Los Angeles Metro bus fleet

Los Angeles Metro, operates a vast fleet of buses for its Metro Bus and Metro Busway services. As of September 2019^[update], Metro has the third largest bus fleet in North America with 2,320 buses.

Overview

Metro and its predecessor agencies (LAMTA, 1951–64; RTD, 1964–93) have ordered buses from many manufacturers, including GM, Flxible, Grumman, AM General, Transportation Manufacturing Corporation (TMC), Neoplan USA, New Flyer Industries, ElDorado National, Orion Bus Industries, Thomas Built Buses, Blue Bird Corporation, and North American Bus Industries (NABI).

Emissions reduction

Metro has purchased buses using alternative fuels to diesel, generally consuming compressed natural gas (CNG), since the mid-1990s. The CNG fleet reduces emissions of particulates by 90%, carbon monoxide by 80%, and greenhouse gases by 20%. Alternative fuel buses have logged more than 450,000,000 mi (720,000,000 km) of operation since 1993, an industry record.

In 2015, a battery electric BYD K11M demonstrator was used on the G Line. Metro has committed to move the entire fleet to zero emissions by 2030, ahead of the California Air Resources Board's Innovative Clean Transit requirement for California transit operators to transition by 2040. Since then, the deadline has been pushed back to 2032. Metro board members subsequently rejected a move to delay fleet electrification until 2035. As a first step, the G (formerly Orange) Line will move to full zero-emissions operation by 2020, followed by the J (formerly Silver) Line as soon as possible after that.^: 28 The G/Orange Line transitioned to all-electric operation by October 2021, using a fleet of 40 New Flyer Xcelsior XE60 Charge NG buses. Each bus has a range of approximately 150 mi (240 km), and rapid overhead charging stations were installed at the North Hollywood, Canoga, and Chatsworth stations.

As of the end of June 2024, due to heat stress and reliability issues with on route charging equipment, Metro has begun using 40-foot (12 m) CNG powered buses to supplement the G Line's dedicated battery-electric fleet. This undoes the G Line's electrification achievement, a long-standing Metro-touted victory in its troubled history of attempting to electrify its bus fleet. The de-electrification of the G Line is despite the board's recent direction to devise a new plan for electrification as soon as possible. Though many of Metro's previous failures have been attributed to its dealings with BYD, the problematic charging equipment on the G Line is manufactured by Siemens, and the buses on the G Line are manufactured by New Flyer.

Vehicle technology

Metro has also increased its use of on-board vehicle technology. Many buses were equipped with monitors to display real-time bus maps to show the location through GPS navigation starting in 2004; this the first of its kind in the United States. Later, the screens began showing Transit TV broadcasts, including local news programs, starting in August 2006.

The screens were shut off and Transit TV service was discontinued in early 2015, as more passengers were relying on their personal mobile devices, such as cell phones, smartphones, and electronic tablets, for entertainment while riding the buses. The increased use of personal mobile devices by passengers led to the implementation of WiFi on all buses by April 2017. Also, as part of Metro's Advanced Transportation Management System (ATMS) project, most buses include a marquee displaying the date and time, Automatic Voice Annunciation (AVA) for audio and visual announcements of each stop, and an audio and visual "Stop Requested" announcement was added to all buses in 2008. A supplemental audio announcement of "For your safety, watch your step when exiting the bus" was added to all buses on February 28, 2013, and changed voice in March 2015.

Bus fleet

When it was formed in 1993, Metro inherited a large fleet of GM/TMC RTS diesel buses; these were initially replaced by Neoplan USA Transliner buses as they aged and retired. Starting in the early 2000s, the primary supplier to the Metro bus fleet was NABI, over a period of approximately 15 years. As one of its largest clients, Metro had considerable influence on NABI designs, including its bus rapid transit vehicles, the 60-BRT designed for the G Line^: 13 and the composite-bodied Metro 45C, which was named after the agency and shared with Valley Metro.^: 20

After NABI's closure in 2015, several variants of the New Flyer Xcelsior and the ENC Axess were purchased to replace the NABI fleet.

