Is Public Transport Safe in LA

[Porsche4]

My adult daughter and I are planning an LA trip (coming from Australia). We have a week at Disneyland followed by a week in LA. I know, I know everyone says why would you want to spend a week in LA but here is a list of things we are going to visit : La Brea, The Getty Museum and Villa (a day at each we are big big museum fans), Santa Monica Pier, Westwood Cemetery (my daughter wants to visit Marilyn Monroe's grave) Universal (2 days), stroll along the walk of fame, and Forest Lawn Memorial Park Glendale (my daughter wants to visit the many famous graves here, I know sounds a bit morbid but its what she wants to do, we are both big fans of all the Golden Oldie movies).

I plan on moving hotels twice (over and above our stay at Disneyland). We will stay at the Hilton Universal to visit Universal, Glendale and the walk of fame and then move to a hotel in Santa Monica to do all the other things. We do not want to drive in LA as you guys drive on the opposite side of the road to us, which along with the horrendous LA traffic makes that a no no for us, so I want to rely on public transport to get us places. I have checked timetables and am very aware that we are in for a lot of bus/train changes and a lot of time in transit but my biggest concern is, is public transport safe in LA? We will only be travelling during the day but am I better to bite the bullet and budget more for Ubers or taxis than take public transport.

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

 

[ParkHopper1]

"Safe" is all relative...public transportation in the US especially Souther California is horrid and inefficient IMO, especially to get a longer distance as it is all fragmented and disjointed form agency to agency.

I would suggest a hybrid approach...use the trains, Metro Line and Light rail when possible and Uber the rest, especially if hauling luggage. Not a fan of public busses personally.

 

[DizMe]

I have no experience with public transportation, but my daughter and I did many of those same routes using Uber/Lyft last August. It was super easy and, I felt, very affordable. We went between San Bernadino area, DLR, LA, and Burbank. We checked which ride share option gave us the best price and went with that. It turned out to be so affordable that I wouldn't bother with anything else, personally. Of course, you never know for sure what the rates are going to be that way until you're close to booking.

Edited to add: I did get estimates on the routes from both Uber and Lyft ahead of time so I had an idea of what the cost would be

 

[gelatoni fan]

I'm also not a fan of public buses. If the Metro rail lines can get you where you need to go relatively quickly, they're fine to take.

I also agree that public transit is relatively safe but horribly inefficient. If I have to change buses, I'd much rather just take Uber.

 

[BadPinkTink]

I am a solo female traveller from Ireland and I don't drive. I have done almost 10 trips to LA and use public transport to get around.

Attitudes to public transport in America and especially LA will vary. LA is a very car centric city and most people have never experienced the public transport. Also there is a class system, public transport is used by poor people so LA locals have a negative view as they feel it reflects on their social standing.

Also my personal experience may be very different to yours. In Europe I have used public transport in multiple countries and I am very aware of my personal safety. I know how to blend in and be like a local.

LA is such a huge sprawling mess, the sheer size and distance between places mean that you have to plan your journeys and make the most of your time. When you go plan to visit an area, don't just go to one place in that area, see what is is within walking distance of the bus stop / metro stop.

I usually stay either in Hollywood or Downtown LA, and pick hotels within 5 minutes walk of a RED LINE UNDERGROUND METRO STATION. On my upcoming trip I am staying at Hilton Universal Hollywood.

I use a TAP CARD which is valid on all underground train and bus routes. When using the underground you TAP to enter and open the turnstile. To exit you don't need to TAP. On buses you TAP at the machine at the driver like on the underground to exit you don't need to TAP.

The underground trains can be sketchy, you will find homeless both in the stations and on the trains. You will also see "entertainment" and people selling stuff from backpacks or carts. Both the entertainers and sellers are illegal and frequent the RED underground line as thats where the most tourists are.

The buses are alot less sketchy but they take longer to get places. The bus network intersects with the underground network, but you need to know the areas the bus route goes through, as a route can go through both a sketchy area and a tourist area.

You can get great info , bus routes and timetables on the official Metro website

There is a direct bus number 90 from Downtown LA, Grand Park Metro Station to Forest Lawn Memorial Park Glendale . It goes through China Town and takes about 40 minutes. The bus stop is directly outside the cemetery gates.

