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    L.A. Metro Board approves renaming routes with colors and letters

    Dec. 11, 2018
    New route naming convention designed with ease of understanding and consistency in mind.
    Los Angeles County Transportation Authority
    The concept map with L.A. Metro routes renamed using a combination of colors and letters.
    The concept map with L.A. Metro routes renamed using a combination of colors and letters.

    A plan to phase in new names of Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (L.A. Metro) rail and bus lines using a combination of colors and letters gained the approval of the transit authority’s board on Dec. 6.  

    A mid-November staff report noted that L.A. Metro’s current transit line naming convention is inconsistent and, with the agency’s system continuing to grow, sticking with the color-only names will force line names in color shades, which the report said can pose visual and language barriers.

    The report also mentioned that the agency’s eight rail and bus rapid transit lines will undergo expansion with the passage of Measure M in 2016, making the establishment of a new naming convention a key element to ensuring the system remains easy to understand.

    L.A. Metro staff gathered feedback from the public, which perceived two naming options to be easier to use: Colors & Letters and Colors & Numbers as both help with navigation and are consistent and simple.

    Staff recommended letters over number to minimize confusion with bus numbers and platform numbers. Staff also recommended a phased approach that would help save money and begin making the change as new rail lines debut. Renaming will begin with the Blue Line (which will be the A Line) and Crenshaw/LAX Line (C Line).

    About the Author

    Mischa Wanek-Libman | Editor in Chief

    Mischa Wanek-Libman serves as editor in chief of Mass Transit magazine. She is responsible for developing and maintaining the magazine’s editorial direction and is based in the western suburbs of Chicago.

    Wanek-Libman has spent more than 20 years covering transportation issues including construction projects and engineering challenges for various commuter railroads and transit agencies. She has been recognized for editorial excellence through her individual work, as well as for collaborative content. 

    She is an active member of the American Public Transportation Association's Marketing and Communications Committee and serves as a Board Observer on the National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association (NRC) Board of Directors.  

    She is a graduate of Drake University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism and Mass Communication with a major in magazine journalism and a minor in business management.

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