As of September 2019^[update], Metro has the third largest bus fleet in North America with 2,320 buses, behind New York City's Metropolitan Transportation Authority (5,825) and New Jersey's NJ Transit (3,003). Metro operates the nation's largest fleet of compressed natural gas powered buses.^{[needs update]}

Metro electrified its G line BRT in 2021 using New Flyer XE60 vehicles along with on-route charging at the line's termini. This was undone in June 2024. It is in the process of receiving BYD K9M-ER vehicles which are undergoing delivery procedures and acceptance testing, slated to be used on the J line. These buses have been subject to numerous delays, technical noncompliance, and quality control issues, which has led Metro levying liquidated damages against BYD for failure to meet contract terms.

In April 2024, Metro released a procurement Request for Proposals for zero-emissions buses including hydrogen fuel cell vehicles and battery electric vehicles. The board also approved a motion directing Metro CEO Stephanie Wiggins and her staff to report to the board in September with an updated, more comprehensive and accountable plan to decarbonize the agency's bus fleet. These efforts were followed by the reversal of the G line's electrification, which had been a significant achievement in the agency's troubled history of attempting to electrify its bus fleet. Metro staff canceled the bus procurement in November 2025 due to safety, schedule, and cost concerns.

Metro is slated to receive buses over the next few years from five sources. Firstly, Metro is relying on donated vehicles from other agencies to support increased transit operations for the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Olympics, with ambitions to more than double its fleet size. However, as of June 2025, Metro has only received commitments from donor agencies for up to 650 of the 2700 buses that would be needed to support the Olympic games.

As of November 2025, Metro is pursuing four additional sources of bus deliveries as opposed to its initially planned procurement, including

1. Procuring forty 40-foot battery-electric buses through a cooperative State purchase agreement in use in either Washington or Colorado for more immediate delivery
2. Re-issuing its RFP with updated specifications and to a wider market audience of potential bidders for 240 battery electric buses and options for 1600 more
3. Pilot with an international bus manufacturer for ten 40-foot extended-range battery electric buses, and ten 60-foot extended-range battery electric buses, with options for sixty additional buses
4. Procure 20 hydrogen fuel cell electric buses through a separate procurement or cooperative State purchase agreement

