What Long Beach Transit does

Long Beach Transit (LBT) is a public transit agency headquartered at 1963 E Anaheim St in Long Beach, California, founded in 1963 and operating as a government entity with 101–250 employees. The agency delivers fixed-route bus service across 35+ numbered routes covering Long Beach, Carson, and surrounding Los Angeles County areas, augmented by Water Taxi (Aqualink) harbor service, ADA-compliant Dial-A-Lift paratransit, the free downtown Passport circulator, a Commuter Express to UCLA/Westwood, and special event services including Museum Express and Galaxy Express. LBT serves over 17 million customers annually and operates approximately 6.9 million miles of service per year, with three offices (headquarters, corporate office at 4801 Airport Plaza Drive, and the Transit & Visitor Information Center at 130 E. First Street).

The agency's core technology is a 100% alternative-fuel fleet that, as of 2023, includes 44 battery electric buses, near-zero emission compressed natural gas buses, and gasoline hybrid electric buses, supported by a stated goal of a zero-emission fleet by 2030. Fare payment is integrated with the TAP regional system spanning 26 Southern California transit agencies, accessed via the TAP App and dedicated RideLBT mobile app for water taxi fares; trip planning is powered by Google Maps integration, and the agency operates an SMS-based ConText For Next arrival notification service. Sub-brands include the free GoPass program (K-12 and community college students via LBUSD, LAUSD, LBCC) and the discounted Go Beach! Pass (CSULB students and faculty).

Revenue is generated through three streams: passenger fares (a $1.25 standard single ride, with reduced $0.60 fares for seniors, Medicare cardholders, and customers with disabilities, plus day, multi-day, and 30-day passes), federal, state, and local government subsidies (including Measure M sales tax), and bus-side outdoor advertising through a partnership with Lamar Advertising. The agency's customer base is intentionally diversified across general public commuters, K-12 students, university students and faculty, seniors, and ADA riders, and its go-to-market is direct-to-consumer via physical bus stops, the Transit & Visitor Information Center, mobile apps, and channel partnerships with educational institutions. The agency is governed by a Board of Directors with public monthly meetings and is compliant with ADA, Title VI, EEO, DBE, and SBE federal requirements.

Name

Long Beach Transit

Legal name

Long Beach Transit

Website

https://ridelbt.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1963

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Long Beach Transit is a public transit agency operating 35+ fixed bus routes, water taxis, and paratransit services across Long Beach, Carson, and surrounding Los Angeles County, serving over 17 million riders annually with an alternative-fuel fleet.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Long Beach

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Public Transit Fares: Revenue generated from single ride fares, day passes, monthly passes, and semester passes for students and seniors
2. Government Subsidies: Public funding from federal, state, and local government sources to support public transit operations
3. Bus Advertising: Outdoor advertising on buses through Lamar Advertising partner

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Long Beach Transit is a public transit agency operating fixed-route bus services across 35+ routes covering Long Beach, Carson, and surrounding Los Angeles County areas, along with water taxi (AquaLNK) services in the harbor and ADA-compliant Dial-A-Lift paratransit service. The agency also operates free downtown Passport circulator service, Commuter Express to UCLA/Westwood, and special event shuttles (Museum Express, Galaxy Express) using a 100% alternative-fuel fleet.

Product overview

Long Beach Transit operates as a public transit agency providing multi-modal transportation services throughout Long Beach, Carson, and surrounding Los Angeles County areas. The core offering consists of 35+ fixed bus routes including local service, the Passport downtown circulator, Commuter Express to UCLA, and special event services. Additional services include Water Taxis (Aqualink) and ADA-compliant Dial-A-Lift paratransit. Fare programs include the free GoPass for K-12/community college students and discounted Go Beach! passes for CSULB. The agency also operates a Transit & Visitor Information Center and the First Street Transit Gallery, combining transportation with community engagement services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• GoPass: Free TAP card program for K-12 and community college students providing unlimited rides on LBT buses and other transit systems
• Passport
• Go Beach! Pass
• Water Taxis
• Dial-A-Lift
• Transit Ambassador

