June 21: This Date in Los Angeles Transportation History

Written by Kenn Bicknell

1981: Southern California Rapid Transit District launches a new numbering scheme for all bus routes.

This third phase of the “1980s Sectors Improvement Plan” is the most ambitious revamping of bus service in Los Angeles history.

The purpose is to create a County-wide grid system which will eliminate the need for transfers on a single street, and to provide access to any point on the grid with only one transfer.

It is hoped that the new system will be easier to understand. It is based on the following table for line numbers:

1 through 99: Local routes to and from downtown Los Angeles

100 through 299: Local routes in other areas

300 through 399: Limited stop routes

400 through 499: Express routes to and from downtown Los Angeles

500 through 599: Express routes in other areas

600 through 699: Special service routes

More information on the numbering scheme and service enhancements can be found in the June, 1981 issue of Headway, the Southern California Rapid Transit District employee news magazine.

Last Updated June 3, 2024

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