Active fleet

Make/Model	Fleet numbers	Picture	Year	Engine	Transmission	§ Divisions	Notes
NABI 60-BRT CNG	9500–9594		2007–2008	Cumnins Westport ISL-G	Allison B500R	1, 5, 7, 13, 15, 18
NABI 31-LFW CNG	3100–3149		2010	Cummins Westport ISL-G	Allison B300R	Southland Transit	Some units sold and others scrapped; soon to retire completely Strictly contractor operated
NABI Metro 45C CNG	8100–8400		2008-2009	Cummins Westport ISL G NZ Cummins Westport L9N	Allison B400R	1, 7, 8, 9, 15, 18, STI	All 8100s retired All 8200s retired except 8217 Some units in Metro liner livery
	8401–8491		2010–2011	Cummins Westport ISL G	Allison B400R	3, 7, 8, 13, 18, STI
	8500–8649		2012–2013	Cummins Westport ISL G	Allison B400R	1, 3, 7, 13, 18	Unit 8648 is in Metro Liner Livery (Sliver Line)
NABI Metro 40C CNG (40CLFW-NOH)	8650		2012	Cummins Westport ISL G	Allison B400R	CMF	Used for training The only Metro 40C model ever produced
New Flyer XN40	5600-5603		2013	Cummins Westport ISL G	Allison B400R	5, 7, MV
	5604–6000		2014	Cummins Westport ISL G	Allison B400R	1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 9, 13, 15, 18, MV, STI	Some units have begun their mid-life rehab
	3850–4199 6001–6149		2015–2016	Cummins Westport ISL G	Allison B400R	1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 9, 13, 15, 18, MV	Some units have begun their mid-life rehab 4172 no longer has its ISL-G NZ Engine Some units in the Metro Liner Livery
New Flyer XN60	8700–8764		2018–2019	Cummins Westport L9N	Allison B500R	13, 15, 18
	8765–8834		2020–2021	Cummins Westport L9N	Allison B500R	1, 5, 7, 13, 15, 18	Unit No. 8825 was destroyed in a fire on October 31, 2024, and has been retired
ENC Axess BRT 40’ CNG	1505–1799		2018–2020	Cummins Westport L9N	Allison B400R	1, 3, 8, 9, 15, 18, MV	Units 1565, 1568, and 1569 sustained severe damage on May 27, 2020, in a fire inside a bus yard and have been retired
	1800–2061		2020–2022	Cummins Westport L9N	Allison B400R	1, 3, 8, 9, 15, 18, MV
New Flyer XE60	19500–19539		2019–2020	Siemens ELFA2	XALT Energy	8	Used on G Line Replaced all Metro Liner NABI 60-BRT units
BYD K11M	19000–19004		2020			8	Used on G Line
BYD K9MD	10000–10004		2021			9, 18	Used on J Line and local service
	10005-10099		2024			1, 2, 9, 18	As of January 2026, all units grounded due to unidentified drive motor issue 42 units to be assigned to the J line Some units being delivered, others entering service currently or undergoing acceptance testing These units are extended range ER models 10000-10049 painted in silver Metro Liner livery, 10050-10099 in poppy orange Metro Bus livery 10056 made its debut on route 2 on December 19, 2025 D1 and D2 each have 5 50kW slow overnight chargers for these buses

Future

Temporary fleet for 2028 Summer Olympics

Make/Model	Fleet numbers	Year	Engine	Transmission	Notes
New Flyer XN40	(10 buses)	2011	Cumnins Westport ISL-G	Voith D864.5	Donated by the Centre Area Transportation Authority in 2025. Buses 3 and 10 are confirmed to have been donated.

Bus acquisitions

Make/Model	Quantity	Length	Powertrain	Status/Timeline	Notes
Ebusco 3.0	1	40 foot	Battery Electric	Shadow service pilot launching March 2026	First international OEM pilot First new composite-bodied bus for LA Metro since 2012 NABIs
New Flyer XE40	19	40 foot	Battery Electric	In process of being donated to LA Metro	Ex Lane Transit District 22101-22119 donated due to cold weather challenges in Oregon These buses are 2022 and 2023 model years Metro to repaint and refit these buses for revenue service
TBD	40	40 foot	Battery Electric	Award to be issued by April 2026, delivery in 2027	Funding secured Authorized purchase through Washington or Colorado state cooperative procurement contracts New Flyer, Gillig, and BYD are qualified vendors producing 40-ft electric transit buses in WA NFI and Gillig are preferred in WA contract NFI has a multi-year backlog of nearly 16,000 buses which may not meet Metro's schedule requirements for Olympics service and CNG bus retirement BYD likely disqualified due to poor performance and schedule adherence in previous Metro procurement
TBD	240	TBD	Battery Electric	Award to be issued by July 2026	Funding secured Re-issued procurement based on April 2024 RFP New technical specs Two bidding opportunities Base purchase quantity of 240 buses with options of up to 1600 BEBs
TBD	10	40 foot	Battery Electric	Not funded	Extra long range technology pilot Polish bus manufacturer Solaris is in the process of entering the US market and is piloting its 40-foot Urbino 12 and its 60-foot Urbino 18 with Washington's King County Metro and San Francisco's MUNI
	10	60 foot
TBD	20	TBD	Hydrogen Fuel Cell Electric	Not Funded	Either separate procurement or cooperative procurement contracts

Preserved Legacy Fleet

Bus Number	Bus Image	Model	Year Operated	Year Retired	Year of Preservation/Status
4408		RTS-GMC	1982	Retired circa 2006-2008.	Repainted in the Metro Local scheme in 2004-2005. Retained by CMF after retirement; it is currently undergoing restoration as part of preservation for the LA Metro historical fleet.

