The Los Angeles Metro opened up a new beta version of its website for public review today. The first noticeable thing is that the interactive system map is front and centre on the home page – the very first thing that you see upon entering the site. No having to click through to the deepest depths of the website just to find a map here, something too many agencies still insist on doing.

It’s still a little rough around the edges at the moment – I can’t get it to accept a starting or end point in the trip planner! – but this definitely looks very promising. At the moment, the map only shows Metro data, but they hope to add data for 24 other LA-area transit agencies by the end of the year when the new version of the site goes properly live. Now there’s something to look forward to – a unified trip planner that integrates the myriad transit options available to travellers in this sprawling metropolis, regardless of who is supplying the service.

More details about the website redesign can be found on Metro’s “The Source” blog.