When people think of California, they might be thinking about the many beaches that line its coasts. Torrance is one of these cities along the coast in the South Bay region. The city is a little isolated from the other cities in the Los Angeles Metro area, which can make transportation difficult on occasion.
Torrance, California only has a limited public transportation system. The city mostly relies on a bus system within the city limits. There is some support from multi-city bus lines, but most transit is confined to the city. An under-construction rail line will add other options once complete.
Since the city has a weaker public transportation system, you might not feel like traveling to the city. In truth, as long as you prepare ahead of time, you can have an excellent time in Torrance. Here are some tips to help you avoid common pitfalls and squeeze all that you can out of this city’s public transit options.
How To Ride The Torrance Transit Buses
The easiest way to get around the city of Torrance is by using the Torrance Transit system. This is a collection of bus lines dedicated to serving residents and visitors in the city of Torrance. There are a total of 11 different bus lines that you can ride in Torrance. Each of these lines will serve a slightly different area of the city. We will take a look at each of these lines below and how they can be of use to you. Before that, however, here is some basic information that you should know about Torrance buses.
You can pay for your bus fare by using a TAP pass or purchasing a ticket online. A TAP pass can be bought at the West Annex Transit Store, which can be found in the Torrance City Hall. You can also purchase a monthly pass if you are interested in this location. Monthly passes cost $35 a month for local buses or $65 a month for express buses. While boarding a bus, you can also simply pay for a single ride for $1
.
Some things to keep in mind about the Torrance Transit system. Buses have a tendency to be unreliable with their schedule. Make sure that you are at the bus station a couple of minutes early and that you are clearly visible to a driver while waiting.
The best way to keep track of buses is to call the number posted at each bus station. Ask them if the buses are running on time and if you should expect a bus at scheduled times. They can let you know if the bus schedule has been altered for that day. With these tips in mind, here are each of the Torrance Transit Bus lines.
Line 1
The main role of Line 1 is to connect people to Line C of the Metro bus. The line starts in downtown Torrance before heading east along Torrance Boulevard. It then turns to the north and begins to weave its way through the neighborhood. Its final stop is at one of the Line C Metro stations. This is a great choice if you need to transfer to the Metro bus line.
Line 2
Similar to Line 1. Connects downtown Torrance to Line C of the Metro bus. However, instead of heading along the eastern edge of the city, it covers the western edge of the city. Once reaching the northern limits of the city it turns to the east and makes its way over to the Metro station.
Line 3
This line starts in Redondo Beach to the west of Torrance. As it goes east, the line passes through the downtown portion of the city. Once it has done so, it turns to the southeast. Eventually, the line makes several connections with the Line A Metro bus. It follows this bus line to the south until making its final stop in the city of Long Beach. This is a great option if you want to get to the coast to the west and south of Torrance.
Line 4
This bus line is slightly different from the other lines on this list. Instead of being a local line, it is an express line. This line connects downtown Torrance to downtown Los Angeles. Since it is an express line, a ticket will cost $2 instead of the regular $1 one-time ticket. The cost is balanced by line 4 making connections with Metro Bus lines A, B, C, D, and E. This line currently is the easiest way to get into Los Angeles from Torrance as well.
Line 5
This is a simple bus line. It runs from the south end of the city straight north to the edge of the city. At the north end of the line, it stops at a Metro Line C station. A great choice for anyone needing to move north or south in the city quickly. Keep in mind that this line only runs during weekdays.
Line 6
This line starts in downtown Torrance before weaving its way through the neighborhoods to the east. It slowly makes its way north before stopping just south of Compton. It makes a stop at the Metro A line bus from Long Beach to LA. It also only runs on days during the work week.
Line 7
Line 7 is an extremely short bus line. It starts in Redondo Beach and heads east through southern Torrance and makes its final stop in the Carson neighborhood. It doesn’t make any connections with the Metro bus lines, so it should only be used for inter-city travel.
Line 8
This bus line leads from downtown Torrance to the far northwest. This bus line runs all the way north to the LAX transit center. From this station, you can transfer to a connection to the Los Angeles International Airport. This is a great option for getting to the airport. The bus runs every day of the week, but hours vary, so plan ahead if you need to get to the airport at a specific time.
Line 9
Line 9 is another short bus line. It connects downtown Torrance to the eastern neighborhoods in the city. Like line 7, it does not make a connection with a different transit system, so it should only be used for travel within the city of Torrance.
Line 10
This line is similar to Line 5. It also runs as along a straight route from south to north. It runs a couple of blocks west of Line 5. It is great if you need to get to a similar location but don’t want to make the walk after getting off of Line 5. It also makes a connection with Metro Bus Line C to the north.
Line 13
The final Torrance bus line is a great way to get from the western to the eastern edges of the city. It starts over in Renoldo Beach right along the coast. After heading north along the coast, it turns east and heads through the middle of Torrance. After weaving its way east, it makes its final stop along Line A of the Metro bus.
How To Get To The Airport
While traveling to California, you might be flying into the state. If you are, there is a good chance that you will be passing through the Los Angeles International Airport. While LAX is a large and convenient airport, you may be wondering how you can make the last leg of your trip from the airport into Torrance. The best way to do so is to ride a bus or shuttle from the airport terminal to the LAX transit station. From here, you can catch bus Line 8 the rest of the way into downtown Torrance.
For a trip with fewer steps, you can always try and find a shuttle to ferry you from the airport directly to Torrance. The issue with these shuttles is that they can be quite expensive and they aren’t always available.
What Will The Upcoming Metro Line Add To Torrance?
Right now, Torrance is a bit isolated from the Los Angeles metro to the north. That will change in the future with the introduction of a new Metro rail line. Other cities around Los Angeles already have these rail lines, which makes travel much quicker and has reduced some of the traffic snarling these city’s streets.
Currently, Torrance is working on getting the final plans for this line approved before construction can start. The plan is to have this line complete before Los Angeles hosts the 2028 Summer Olympics so that people from Torrance and the surrounding area have easy access to the events.
Is Public Transportation Important In Torrance, California?
After doing all this research, I have concluded that Torrance has a below-average public transportation system. The system is mostly reliant on the internal city bus lines. Residents like how cheap these buses are, but note that buses often show up late or don’t show up at all.
There are other far-reaching bus lines, but none of them actually pass through Torrance and so require taking another bus to make the connection adding additional time and expense to travelers. The new Metro rail line will ease some of this stress, but won’t be completed for several more years. This shows that while the city is trying to improve the public transportation in Torrance, it isn’t extremely important.
