Line 18 east to Commerce Center. A year after Metro introduced SmartBus technology on most of their buses, marquees were modified on most Metro Rapid buses in which the "STOP REQUESTED" portion scrolls across the marquee instead of staying in place and "PLEASE USE REAR EXIT" scrolls slowly. Months later, marquees were switched back to their original format. The fare is the same as other Metro bus and rail service. Routes are numbered in the 700 series (7xx). In February 2020, Metro announced their NextGen Bus Plan that proposed an elimination of the majority of the Metro Rapid lines, merging them into their Metro Local counterparts. Most Metro Rapid routes, except for Lines 720 and 754 were discontinued, while Line 761 was replaced with a new termini at the Sylmar Metrolink Station. Criticism Critics see the Metro Rapid system as not sufficient to meet Los Angeles' growing transit needs. Limited funds, they say, would be better spent on extending the region's rail network. The opposite is backed by sound research „In higher income countries ... an HRT alternative is likely to cost up to 40 times as much as a BRT alternative, and up to 12 times as much as an LRT alternative." Some critics argued Rapid buses might not have the capacity or efficiency of light- or heavy-rail technology. Other critics claim that Metro Rapid is a triumph of marketing over substance. Substance might mean tables of passengers in peak hour per direction (PPHPD) observed: 14 LRT Systems, 14 HRT systems (1 track, excluding 3 2-track-systems), 56 BRT systems and the conclusion, that BRT „capacity on TransMilenio exceeds all but the highest capacity HRT systems, and it far exceeds the highest LRT system.“ - i.e. best LRT had 13,400 PPHPD, best 1 track HRT 36,000 PPHPD, best BRT 37,700 PPHPD. More topical is „Maximum passender load (per hour per direction) 45,000 – Daily passenger load (total) 1,000,000“ in a 1-lane-system using articulated buses. For many years, Metro and its predecessor, the SCRTD, operated limited-stop routes, which were similar to Metro Rapid service in the middle of their routes (serving only transfer points and major stops), but made local stops at each end. Rapid buses do not change traffic signals outside of the City of Los Angeles because only the city has tied the transponders to the signal network. The Los Angeles County Department of Public Works is working on