Retired

Make/Model	Length	Picture	Year	Fleet numbers (quantity ordered)	Paint Schemes	Propulsion
Grumman Flxible 870	40 foot		1980	7500-7729 (229 buses)	RTD Tri-Shape Yellow Jacket	Diesel
GMC RTS-04 (T8J-204)	40 foot		1980-81	0023-0025 (3 buses)	Purple Connector	Diesel
			1980-81	8200-9139 (939 buses)	ATE Ryder RTD Tri-Stripe Yellow Jacket	Diesel
			1983	4452-4471 (20 buses)	Blank	Diesel
Neoplan USA AN122/3 Skyliner	40 foot		1981	9902-9921 (19 buses)	RTD Tri-Stripe	Diesel
GMC RTS-04 (T7J-604)	35 foot		1982	4400-4434 (34 buses)	Yellow Jacket Metro Local	Diesel
Gillig Phantom	35 foot		1983	805213 (1 bus)	Yellow Jacket	Diesel
Neoplan USA AN440A	40 foot		1983-84	3300-3714 (314 buses)	Yellow Jacket	Diesel
Neoplan USA AN440A/3	40 foot		1987	1100-1189 (89 buses)	Yellow Jacket	Diesel
Ford Econoline 350	25 foot		1989	0006 (1 bus)	Yellow Jacket	Diesel
TMC RTS-06 (T80-206)	40 foot		1988	2000-2266 (266 buses)	Yellow Jacket Metro Local	Diesel
			1989	1970-1999 (30 buses)	Yellow Jacket Metro Local	Diesel
			1989	2300-2402 (102 buses)	Yellow Jacket	Diesel
			1992	1200-1502 (302 buses)	Yellow Jacket Metro Local	Diesel
			1993	2006 (1 bus)	None	Diesel
Flxible Metro B	40 foot		1988	2500-2649 (149 buses)	Yellow Jacket	Diesel
			1989	2700-2764 (64 buses)	Yellow Jacket	Diesel
			1990	2800-2870 (70 buses)	Yellow Jacket	Diesel
			1992	2900-2932 (32 buses)	Yellow Jacket	Diesel
Gillig Phantom	40 foot		1988	19088, 19097, 19098, 19101, 19102, 19115, 19126, 19127 (8 buses)	Yellow Jacket	Diesel
			1989	9977 (1 bus)	Metro Local	Diesel
			1993-94	9978-9980 (3 buses)	Metro Local	Diesel
			1991	813-817 (4 buses)	None	Diesel
			1994	9976 (1 bus)	Metro Local	Diesel
Flxible Metro B CNG	40 foot		1989	1800-1809 (9 buses)	Tri Stripe	CNG
Gillig Spirit	28 foot		1990	600 (1 bus)	Yellow Jacket	Diesel
Gillig Phantom	40 foot		1994	1000-1010 (10 buses)	None	Diesel
Neoplan USA AN440	40 foot		1995-96	4500-4695 (195 buses)	Metro Local	CNG
			1996-97	4696-4793 (97 buses)	Metro Local	CNG
			1997-98	6301-6600 (299 buses)	Metro Local	CNG
			1999	6700-6799 (100 buses)	Metro Local	CNG
New Flyer D30LF	30 foot		1997-98	9981-9983 (3 buses)	Metro Local	Diesel
New Flyer D40LF	40 foot		1998	3000-3019 (19 buses)	Metro Local	Diesel
New Flyer C40HF	40 foot		1999-2000	5000-5222 (122 buses)	Metro Local	CNG
NABI 40-LFW	40 foot		1999-2000	7000-7214 (215 buses)	Metro Local Metro Rapid Metro Express	CNG
			2000-01	7300-7514 (215 buses)	Metro Local Metro Rapid	CNG
			2001-02	7600-7949 (350 buses)	Metro Local Metro Rapid	CNG
			2005	7525-7599 (75 buses)	Metro Local Metro Rapid	CNG
New Flyer C40LF	40 foot		2000-01	5300-5522 (223 buses)	Yellow Jacket Metro Local Metro Rapid Metro Express	CNG
Orion VI	40 foot		2000-01	11001-11067 (67 buses)	Metro Local	Diesel
Thomas TL960	40 foot		2001	9950-9969 (19 buses)	Metro Local	Diesel
Blue Bird CSRE 3703	37 foot		2001	9970-9975 (5 buses)	Metro Local	Diesel
ElDorado National MST II	32 foot		2002	12501-12536 (35 buses)	Yellow Jacket	Diesel
ElDorado National E-Z Rider II	30 foot		2003	12556-12570 (14 buses)	Metro Local	Propane
NABI 40C-LFW	40 foot		2002-03	7980-7999 (20 buses)	Metro Local Metro Rapid	CNG
NABI 45C-LFW	45 foot		2003-2004	8000-8099	Metro Local Metro Rapid Metro Liner	CNG
NABI 60-BRT	60 foot		2004-06	9200-9399 (200 buses)	Metro Local Metro Rapid Metro Liner	CNG
	60 foot 65 foot (9495 only)		2006-07	9400-9495 (96 buses)	Metro Local Metro Rapid Metro Liner	CNG
NABI 42-BRT	42 foot		2008-09	4200-4205 (6 buses)	Metro Local	Gasoline-Electric
BYD K9	39 foot		2014	1001-1005 (5 buses)	Metro Local	Electric

