Tomorrow we’ll celebrate Earth Day, a moment to reflect on why we do what we do. There are many reasons to take transit –– cost, convenience, and catching a break from LA’s notorious traffic jams. Yet this year, stepping up to mitigate climate change hits closer to home. 

Not only was last year –– 2024 –– the world’s hottest on record, but July 2024 was the hottest in California’s history, too. Here in Southern California, these unusually hot temperatures created parched, drought conditions that continued well into the winter, leaving us more vulnerable to dramatic changes in the weather, such as powerful Santa Ana Winds.  

In January, fueled by these dry conditions, devastating wildfires swept through Pacific Palisades and Altadena, killing 30 people, destroying over 16,000 structures and creating the worst air quality we’ve experienced in recent history.  

Months later, we’re still dealing with the fallout. I’m sitting here typing this with an air purifier buzzing next to me. Many of my Altadena neighbors are still remediating and testing for harmful chemicals like asbestos and lead. Seventy-five Metro employees, including yours truly, were displaced by the fires. Twenty-one of them lost their homes. 

Mountain View Street in West Altadena. Photo: India Mandelkern

But you don’t have to live in the burn areas to feel the effects. We all share the same roads and sidewalks. We all visit the same oceans and mountains. We all breathe the same air. As these fires proved, neighborhoods we didn’t think were vulnerable to wildfire…are vulnerable to wildfires under the right conditions. 

At Metro, we’re taking steps to prepare for more unpredictable weather. That means things like upgrading how we design and build to make our infrastructure stronger, planning ahead for power outages, using more types of energy, and making sure essential workers can still get where they need to go during emergencies. Some of our key facilities –– such as Division 13 in Downtown LA, the E Line (Expo Phase 2 segment from between Culver City and Santa Monica) and Division 24 in Monrovia –– are built with these goals in mind. We’re also exploring ways to add more renewable and local energy across our entire system.  

At the same time, we’re making strides to improve air quality across the region. As environmental conditions in California change, wildfires have become major contributors to air pollution. However, the air quality impacts from the transportation sector remain the largest source – up to 40% of all GHG emissions come from transportation, and 72% of those come from private vehicles. That means that every ride taken on Metro instead of driving does make a difference by chipping away at traffic congestion and decreasing air pollution. We’re also making upgrades to our fleet to ensure that your choice to go Metro goes further. Here are a few facts:  

• The G Line runs entirely on electric power (a milestone we celebrated in 2021) and the J Line is transitioning to all-electric, zero-emission buses.  

• Our Metro Micro fleet uses (mostly) hybrid Toyota Sienna vans.  

• Our Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) engine Metro bus fleet — 2,050 strong — runs on renewable natural gas. 

• All 105 miles of the Metro Rail system are powered by electricity.  

• We’re also investing in zero-emission electric buses, “near-zero” emission engine upgrades, and electric non-revenue vehicles. Stay tuned for details.  

And it’s working. Here are a few recent stats that reflect what we’ve achieved:  

• In 2023, our avoided emissions — the emissions prevented by riders choosing Metro over cars — increased by 6% compared to the previous year. This helped us displace nearly 3.5 times more GHG emissions than we created.  

• As ridership has steadily grown, we’ve consistently displaced more emissions than we’ve produced.  

• Together, we saw a 14.3% reduction in agency-wide pollutants in 2023 — even as our overall service grew with increased bus mileage and the launch of Metro Micro. That’s a meaningful step in the right direction, even though we still have a long way to go. 

To show our appreciation for the progress we’ve made together, we’re offering FREE rides all day on Earth Day, April 22. That includes: 

• Metro Bus & Rail: Turnstiles will be unlocked, and fare boxes covered until 2:59 a.m. on Wednesday, April 23. 

• Metro Bike Share: Get a free 30-minute ride by selecting “1-Ride” and entering promo code 042225 at any kiosk, online, or in the app. This code can be used multiple times throughout the day. (Electric bike unlocking fees are waived too!) 

• Metro Micro: No code needed! But you must have the new app –– download it here. TAP cards won’t be charged. If paying by credit card in the app, select “TAP” when booking. Booking by phone? Just mention the Earth Day promotion when calling 323-GO-METRO (6 a.m. to 6 p.m.). 

Other agencies are offering free rides too, such as Metrolink, LADOT’s DASH, Santa Monica Big Blue Bus, and Pasadena Transit. Check your local transit agency to see if they are offering free rides that day.  

We hope you’ll take a moment to celebrate our planet on April 22 (and ride for free while you’re at it!), but we also know that Earth Day is just one day. The work to create a greener, cleaner, and more resilient transit system continues 365 days each year. You can learn more about our efforts at metro.net/sustainability.  

But we want your input, too. What kind of changes would you like to see on our system? Let us know in the questions and comments. We’re listening.

As always, thanks for riding Metro.