express Routes

Metro considers the non "x-lines" to be Metro Local services and they operate in much the same way as the 300-series (3xx) lines. The main difference between the limited stop 300-series (3xx) and the express 400 (4xx) and 500-series (5xx) is that the express buses operate on freeways or a transitway on a portion of their trip. Most routes use buses painted in the poppy-orange Metro Local livery, in some cases, buses in the Metro Rapid livery find their way into service on these routes. Those buses are equipped with special transponders that cause traffic signals to favor the bus, which adds to the express nature of the buses.

Harbor Transitway Routes

Route	Terminals		via	Notes
	Downtown LA Union Station Union Station (Los Angeles) Los Angeles Union Station is the main railway station in Los Angeles, California. The station has rail services by Amtrak and Amtrak California and Metrolink; light rail/subways are the Metro Rail Red Line, Purple Line, Gold Line. Bus rapid transport runs on the Silver Line...	Hawthorne Station Hawthorne (LACMTA station) Hawthorne/I-105 is a Los Angeles County Metro Rail station on the Green Line. It is located at Hawthorne Boulevard in the median of the Century Freeway in Hawthorne, California. Due to its proximity, the station also serves Inglewood, California and the unincorporated area of Lennox, California...	In Downtown LA: Figueroa & Flower Streets Express Portion: Harbor Transitway In South LA: Manchester Boulevard, La Brea Avenue	Operates weekday peak hours only (Mon-Fri: 6:00a-8:30a, 4:00p-6:00p), in the peak direction: northbound in the AM, southbound in the PM Operates in local service in Downtown LA and limited-stop service in South LA This line has been subjected for cancellation since the new Line 115 stop at the Manchester Silver Line Station has already been completed. Cancellation for Metro Line 442 is pending as of November 2011. Operated by SB-18
	Downtown LA Los Angeles Street and 5th-6th Streets	Anaheim Anaheim, California Anaheim is a city in Orange County, California. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was about 365,463, making it the most populated city in Orange County, the 10th most-populated city in California, and ranked 54th in the United States... Disneyland	In Downtown LA: Figueroa & Flower Streets Express Portion: Harbor Transitway, Century Freeway In South LA: Rosecrans Avenue, Alondra Boulevard	Daily service (Mon-Fri: 5:30a-12:00a); (Sa/Su: 5:30a-12:00a) Has the highest ridership for the Metro Express Lines category. Operates in local service in Downtown LA, and east of the Norwalk Norwalk (LACMTA station) Norwalk is a Los Angeles County Metro Rail station on the Green Line. Located in Norwalk, California, it is the eastern terminus of the Green Line...  Green Line station Operated by GC-1
	West Hollywood West Hollywood, California West Hollywood, a city of Los Angeles County, California, was incorporated on November 29, 1984, with a population of 34,399 at the 2010 census. 41% of the city's population is made up of gay men according to a 2002 demographic analysis by Sara Kocher Consulting for the City of West Hollywood... West Hollywood Public Library	San Pedro 7th Street and Patton Avenue	In Midtown LA: San Vicente Boulevard, Western Avenue Express Portion: Harbor Transitway In South LA: Vermont Avenue, Normandie Avenue	Daily service (Mon-Fri: 5:30a-11:30p); (Sa: 6:00a-10:30p); (Su: 7:00a-10:30p) Operates in local service north of Pico Boulevard and south of Pacific Coast Highway, limited-stop service in other areas except on the Harbor Transitway Operated by SB-18 Peak service north of Exposition Park will be discontinued when the Expo Line opens; as well as off-peak service north of Artesia Transit Center.

Note: In addition to these routes, Gardena Transit, OCTA

Orange County Transportation Authority

The Orange County Transportation Authority is the public sector transportation planning body and mass transit service provider for Orange County, California. Its ancestor agencies include not only the prior Orange County Transit District but also such diverse entities as the Pacific Electric...

 and Torrance Transit

Torrance Transit

Torrance Transit is a transit agency serving mainly the South Bay region of Los Angeles County.-Routes:Torrance Transit is a transit agency serving mainly the South Bay region of Los Angeles County.-Routes:...

 operate express bus lines via the Harbor Transitway. These routes are not considered part of the Metro Express network.