There is a direct underground / overground line to Santa Monica Metro Line E Expo

I don't use either the underground or buses once it gets dark.

 

[DizMe]

I forgot to mention that my friends and I went to Forest Lawn and what an experience. I am so glad they suggested we go. We visited Walt Disney's memorial there and it's beautiful. Honestly, I wasn't that keen on going to Forest Lawn but it was amazing and gave me a feeling that's difficult to describe. We made a brass rubbing from a plaque on the garden wall at the memorial.

We also visited the Disney Studios and then had a reservation at the Tam O'Shanter, Walt's favorite restaurant (or so it's said). There is one table that was his special table, and if you're lucky, you can sit there. That's what we did and it felt very...again, I don't know a word for how it felt to have retraced Walt's steps, to then sit in the booth he loved and where he met with people to discuss plans etc.

 

[Pluto468]

You have a great list of fun places to visit! I used to live near Santa Monica. I mostly drove but sometimes took the bus around there and also in the downtown LA area. I never felt more unsafe on public transportation there than say, San Francisco. My main issue with public transportation is that it does take much longer and can be confusing depending on how many connections you have etc. You also have to be thinking about the bus schedule while you're trying to take your time in museums etc. I would probably uber just for the convenience.

If you have any extra time, consider the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA).

Also - a few blocks away from the Santa Monica pier is the 3rd street promenade. Lots of nice restaurants and shops there

 

[DonMacGregor]

My adult daughter and I are planning an LA trip (coming from Australia). We have a week at Disneyland followed by a week in LA. I know, I know everyone says why would you want to spend a week in LA but here is a list of things we are going to visit : La Brea, The Getty Museum and Villa (a day at each we are big big museum fans), Santa Monica Pier, Westwood Cemetery (my daughter wants to visit Marilyn Monroe's grave) Universal (2 days), stroll along the walk of fame, and Forest Lawn Memorial Park Glendale (my daughter wants to visit the many famous graves here, I know sounds a bit morbid but its what she wants to do, we are both big fans of all the Golden Oldie movies).

I plan on moving hotels twice (over and above our stay at Disneyland). We will stay at the Hilton Universal to visit Universal, Glendale and the walk of fame and then move to a hotel in Santa Monica to do all the other things. We do not want to drive in LA as you guys drive on the opposite side of the road to us, which along with the horrendous LA traffic makes that a no no for us, so I want to rely on public transport to get us places. I have checked timetables and am very aware that we are in for a lot of bus/train changes and a lot of time in transit but my biggest concern is, is public transport safe in LA? We will only be travelling during the day but am I better to bite the bullet and budget more for Ubers or taxis than take public transport.

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

As a life-long SoCal resident, I think @BadPinkTink provides excellent insight (especially from a foreign traveler's perspective). I would opt to take a rideshare service from DLR up to Universal City, and again to wherever you stay in Santa Monica. For local excursions (without lugging your bags), public transportation may work well for you (especially the Red Line to get from Universal back over the hill into Hollywood). Be advised though, the LA Metro bus system isn't as efficient as those in NYC, Chicago, or even San Francisco, primarily because things are so spread out here, versus the more dense metropolitan areas of those cities, and there isn't a focus on moving people into the downtown area so much as moving about the county as a whole.

 

[starlite_]

Agree on the safety issue, I've only ever used LA transport once during a con but I felt just as safe as in San Diego for example or New York. I only used buses tho so I can't speak for the metro.

 

[Porsche4]

I have no experience with public transportation, but my daughter and I did many of those same routes using Uber/Lyft last August. It was super easy and, I felt, very affordable. We went between San Bernadino area, DLR, LA, and Burbank. We checked which ride share option gave us the best price and went with that. It turned out to be so affordable that I wouldn't bother with anything else, personally. Of course, you never know for sure what the rates are going to be that way until you're close to booking.