Liveries

Predecessors

In 1971, RTD took delivery of the first units of its Flxible New Look fleet, painted in a "Copperhead" livery which RTD described as "orange and champagne". The livery, as implemented on its GM and Flxible "New Look" fleet, had the window area painted in ochre yellow and the lower body and front painted in champagne/copper, separated by a broad silver or white stripe down the sides. When RTD introduced a 25 cent flat-fare program in 1974, some of the reserve buses pressed into service were painted a plain white instead of "Copperhead". In 1976, the existing GM Old Look bus fleet were repainted in the new "Copperhead" livery. RTD introduced an "Express" livery in 1977, colored yellow, white, and black, with a broad wedge-shaped stripe down the side.

RTD introduced the "Tri-Stripe" livery in March 1980, designed by Saul Bass and Herb Yager, starting with the existing Grumman/Flxible 870 fleet and continuing with the Rapid Transit Series scheduled for delivery in October 1980. Under this scheme, the window area was painted black and the base was painted white, separated by red, orange, and yellow stripes. The Bass/Yager firm was engaged to rebrand the agency, including a new logo, in June 1979 after the increase in ridership driven by the 1979 oil crisis proved that many residents were unfamiliar with RTD. The oldest "Old Look", which was also the first diesel bus to operate in Los Angeles starting from 1950, was retired with the delivery of the last RTS in June 1981. Most of the existing "New Look" fleet was repainted in the Bass/Yager "Tri-Stripe" livery by August 1984. "Tri-Stripe" was simplified in the early 1990s to facilitate graffiti removal.

Initial stripe schemes

Buses inherited from RTD generally carried over a simplified "RTD Tri-Stripe" livery; the base color of the bus was white (including the window area) with a triple-stacked stripe of red, orange, and yellow extending from the base of the windshield down the sides of the bus, carried below the side windows. This was simplified to "Red Stripe", white with a double-stacked stripe of red and yellow in the same position, and "Yellow Jacket" in 1997, white with a double-stacked gold stripe in the same position, featuring a stylized text logo "Metro Bus" prominently on the front and sides of the bus.

