Transit Network Orientation and Organization

East-West lines (Shore, Valley, Wilshire, Expo, and Gateway):

LA’s rail transit network has an east-west orientation, with the Shore line as the system’s axis. In addition to connecting the three primary central business districts (Downtown, Hollywood, and Westwood), the Shore line links most of the major destinations within central LA and the Westside.

North of Hollywood, the Valley line mirrors the Shore line as the primary axis for the Valley, connecting its major cities and districts and feeding directly into the system core at Hollywood.

South of Hollywood, the Wilshire and the Expo lines both run parallel to the Shore line and directly connect Westwood and Downtown, with the perpendicular Central line providing connections to Hollywood. The Gateway line serves primarily as a feeder line for the Gateway region, connecting the Long Beach line, the ends of the Central and the Shore lines, and LAX.

North-South lines (Central, Sepulveda, Gold, and Long Beach):

North-south lines run perpendicular to the network’s dominant east-west orientation and function primarily as feeder routes from the periphery (South Los Angeles, the Gateway region, the Valley, and the Eastside) to the core. The Central line serves an additional role connecting the Expo, Wilshire, and Shore lines to create a pair of cross-town routes into Hollywood.