Edited to add: I did get estimates on the routes from both Uber and Lyft ahead of time so I had an idea of what the cost would be

Thanks so much for your feedback and your thoughts on Forest Lawn. I will definitely do some estimate searching. I think we will probably do a hybrid approach where we Uber to most places (particularly our moves between hotels) and some use of the Metro line from the Universal Hilton. Thanks again for your thoughts,

 

[BrianL]

It's reasonably safe, but not super fast. especially if you are using the buses. The Metro trains aren't too bad really - I have used them pretty successfully before. If you factor in the transpor ttime, there's not really anything to worry about, though I recommend having an alternate plan.

 

[Porsche4]

As a life-long SoCal resident, I think @BadPinkTink provides excellent insight (especially from a foreign traveler's perspective). I would opt to take a rideshare service from DLR up to Universal City, and again to wherever you stay in Santa Monica. For local excursions (without lugging your bags), public transportation may work well for you (especially the Red Line to get from Universal back over the hill into Hollywood). Be advised though, the LA Metro bus system isn't as efficient as those in NYC, Chicago, or even San Francisco, primarily because things are so spread out here, versus the more dense metropolitan areas of those cities, and there isn't a focus on moving people into the downtown area so much as moving about the county as a whole.

Thanks Don for your input. I agree with what you are saying and will probably use rideshare for our hotel moves and the RedLine from Universal but will most likely rideshare again to get to and from the Santa Monica area to the museums and things we want to do near there. Thanks

 

[BrianL]

Thanks so much for your feedback and your thoughts on Forest Lawn. I will definitely do some estimate searching. I think we will probably do a hybrid approach where we Uber to most places (particularly our moves between hotels) and some use of the Metro line from the Universal Hilton. Thanks again for your thoughts,

One note about that Hilton too - the Metro station if I recall is at the bottom of what I like to refer to as "The Hill." Walking up that hill is a slog - it's prety steep. If you're in good shape, no worries, but just know that it's there. It's basically the other side of the same hill you take the escalators down at Universal Studios. If you want a little challenge, try climbing those stairs! I will note that the Hilton Universal is great and very convenient to the park.

Note of disclosure, I do work for Hilton.

 

[DizMe]

Thanks so much for your feedback and your thoughts on Forest Lawn. I will definitely do some estimate searching. I think we will probably do a hybrid approach where we Uber to most places (particularly our moves between hotels) and some use of the Metro line from the Universal Hilton. Thanks again for your thoughts,

Sure thing! I think it's so nice to have fellow DISers chip in with experiences and info. Speaking of which, this site that gives you info about the Tam O'Shanter and how much it influenced Walt and the Imagineers. It's only 5 minutes from Forest Lawn https://topdisneyblog.com/this-was-...d-its-celebrating-its-97th-anniversary-today/

 

[Porsche4]

I am a solo female traveller from Ireland and I don't drive. I have done almost 10 trips to LA and use public transport to get around.

Attitudes to public transport in America and especially LA will vary. LA is a very car centric city and most people have never experienced the public transport. Also there is a class system, public transport is used by poor people so LA locals have a negative view as they feel it reflects on their social standing.

Also my personal experience may be very different to yours. In Europe I have used public transport in multiple countries and I am very aware of my personal safety. I know how to blend in and be like a local.

LA is such a huge sprawling mess, the sheer size and distance between places mean that you have to plan your journeys and make the most of your time. When you go plan to visit an area, don't just go to one place in that area, see what is is within walking distance of the bus stop / metro stop.

I usually stay either in Hollywood or Downtown LA, and pick hotels within 5 minutes walk of a RED LINE UNDERGROUND METRO STATION. On my upcoming trip I am staying at Hilton Universal Hollywood.

I use a TAP CARD which is valid on all underground train and bus routes. When using the underground you TAP to enter and open the turnstile. To exit you don't need to TAP. On buses you TAP at the machine at the driver like on the underground to exit you don't need to TAP.

The underground trains can be sketchy, you will find homeless both in the stations and on the trains. You will also see "entertainment" and people selling stuff from backpacks or carts. Both the entertainers and sellers are illegal and frequent the RED underground line as thats where the most tourists are.

The buses are alot less sketchy but they take longer to get places. The bus network intersects with the underground network, but you need to know the areas the bus route goes through, as a route can go through both a sketchy area and a tourist area.

