Have you ever asked Angelenos what they think of the public transit system here in L.A.?
I have. Many times. And the answer I most likely got was something along the lines of: “It sucks.”
So, smilingly, I ask another question: “Have you ever ridden the bus here?”
You can guess that a high percentage of the folks with the previous answers claimed: “No.”
It’s not a secret that the public transit in Los Angeles has a bad reputation. Ask anyone…who has never ridden it.
But get that person on a bus, and they’ll see (if they’re looking hard enough) a nice little patch on the sleeve of the bus driver that reads: “America’s Best”. It refers to an award that the Metro won in October of 2006 for Outstanding Public Transportation, handed out by the American Public Transportation Association. It’s kind of like the Pulitzer Prize for the bus and train systems of the U.S. That means that L.A. beat out Chicago, DC, San Francisco, Portland, and New York City, which all have pretty darn good reputations when it comes to public transit.
So, why the inconsistency? Why would so many Angelenos pooh-pooh a system they’ve never experienced, and why would they judge it so cruelly? After all, the APTA didn’t seem to think it “sucked.”
I have ridden buses all over this city of Los Angeles. And I don’t use the term “all over” lightly, given that Los Angeles spreads over hundreds of miles. Yes, there are times when the bus runs late. Yes, some of the drivers are cranky. Yes, sometimes it is crowded, and I have to stand. (Heaven forbid!) And yes, I’ve been on some buses that could use a little cleaning.
However, from my home in Mar Vista, I have found that I can always get to where I need to go. And that’s no small feat for a city so huge. And all and all, once you get used to the experience, it’s quite pleasant.
That being said, I will add that I think the system could, indeed, use some improvement. They seem simple enough though, such as bus schedules at the bus stops, and more buses on certain routes, and perhaps a few bus-only lanes on some of the major avenues. But, read what the Metro is up to, and you’ll find that they are doing what they can to implement improvement. There’s a document out there provided by Los Angeles’ MTA that speaks not only about the need for better public transit, but the impending necessity of it. In brief, it says that traffic is not going to get lighter (surprise) due primarily to population growth.
And it’s no secret that the average Angeleno’s dependency on their cars cause more problems than minor road rage. Smog is right in front of our eyes every day, and global warming is final getting the attention it deserves. Studies show that children raised near freeways have major breathing issues. Better public transportation can help solve these issues, road rage included.
From what I can tell, the public transit in Los Angeles deserves to be heralded. I salute the APTA for giving the award to the City of Angels, and we should be proud. After all, I will say it again, Los Angeles is huge. The fault lies not in today’s bus and train system, but in the design of the city. MTA’s doing the best they can, and if the professionals say it’s the best in America, Angeleno’s would do well to listen…and perhaps try it out for themselves rather than spew more carbon into our sunny skies.
So, in the words of Paul Simon, “Get on the bus, Gus.” And take a stand for Los Angeles' Metro system. Remember your ninth grade economics class about supply and demand? The more people that ride, the better it’s going to get, and the better the transportation system gets, we’ll be looking at a better Los Angeles…and it won’t be from behind windshields stuck on the 405.
