Do people take public transit in Los Angeles?

Question

I'm curious. I visited L.A. once and I wonder how much of the population uses public transit in the county. When I using it, very few people were on the buses and light rail. I know L.A. is known for its car culture, but is public transit really a viable option for people living in the city? It's weird, when I was visiting Los Angeles and was looking up info to get somewhere, all I got were driving directions, no public transit directions. You guys must take your cars seriously!

Answer 1

before the gas prices if your a californian and taking public transportation more than likely it's because you can't afford a car and don't have a choice. It's not like NY where EVERYONE takes public transportation if that's what you mean. But yeah I agree public transpo everywhere is increasing cause of costs.

Answer 2

Historically, LA has been a car city.  Only in certain parts of downtown can residents make do without a car.  But recently, ridership on buses and trains has been going up due to the gas prices.  MTA is I believe the 3rd largest transit agency in the country.

Answer 3

Unfortunately, people with cars are not (yet) in the habit.  The buses go everywhere, and the train system is coming along but is not yet broadly developed.  Since gas prices jumped up, ridership has increased enormously, but you are right, people in LA are wedded to our cars.

The irony is that we once had a fully developed trolley system that was later dismantled, some say at the behest of the oil industry, now only to be rebuilt at great expense.

Those of us who value public transit see all the potential and just shake our heads at the lost opportunities.  We use it and are proponents at every turn, but it's a hard sell here, at least for now.

Here's an interesting link for you, below.

BTW, I am an architect and have designed many bus and rail facilities, both in the public eye and behind the scenes.

Answer 4

umm i took its so unsanitary  

Answer 5

Good Comment CG...Ridership is at an all time high right now..

Answer 6

no, i think our public transportation is horrible. you really cant go anywhere on it.  ive tried to travel on it, and the there are just not enough bus stops yet.  

back in the day, there were a whole bunch of freeways that were metro links.  but evil general motors had to buy them all and make them all freeways, so that people would have to drive cars more and increase gm sales.

we do need a better public transportation system in all of southern california.  you can get to union station, but its hard to get any further than that on a bus in l.a.

the state of california wants to make a half cent tax increase to better our public transportation and im all for it!

Answer 7

small number of people use public transportation but with gas prices high the number increases

Answer 8

Oh yes,public transit is enormously taken by the majority of people living in L.A.

Answer 9

you were not using the proper website (you said you looking up directions

all you got was driving directions well apparently you didnt go to

http://www.metro.net  there you will find a trip planner

(Metro is working with google to eventally too add their planner to

googgles transit route planner

Answer 10

The Metro (subway) is pretty good in LA and is always crowded.  The use of the bus system depends on where you start and end your trip - some are widely used and some aren't so much.  

Yes - there are a lot of cars, but a lot of people still use public transportation.  

Here's a metro link:    http://www.metro.net/riding_metro/riders...