You can get great info , bus routes and timetables on the official Metro website

There is a direct bus number 90 from Downtown LA, Grand Park Metro Station to Forest Lawn Memorial Park Glendale . It goes through China Town and takes about 40 minutes. The bus stop is directly outside the cemetery gates.

There is a direct underground / overground line to Santa Monica Metro Line E Expo

I don't use either the underground or buses once it gets dark.

Thanks so much for all your thoughts. My daughter and I have travelled the world together and visited many countries and large cities using public transport a lot and have never really felt unsafe or uncomfortable. Having said that many years ago I visited New York with my then husband, and we caught the bus down to the Statue of Liberty. We had an awful and scary confrontation, through no fault of our own, with a fellow passenger and that is why I am reluctant to use public transport in LA as I feel the socioeconomic situation is similar as you mentioned. Will probably opt for rideshare and maybe the metro for some things. Thanks again

 

[DonMacGregor]

Thanks Don for your input. I agree with what you are saying and will probably use rideshare for our hotel moves and the RedLine from Universal but will most likely rideshare again to get to and from the Santa Monica area to the museums and things we want to do near there. Thanks

Yes, the Getty Villa in Malibu is relatively close to SM, as is the Getty Center. As to the La Brea Tar Pits and the museums along Miracle Mile, ridesharing would be the way to go. Ironically, the La Brea Tar Pits are next to LACMA, while fossils found in the tar pits are housed at the Natural History Museum in Exposition Park (about 9 miles away, and situated between USC and the LA Coliseum) with the California Science Center (space and tech, including the Space Shuttle Endeavour).

 

[felice]

You might also want to check out Karmel Shuttle and also Lansky, they may well have a deal where you can hire a driver & car for a number of hours each day, so you could schedule them to drop you off and collect you from wherever you are wanting to visit over the course of that day. Although it would be best to visit multiple locations per day to make it worthwhile. I know Karmel Shuttle lost quite a lot of money during the closure of DLR and the same may well also apply to Lansky, so they might be able to come up with a transportation-only deal to help you out.

 

[heathpack]

When we don’t have light pandemic traffic, I live in an LA suburb and ride a train to work in Glendale. It’s a pretty straight shot and safe enough. I’ve tried to make public transport work otherwise in LA but it frequently takes twice as long as driving, and requires multiple transfers and is confusing.

Google maps will map out public transport options for you, along with specific times and which trains/busses to take. I would suggest mostly relying on Uber/Lyft unless public transport is easy and convenient- meaning it takes the same amt of time or less and your route doesn’t require multiple connections. I’d also trend towards Uber/Lyft after dark.

 

[Kit Jackson]

If you are doing the Walk of Fame, be sure to check out the forecourt of the TCL Chinese Theatre. The forecourt is where they have all the handprints, footprints, and pawprints of the stars. If you are into Hollywood history, I've heard good things about the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures although I haven't been yet (but I really want to go). I've been to the Getty Villa and it is fantastic. If you are big fans of older movies, think about doing the Warner Brothers Studio Tour. It's the best movie studio out there (it's also the most expensive but it is absolutely worth it).

As for taking public transit, be aware you will be spending a great deal of time waiting for busses and trying to time connections depending on how many things you are trying to do in a day.

 

[DonnerB]

I have used the Metro successfully multiple times as a local, almost always as a solo female and often after dark. I’ve never felt unsafe. No input on busses, because as multiple others have pointed out they’re confusing and take longer than driving. The bus stops are often used as shelter by those experiencing homelessness. I’ve never had any negative experiences in walking past, but know that it is pretty commonplace.

If you have any extra time, consider the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA).

As far as the above, LACMA is currently a shell of its former self having recently undergone much demolition at the start of a multi-year refurb. I let my membership go, so I am not at all sure of what they’re charging these days, but I would not pay full price to visit the three buildings currently available. Right next door is the Academy of Motion Pictures Museum…sister visited this weekend and had rave reviews. Probably a better use of your time if you are looking for more to do while visiting the Tar Pits (all three of these museums reside on one giant city block).