L.A. Metro Board approves renaming routes with 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).
Mischa Wanek-Libman | Group Editorial Director
Mischa Wanek-Libman is director of communications with Transdev North America. She has more than 20 years of experience working in the transportation industry covering construction projects, engineering challenges, transit and rail operations and best practices.
Wanek-Libman has held top editorial positions at freight rail and public transportation business-to-business publications including as editor-in-chief and editorial director of Mass Transit from 2018-2024. 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 served 14 years as a Board Observer on the National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association (NRC) Board of Directors.
She is a graduate of Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism and Mass Communication.
