Why doesn't LA have a subway or train system??

Question

everyone is going the same direction (e.g. 405) and only 1 person per car usually. totally inefficient, unnecessary pollution, wasted time in slow moving traffic, accidents, etc. drivers here have low skill compared to other countries, yet are very aggressive, leading to accidents every day.

Answer 1

are you living in a cave or something bro CZ that's how i go to work and school. by train.

Answer 2

FIRST, there IS a subway system, and the LA area is also served by several commuter rail-systems including "Metro-Link"

Now as to WHY the system isn't MORE extensive is simple... LA is a post World War II area for the most part, and the AUTO was KING after the war.  There IS a rather extensive BUS system in the area.  Federal funds nation wide were fed into the highway and road systems rather than the PRIVATE rail system.

Another "issue" that many folks forget is the SIZE of the Los Angeles area (LA, Orange, Ventura Counties) is over 8,500 sq miles... half the size of the Netherlands, JUST 1,500 sq miles smaller than the state of Massachusetts, almost TWICE the size of Northern Ireland or Connecticut, and 5 times as big as Rhode Island.

The current subway system is a product of the time following the 1970's Oil Embargo.  Hopefully California High Speed Rail is coming soon... we're voting on it in November

Answer 3

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91euxMQ0Z...

Answer 4

It does.  I've ridden on it.  It's not comprable to subways in cities on the East Coast, but it's better than nothing.

Answer 5

They DID! (red cars) but I won't get into that. The mayor finally signed a bill to extend the subway to Santa Monica.  

Answer 6

probably because it's an "EARTHQUAKE" prone region

Answer 7

Most people are not keen on digging or blasting away in a geologically unstable area, but there is some subway in the LA Rapid Transit system:

http://www.metro.net/default.asp

Answer 8

It actually does.  It's fairly limited (1 subway line, 3 light rail lines, and 7 commuter rail lines), but it does exist.  If the sales tax bond passes at the election in November, then they will expand it.