According to metros ridership statistics, the amount of riders on the bus have been decreasing slowly through the years. Around May of 2018 there were about 1,237,220 weekly riders, now a year later there are 1,209,399 weekly riders.
Riders are slowly moving away from public transportation this is due to the way LA Metro transport system is kept sanitized. With the rise of homelessness on the streets of LA, many of them take shelter in busses, trains, or just stay around the stations. This has caused riders to be concerned with the sanitation of the transport system. With the Bay Area Rapid Transport (BART) finally removing its carpeted floors and seats they had discovered all the bacteria and viruses that had accumulated over the years. With this discovery many riders prefer having the upholstered seats removed. While it was meant for comfort not many feel comfortable sitting somewhere that they know is filled with dirt, fluids, and can be potentially dangerous. Impactful "factors most associated with satisfaction are on-board cleanliness and comfort"(Van Lierop) these are what riders want for their transport to be one hundred percent on.
A guest writer from DTLA rising wrote about his experiences "I’ve seen everything from blood, to alcohol, to someone’s dinner leftovers covering these seats. Despite Metro’s best efforts to clean out the filth that accumulates every day, the trains still greet Angelenos with a stench that’s sure to wake up any groggy-eyed passenger in the morning." (Dunn)
Through my research I have discovered that the Metro system is slowly removing the upholstery and putting in vinyl seats. Not only will this make it easier to clean but it will add a sense of security because it shows that there will be no accumulation of germs or bacteria. but it will also be cost efficient for the MTA system, Passengers don't need to fear sitting on the seats and feel a wet sensation. Not only that but metro has a clean community service program. This program allows volunteers but as well as people who need to complete community service hours to help and clean the outside of the bus stops and train stops. The only way to help our city is by nerving our community any way we can.
Homelessness has become an issue on public transports as well, "Los Angeles County’s homeless population has surged, reaching more than 58,000 people last year, the sanitation and safety problems on trains and buses are approaching what officials and riders say are crisis levels"(Nelson). While there have always been a few homeless people there seems to be a rise and there's not much one can do to help them. "Riders’ feelings about the safety of buses and trains have had a direct effect on ridership. More than 1 in 5 current passengers has been harassed on the train. In a 2016 survey, 29% of former riders told Metro they stopped taking transit because they felt unsafe"(Nelson), Passengers have stopped using public transport due to safety from homeless because we never know who we encounter. Some are mentally ill and while many have helped by offering food it doesn't always end as a good situation. With the rise of rider apps such as Lyft and Uber, many have come to use this option to have a sense of comfort knowing that they won't be on a smelly ride, there is no fear of urine or vomit on seats as well as people yelling on the transit.
The reason why I chose this issue is because all of my life I have been a public transportation rider so I have seen it change throughout the years. My parents never drove when I was younger, recently my dad started driving but before that I remember that my mom would take us to school on the bus and on the weekends we would go to museums, parks and even the library using trains and busses. I remember before they had the dodger stadium express we would take the bus and walk all up a big hill just to reach the stadium. When it came visiting family members in Riverside we would take the greyhound as far as we could and get picked up by my uncle. I feel like being exposed to public transport at a young age I have a better sense of how to get around the city of Los Angeles. Now that I'm older I still use it as a way to get around with my kids, while its very convenient and affordable for me, sometimes I avoid riding with my kids due to how bad the metro sanitation has gotten. Homelessness has become an issue all over LA but I have come to see it more around buses, trains even the bus stops. It's hard to expose my kids knowing that many of them could be half naked, they can expose themselves and even become irritated with other passengers for no reason. The safety of my children is always a concern for me. Besides the homeless people an issue that I have come to notice is dirty metro stations, the elevators smell like urine, there could be poop or vomit in a train or even just plain old trash from food. I have come to notice that each time before I sit I check the seat to make sure its not wet. While metro has improved some bus lines and try to upgrade their seats its still a concern that has affected me but also my community. Whats more concerning is that its not a topic that is widely discussed and it should be talked about so it can improve this issue and maybe slowly fix the problem.
Overall are public transportation stations are poorly maintained. If they were properly and regularly cleaned it would encourage those using public transport to also keep it clean. If each station had its own officers then we wouldn't have such a rise in homeless siting and sleeping in the trains. While we do see a big amount of officers in certain stations that have more traffic it leaves the other ones unattended. These issues need to be fix for ridership to increase but also the trust of the rider with its MTA system.
Statements:
"I personally, cannot sit down on the seats of our trains because of how many homeless people sleep on them and how rarely they are cleaned. If these issues were solved, then I would have a very different opinion on our public transportation system. Theres also an issue of safety, when I was around middle school I was getting on a bus and there were a group of kids laughing and a homeless person assumed they were making fun of him because he was a crossdresser. So because of this he attacked me from behind when I was just minding my own business, I turned around and punched him in order for him to stop and then didn't even get to enjoy the ride home because of how mad I was with the situation. They don't think of who they can be hurting so it's a definite concern.
- Henry Quintana
" I still use public transportation to get around but I have become more aware of where I am sitting. I check the seat to make sure its not wet because there was an incident where I was taking my girls to middle school one day and I sat on a seat soaked in urine, I had to get off the bus and go home and change while my girls went to school on their own. Knowing that they can encounter crazy people or even dangerous people while going to school was very concerning and I couldn't go with them. I even complained to the driver of the bus about the seats but I knew that there wasn't anything he could do, he just drives the bus and he can't keep an eye on everything when he's focused on the road."
- Ninfa Bautista
" You always have to watch were you step or sit because a lot of homeless sleep on the train and they use the restroom out in the open. I always check the seat before I sit and have seen others bring either a plastic bag or newspaper to sit on top of. I usually avoid sitting on the seats but my job requires a lot of work and walking that by the end of the day I just want to sit, knowing the seats can be filthy makes me feel unease and uncomfortable"
- Ray Lopez
Citations
Dunn, Benjamin. "The Stinking Problem with LA Metro's Seats." DTLA Rising with Brigham Yen. N.p., 21 Oct. 2015. Web. 07 July 2019.
Elinson, Zusha. "On BART Trains, the Seats Are Taken (by Bacteria)." The New York Times. The New York Times, 05 Mar. 2011. Web. 07 July 2019.
"Metro Clean Community Service Program." Metro Careers. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 July 2019.
Nelson, Laura J. "As Waves of Homeless Descend onto Trains, L.A. Tries a New Strategy: Social Workers on the Subway." Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times, 06 Apr. 2018. Web. 07 July 2019.
Nelson, Laura J. "Goodbye, Upholstery. Hello, Vinyl: L.A. Metro Is Phasing out Some of Its Infamous Fabric Seats." Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2018. Web. 08 July 2019.
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