El Monte Busway Routes

Route	Terminals		via	Notes
	Downtown LA Union Station	Altadena Altadena, California Altadena is an unincorporated area and census-designated place in Los Angeles County, California, United States, approximately from the downtown Los Angeles Civic Center, and directly north of the city of Pasadena, California... Fontanet Way and Altadena Drive	Express Portion: El Monte Busway, Long Beach Freeway In the San Gabriel Valley: Fremont Avenue, Lake Avenue	Operates weekdays only (Mon-Fri: 5:40a-10:10p) Operates in local service off the El Monte Busway and Long Beach Freeway Operated by SGV-3 and SGV-9
	Westlake/MacArthur Park Station Westlake/MacArthur Park (LACMTA station) Westlake/MacArthur Park Station is a heavy-rail subway station in the Los Angeles County Metro Rail system. It is located at Wilshire Boulevard and Alvarado Street, across from the park of the same name in Los Angeles' Westlake District...	El Monte El Monte Bus Station (Line 487)	In Downtown LA: Wilshire Boulevard, Grand Avenue & Olive Street Express Portion: El Monte Busway In the San Gabriel Valley: San Gabriel Boulevard, Sierra Madre Boulevard, Santa Anita Avenue (Line 487) Valley Boulevard, Rosemead Boulevard (Line 489)	Daily service for Line 487 (Mon-Fri: 6:00a-9:00p); (Sa: 7:00a-8:30p); (Su: 7:00a-8:00p) Line 489 operates weekday rush hours only in the peak direction: westbound in the AM, eastbound in the PM (M-F: 6a-8a; 4p-7p) Operates in local service off the El Monte Busway Operated by SGV-9
		Temple City Temple City, California Temple City is a city in Los Angeles County, California. Temple City is part of a cluster of cities, along with Arcadia, Rosemead, Monterey Park, San Marino, and San Gabriel, in the west San Gabriel Valley with a rapidly growing Asian population. Temple City also has a Cuban and Puerto Rican... Rosemead Boulevard and Huntington Drive (Line 489)

Note: In addition to these routes, Foothill Transit

Foothill Transit

Foothill Transit is a joint powers authority of 21 member cities in the San Gabriel and Pomona Valleys. It operates a fixed-route bus public transit service in the San Gabriel Valley of Greater Los Angeles, California.-Overview:...

 operates a number of express bus lines (including the Silver Streak

Silver Streak (bus)

The Silver Streak is a bus rapid transit system operated by Foothill Transit between Los Angeles and Montclair. Service began on March 18, 2007 and also resulted in a restructuring of service. The idea of the Silver Streak came when Line 480, Foothill's most popular line, became a very busy bus...

) via the El Monte Busway. These lines are not considered part of the Metro Express network.

Routes operating via the Santa Monica Freeway

Route	Terminals		via	Notes
	Downtown LA Union Station	Culver City Transit Center	In Downtown LA: Figueroa & Flower Streets Express Portion: Santa Monica Freeway In South LA: La Cienega Boulevard, Centinela Avenue	Operates weekday peak hours only (5:20a-8:50a); (2:30p-6:00p) Operates in local service in Downtown LA and south of the West LA Transit Center Operated by SB-5 This line will be cancelled upon the advent of the Metro Expo Line; Metro Local Line 217 will replace the portion between the Culver City and Washington/Fairfax Transit Hubs while the Expo Line replaces the express portion.
	Washington/Fairfax Transit Hub	Malibu Pacific Coast Highway and Trancas Canyon Road	Express Portion: Santa Monica Freeway Outside of Santa Monica: Pacific Coast Highway	Daily service (Mon-Fri: 5:30a-9:30p); (Sa: 7:00a-9:00p); (Su: 7:00a-8:00p) Operates in local service off the Santa Monica Freeway Some trips operate via Point Dume Point Dume Point Dume is a promontory on the coast of Malibu, California that juts out into the Pacific Ocean.Point Dume, a long bluff, forms the northern end of the Santa Monica Bay, and Point Dume Headlands Park affords a vista of the Palos Verdes Peninsula and Santa Catalina Island... Originally Line 434, which operated to Union Station Operated by WSC-6 and WSC-7

Note: In addition to these routes, Santa Monica Transit line 10 operates between downtown Los Angeles and downtown Santa Monica via the Santa Monica Freeway. This route is not considered part of the Metro Express network.

910 - El Monte Station - Artesia Transit Center

Line 910 connects El Monte Station

El Monte Bus Station (LACMTA station)

El Monte Bus Station is large regional transport hub in the city of El Monte just off the Interstate 10 and the San Bernardino Freeways serving the Silver Line, Foothill Transit, Greyhound and also El Monte Transit. With 22,000 passengers and 1,200 bus departures daily the station is currently...

 and Artesia Transit Center

Artesia Transit Center

Artesia Transit Center is a Metro Silver Line station and large bus station at southern end of the Harbor Transitway located in the southwest corner of Interstate 110 and State Route 91 in Los Angeles...

 through downtown LA, replacing the express and downtown portions of the 444, 446/447, 484 and 490. Service operates along the El Monte Busway

El Monte Busway

The El Monte Busway is a 11 mile shared-use bus corridor and high occupancy vehicle lane running west along the Interstate 10 from the Interstate 605 and El Monte Bus Station via transitway stations at California State University Metro Station, USC Medical Center Metro Station into Downtown Los...

 and Harbor Transitway

Harbor Transitway

The Harbor Transitway is an 11-mile shared-use bus corridor and high-occupancy vehicle roadway that runs in the median of Interstate 110 in Southern California...

. Began service on December 13, 2009. This route is part of the Metro Liner system.