Leave the driving to the South Bay pros

We gave you a primer on using public transportation in the South Bay on Tuesday. We introduced you to the services provided by Metro, Torrance and Gardena. These are the three services with the largest buses and the routes on the most important streets.

Meet the South Bay's other, smaller bus services. These systems use smaller buses or only offer service for rush-hour commuters.

First is Beach Cities Transit, the South Bay's youngest bus system. The fixed-route system emerged from a dial-a-ride service provided to the beach cities. The most fun is Route 109, which parallels the coast between El Segundo and Redondo Beach. Route 102 connects the Green Line with the South Bay Galleria and the Redondo Beach Pier. Route 104 connects Riviera Village with the Del Amo Fashion Center.

The Lawndale Beat is a two-route bus system connecting Lawndale with the Green Line and the South Bay Galleria. The residential route runs along Firmona, Osage and Prairie avenues. The express route runs along Hawthorne Boulevard.

Even the cities on The Hill have a bus service: the Palos Verdes Peninsula Transit Authority. There are six routes, designated by color: green, gold, orange, blue, silver and white. The routes are tailored to senior citizens and school children, so the service coverage is very limited.

Finally, we arrive at the commuter bus options. The Los Angeles Department of Transportation runs the rush-hour Commuter Express services from the Beach Cities and the Peninsula and Harbor areas to downtown Los Angeles. A smaller commuter service, the Municipal Area Express, operates within the South Bay to take workers to and from the aerospace jobs in and around El Segundo.