Service livery

Starting in the early 2000s, the "Metro Service" livery was implemented under the leadership of creative director Michael Lejeune and lead designer Neil Sadler. The base color of buses, visible on the lower edge and the extended roof cap for CNG storage, was Silver / Pantone 877 C metallic, supplemented by a broad stripe starting just below the side windows and extending to the top of the bus, denoting the service type:

• Metro Local: Local poppy / Pantone 158 C for local service
• Metro Rapid: Rapid red / Pantone 193 C for rapid (limited) service
• Metro Express: Express blue / Pantone 286 C for express (freeway) service
• Metro Liner: Liner silver / Pantone 8401 C for bus rapid transit lines

The colors are supplemented by text restating the service type in the FF Scala Sans typeface, bold weight. This branding scheme won an honor award from the Society for Experiential Graphic Design in 2007. Since then, the Express services have been scaled back and the colors have been modified.

Simplification

Typically, the supplemental text agree with the livery, such as Metro Local used with the Poppy Orange color. However, as of late 2020, Metro dropped the text specification for newer buses and those undergoing their midlife refit. Since then, beginning with the second batch of New Flyer XN60s delivered in 2020-2021 and newer (buses 8765 and newer), buses are now simply labeled "Metro Bus" echoing the "Yellow Jacket" livery while buses still retain the "Service" color distinctions for local, rapid, and liner liveries. New Flyer XE60s used to replace the G Line fleet and convert it to zero-emissions operation were delivered before this change in late 2020, and as such, use a "Go Metro" label not found on other buses. Other buses feature a large text "Go Metro" on their roof rails, however not as a bus label such as "Metro Rapid", "Metro Local", or "Metro Bus". Since then, BYD K-series vehicles on the J line and newer buses have adopted the "Metro Bus" labels, defining that label as the preferred option moving forward.

The XE60s that replaced the NABI Metro Liners on the G (Orange) line dropped the orange accents and text colors so they could be used elsewhere without too much confusion. Although there are currently no other divisions or lines that are equipped with the required supporting infrastructure, Metro may need to expand capacity by adding larger, potentially double-articulated vehicles for the G line, as the line is at capacity and needs an upgrade before its eventual conversion to light rail. Thus, the flexible branding enables Metro to reassign the XE60s currently being used for the G line without needing to take them out of service for re-brands.

With the same logic, new J (Silver) line buses are no longer branded with the tagline "A faster way to downtown" as old J line buses are entering service on other routes such as the 2 with the addition of BYD K9Ms to electrify the J line and the fact that new electric busway-designated buses are also sometimes used on inaugural runs of new routes such as the 33 in addition to local service and thus don't feature exclusive branding to the busway line the bus is normally usually assigned to.

Metro Bus & Rail divisions

7km
4.3miles

24

23

22

21

20

19

18

17

16

15

14

13

12

11

10

9

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

1

   

Operating divisions of Los Angeles Metro

•  Bus 
•  Non-revenue / closed 
•  Rail (A) 
•  Rail (B/D) 
•  Rail (C) 
•  Rail (E) 
•  Rail (K) 

1

Downtown LA / Central City

2

Downtown LA / Crossroads Depot

3

Cypress Park

4

Non-revenue (Downey)

5

Arthur Winston

6

Venice

7

West Hollywood

8

Chatsworth / West Valley

9

El Monte

10

Los Angeles

11

Metro A Line (Long Beach)

12

Inactive vehicles (Long Beach)

13

Downtown LA

14

Metro E Line (Santa Monica)

15

Sun Valley

16

Metro C/K Line (Westchester)

17

Maple Terminal

18

South Bay

19

El Monte station

20

Metro B/D Line (Los Angeles River)

21

Metro E Line (Elysian Park)

22

Metro K Line (Hawthorne)

23

La Veranda Apartments

24

Metro A Line (Monrovia)