Products and services

• LBT Bus Services (Fixed-Route Transit) Fixed-route bus transit services covering Long Beach, Carson, and surrounding areas through 35+ numbered routes including local, commuter express, and special event services, serving the general public.
• Water Taxis (AquaLNK) Water taxi service operating aquatic transportation in the Long Beach harbor and bay area, with mobile ticketing available through the RideLBT app for the general public and visitors.
• Dial-A-Lift ADA-compliant paratransit service providing door-to-door shared-ride transportation exclusively for individuals unable to use the fixed-route bus system, with drivers trained to accommodate disability needs.
• Passport (Downtown Circulator) Free downtown circulator service connecting North/Downtown Long Beach and the A/Blue Metro Rail line, operating as a local shuttle route.
• Commuter Express (UCLA/Westwood) Express bus service connecting the Long Beach area to the UCLA/Westwood campus, providing long-distance commute options for students, faculty, and commuters.
• Museum Express Special shuttle service connecting riders to Long Beach museums for cultural and educational transportation.
• Galaxy Express Special event service connecting riders to the Dignity Health Sports Park, home of the LA Galaxy soccer team, for sports event transportation.
• GoPass Program Free transit pass program for K-12 and community college students at participating LBUSD, LAUSD, and LBCC schools, providing fareless bus rides on LBT and connected regional transit systems.
• Go Beach! Pass Discounted unlimited-ride semester passes for CSULB students and faculty, available as 30-day passes ($40) or 150-day semester passes ($100, normally $325).
• Transit & Visitor Information Center Physical customer service center located at 130 E. First Street in Downtown Long Beach, open Monday-Friday 7am-6pm and weekends 8am-5pm, providing transit information and TAP card sales.

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Long Beach Unified School District (LBUSD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLBUSD participates in the GoPass TAP Card program, providing free transit passes to K-12 students for transportation to and from school.
• Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLAUSD schools participate in the GoPass TAP Card program, expanding student transportation options.
• Long Beach City College (LBCC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLBCC students receive GoPass TAP Cards for free transportation between campuses and home.
• California State University Long Beach (CSULB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCSULB Go Beach! Pass program offers students and faculty discounted unlimited rides on LBT buses (30-day pass for $40, semester pass for $100).
• TAP (Transit Access Pass) Regional SystemcoreTechnology or IntegrationLBT participates in the TAP regional fare system, accepting TAP cards and the TAP App for fare payment across 26 transit systems in Southern California.
• Google MapscoreTechnology or IntegrationGoogle Maps powers LBT's trip planning functionality, providing real-time arrival times, route options, and cost estimates for riders.
• Lamar AdvertisingminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLamar Advertising handles outdoor advertising on LBT buses as a revenue-generating marketing partnership.
• City of CarsoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong Beach Transit, in partnership with the City of Carson, has expanded its services to serve Carson with designated bus routes.
• American Public Transportation Association (APTA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLBT has signed APTA's Sustainability Commitment, demonstrating commitment to broader sustainability principles.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• OCTA (Orange County Transportation Authority): County-level transit operator running bus services across Orange County. Comparable in scale and service model to LBT, with similar funding structure and TAP integration.
• SFMTA (San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency): Multi-modal municipal transit operator running bus, rail, and paratransit in San Francisco. Comparable multi-modal service mix (bus + water transit analog + paratransit) to LBT's portfolio.
• LA Metro (Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority): Regional transit operator serving greater Los Angeles with bus and rail. Most directly comparable in geography and service model to LBT, and LBT is integrated with LA Metro through the TAP regional fare system.

Direct peers

• Torrance Transit: Municipal bus operator serving Torrance and connecting to LBT routes. LBT explicitly lists Torrance Transit as a partner for the GoPass program, indicating direct service overlap and rider flow.
• Big Blue Bus (Santa Monica): Municipal fixed-route bus operator serving Santa Monica and neighboring LA County communities. Operates a similar fleet with strong sustainability commitments and serves an overlapping student/commuter customer base.
• Culver CityBus: Municipal bus operator in western LA County. Comparable fixed-route service model, similar ridership scale, and operates within the same regional TAP fare ecosystem.
• AC Transit (Alameda-Contra Costa Transit): Bay Area public bus operator running fixed-route and paratransit services. Comparable in scale, multi-modal offerings (bus + paratransit), and pursuit of zero-emission fleet transition.
• Foothill Transit: Public bus operator serving the San Gabriel Valley in LA County. Operates a similar fixed-route municipal bus model and is a fellow TAP partner agency with comparable fleet electrification initiatives.

Regional players

• LADOT (Los Angeles Department of Transportation): Municipal transportation operator running transit services (DASH, Commuter Express) within the City of Los Angeles. Overlaps with LBT in the LA County transit market, with similar route and customer characteristics.

Others

• MV Transportation: Private contractor that operates paratransit and fixed-route services on behalf of public transit agencies. Comparable through shared paratransit (Dial-A-Lift analog) service delivery model in the same broader market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/lbtransit
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@longbeachtransit5705
• Facebookfacebook.com/lbtransit
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ridelbt
• Instagraminstagram.com/longbeachtransit

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Long Beach Transit