Experience
LA: If you're going to a popular LA destination, use Experience
LA, a new online resource for exploring LA's attractions via public transit.
With searchable destinations and events directories, Experience LA is
especially useful for the Techer who wants to go somewhere but doesn't
know what LA has to offer. The incorporation of public transit information
into its maps and itineraries differentiates Experience LA from other
LA guides, and makes it a good choice for transit users. www.experiencela.com
Metro also offers a number of tools to help the Techer who knows where to go but needs to find a way to get there:
Metro
Trip Planner produces public transit itineraries to anywhere
in LA. Although Metro's Trip Planner will produce an itinerary that will
get you to your destination, it may not be the best possible route. www.metro.net
Go Metro Destinations is a very useful publication, listing L.A.
area destinations sorted by Metro Rail stop. It is downloadable as a pdf
file at: http://www.metro.net/news_info/publications/images/rail_destinations.pdf
Metro Rapid Destinations is another useful pdf that shows how
to use the Metro Rapid bus system to visit L.A. area sights. This pdf
can be downloaded from this site here.
TranStar:
If your destination is in Southern California, but outside LA county,
use the TranStar Trip Planner instead. TranStar includes all bus, rail
and Amtrak schedules for Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino,
Santa Barbara and Ventura counties, as well as connecting service between
lines. Like all automated trip planners, the TranStar Trip Planner may
not always produce the best itinerary, but will introduce you to transit
options with which you may not be familiar. latranstar.tann.com
BikeMetro: Bicyclists should trip plan with BikeMetro. BikeMetro
is like MapQuest, but geared for bikes: it understands that bicyclists
look for different qualities in a route than automobile drivers. BikeMetro's
itineraries, for example, avoid hills and traffic, and consider road quality
and the existence of bike lanes and routes. BikeMetro currently covers
LA, Orange, San Bernadino, and Riverside counties. www.bikemetro.com
Download a pdf of the LA County Bike Map, new as of April 2006.
The Metro System Map is a great resource in planning your trip.
You can pick one up for free on campus at the Rideshare Office at 515
S. Wilson or at Metro's Customer Service Center in Union Station. The
System Map can also be downloaded from the Riding Metro section of Metro's
website, but it's easier to work with a hard copy. An additional advantage
of using a Metro System Map is that it presents you with all your transit
options whereas Metro's Trip Planner gives at most two. Consequently,
if you've missed your bus connection, check the System Map to see whether
you can catch an alternative bus at a bus stop nearby. Metro System Maps
are posted at Metro Rail stations. The entire Metro bus system
map can be found online at http://www.metro.net/riding_metro/riders_guide/planning_trip-01.htm
The City of Pasadena Transit Map shows the routes of
all transit service providers with stops in Pasadena, including Metro,
Pasadena ARTS, Foothill Transit, Glendale Beeline, and many more. You
can pick up a copy for free at the bookstore or at the Rideshare Office
at 515 S. Wilson.
The City of Pasadena Bicycle Map is the definitive guide
to bicycling in Pasadena, and shows all of the bike lanes and bike routes
in Pasadena. You can find this free map in convenient pocket size form
at the bookstore or at the Rideshare Office at 515 S. Wilson. You can
also contact Rich Dilluvio for a hard copy via mail at (626) 744-7254
or at RDilluvio@cityofpasadena.net.