Headquarters 100 S. Main Street Service type Transit bus | Website LADOT | |
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Routes 36 DASH, 16 Commuter Express, 2 shuttles Profiles | ||
The Los Angeles Department of Transportation, commonly referred to as LADOT, is a municipal agency that oversees transportation planning, design, construction, maintenance and operations within the City of Los Angeles. LADOT was created by City Ordinance, and is run by a General Manager appointed by the Mayor of Los Angeles, under the oversight of a citizens' commission also appointed by the mayor. The LADOT is best known for providing public transportation to the City of Los Angeles. It currently operates the second largest fleet in Los Angeles County next to LACMTA. It consist of over 300 vehicles, serving nearly 30 million passengers a year and operating over 800,000 hours.
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LADOT also develops the traffic signal timing and transportation planning for the city. Actual road maintenance and construction is provided by the Los Angeles City Department of Public Works. The LADOT performs many different transportation related duties, with six main operating groups: Parking Enforcement & Traffic Control, Operations, Project Delivery, Parking Management & Regulations, Transit Services, and Administration.
LADOT is one of the few transportation agencies to have a song sung about it. L.A. Dot, with music by Randy Rogel, tells the story of the Animaniacs character Dot as she watches buses go by with her name.
DASH
DASH (Downtown Area Short Hop) currently operates 30 routes covering Downtown Los Angeles and many outlying communities within the City. Its primary function is to provide localized service and is a feeder into the countywide MTA Metro service.
DASH Community Routes include:
Most DASH buses are El Dorado EZ-Rider vehicles powered by propane, although CNG Gillig BRTs have since been introduced. The first two digits of DASH bus numbers denote which year the bus came into service. For instance, 98001 denotes 1998 and 06301 denotes 2006. All DASH buses are 30 feet (9.1 m) long, making it easier for dense neighborhoods where there are narrower streets and tighter turns.
Fares
LADOT DASH is free with a: -31-Day LADOT Pass -EZ Transit Pass -Metrolink Ticket or Pass -Access Services ID TAP Card -and for Children, 4 years or younger (maximum of 2 children with fare paying adults).Commuter Express
Commuter Express is an express bus service, consisting of 13 routes, all but one running during rush hours only. Service started in 1985. Routes 419, 423, 431, 437, 438, and 448 are former Metro lines that were cancelled; Route 142 had been previously operated by Long Beach Transit. Fares are based on a flat rate for travel on streets plus an extra charge based on the distance traveled on freeways.
Unless otherwise noted, all service operates towards Downtown LA during the AM rush and from Downtown LA during the PM rush. For the purposes of this chart, closed-door means that customers are not allowed to use buses for local trips and open-door means that customers are allowed to use buses for local trips.
On weekends, LADOT also operates the Observatory Shuttle, which provides access for tourists from the Vermont/Sunset rapid transit station to Griffith Observatory.
Commuter Express services are provided by a variety of suburban vehicles, including Gillig Phantoms, Neoplan Metroliners, and Stewart & Stevenson Apollo T-40s. Also part of the fleet are a small number of CNG powered Orion V coaches.
CityRide
CityRide is a program for individuals in the City of Los Angeles, aged 65 or older and for qualified disabled persons.