Introduction
Traffic? It’s the worst. We all know this and most of us have, at some point in our lives, experienced the unbearably slow crawl of our parents’ cars as we sit in traffic. We count down the seconds until the road finally clears up and we continue as we did before, with no delay. However, as we grow older and our responsibilities change, our destinations change accordingly. So, how do we manage in getting to these places? The immediate response from many, if not most of us, is obviously by using a car. And as to why, the general reason is that driving is the most convenient way to travel. So then, if most answers are to use a car, the use of public transit must “obviously” be out of the question. This feeds into the notion that owning and driving a car is the best option for transportation, but the underlying problem is that out of the entire population of the Greater Los Angeles area, nearly all of its residents have this same opinion. This widely accepted perspective has tuned up the difficulty of mobility throughout Los Angeles exponentially, making the traffic problem all the more irreversible.
Societal Impact
The 19 million residents of the Greater Los Angeles region are currently experiencing a transportation crisis in which many must face longer trips to get to their destinations, especially in and around Los Angeles County. Incidentally, many students and low-income residents without cars are posed with the even greater problem of finding efficient ways of transportation in Los Angeles. As traffic congestion continues to worsen due to an exponential rise in car ownership, public transit options are concurrently becoming less relevant to the county’s residences.
Mode of Transportation
Transportation is, inherently, the single most important factor in any individual’s life as it dictates the speed and distance at which one can reach to get to their desired location, which in turn dictates the amount of opportunities and destinations that are available and that are within reasonable traveling distance. However, the emergence of the terrible traffic congestion has plagued residents all across the Greater Los Angeles area where the issue has become notorious nation-wide. This poses an incredible strain on mobility for commuters whose trips are drastically delayed as a result of the congestion; a strain that more greatly affects low-income residents and students who may not own cars. The issue stems from the shift in the preference of modes of transportation in the Greater Los Angeles area over the last few decades as its residents have opted for the convenience of an automobile over public transit.
"Cars are great. You'll save so much time!"
Over a 5 year time period from 2013 to 2017, the number of public transit riders of both the bus and the rail had fallen by 14%, a staggering decrease of nearly 72 million trips from the initial 500 million trips. To understand why rider attendance has dropped, we must first understand that the only other reason as to why is because, of the 18 million residents in all 5 counties, there were 4 times as many cars bought during 2000 to 2015 than there were in the preceding decade. This was aided by cheaper gas prices, more aesthetic car models, and a litany of other minute factors like gentrification, sub-urbanization, and lower auto-loan rates.
However, the most apparent reasons for the shared desire to drive is because of the sweeping suburbia that blankets the land around Central Los Angeles and the intricate network of highways that promotes the use of automobiles. The established infrastructure of this web of highways was never meant to support the current surplus of automobiles, and reforming or even adding to the network is near impossible as doing so would only cause more congestion and cost exponentially more for both the county and the drivers who would need to spend more time and money as a cause of road work and less road capacity. The presiding issue is that encouraging automobile owners to use public transportation instead is not an option because the transit system is too inefficient. As of now, public transit services retain a higher trip duration than personal automobiles and for those who do use transit, the quality of services are mediocre. There simply are not enough buses in operation to account for the amount of riders, all with different schedules and destinations. There are those whose trips could be delayed by over 45 minutes if they miss their bus. Many are also concerned with safety and sanitation because of the worsening homelessness problem.
Even with the Measure M ballot passed in 2016, experts believe that public transit ridership will not reach its projected increase rate and that congestion will remain unaffected. This stagnancy is simply due to the fact that driving a car is more attractive as it provides unrivaled comfort, a private space, and greatly more convenience in reaching places. Brian D Taylor, director of the Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies and the Institute of Transportation Studies at the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs, states that building upon the transit system will not relieve congestion "because the demand is still there. You can make all the improvements in public transport in the world, but if people can drive (from the suburbs) to their destination ... the reality is (driving is) always going to be a more attractive way to get around."
The Community
Eric Doan, CSULA Student
Personally, transportation is of great importance to me because I generally love to travel around and I do so on a daily basis whether it be for school, work, social activities, or for food. The state of traffic then directly affects the time it takes for me get to where I need to go. Subsequently, the cost of getting to my destination increases because the consistent stop and go requires constant acceleration which unnecessarily expends more gas. I do understand that as a car owner, I am also a constituent in the traffic congestion. Despite this shortcoming, I wholeheartedly support the use of public transportation but as of right now, it doesn't provide as much convenience for me because of the sheer amount of destinations I have to reach within a single day within a certain time frame.
Angela Zhu, USC Student
”I think all forms of transportation in Los Angeles has at least one major downfall like, for buses, the travel time is significantly longer than traveling by car but traveling by car is significantly more expensive and not as accessible due to high insurance rates and more dangerous as well since highways are more complicated and more crowded. I think the Metro system is more accessible to USC students in particular but the majority of students don’t like to use it because the Metro is seen as dangerous. Getting around for me is difficult because I’m from out of state and don’t have the means to buy a car. I have to rely on friends who have cars to be willing to drive me places or take the bus to my work, but I have to allot an extra hour and a half out of my day when I take the bus just because it takes so much longer to walk to and from the bus stop from home and from my office. I would rather drive a car because it is more convenient and faster but if the city spent money to keep the bus systems clean and safe and could provide more extensive bus routes, I would be open to taking the bus more often.”
Stephanie Li, UC Berkeley Student
“I think transportation in LA is difficult without a car. I’ve seen bus stops here and there but I’m sure it takes twice as long to get to places. I think if you live in LA and want to maximize the amount of things you do and your productivity, you need a car. Getting around isn’t difficult because I am able to use my parents' car occasionally. But whenever they need it, I'm basically stuck at home or have to walk to the nearest bus station which is probably like half a mile away because I’ve never seen many around me. If it was easier to get around, I’d probably just take public transportation. In San Francisco, I think it’s more convenient to use transit than a car especially when everything is closer to each other. And unless you live outside of the city, you should use public transportation.”
William Choi, Pomona College Student
"I rely on the public transportation system on a daily basis from going to the grocery store, to work, to visiting friends on university campuses in Los Angeles. The numerous routes that interconnect multiple counties make it possible for me, a student with no car, to be able to fulfill daily responsibilities such as attending work and have access to visiting my friends in a completely different county. It's actually more convenient for me to take the train which takes approximately 50 minutes to get from Pomona college to DTLA rather than if I were to have a car and had to drive into LA during rush hour. Additionally, the stops along the way provide options for me to visit other locations where my friends live. In many ways, the public transportation system is even more reliable than having my own car because I would not run into issues such as car accidents. This grants me a peace of mind when I have to get to and from places. The only down-side would be the schedule of trains which stops relatively early in the night. It would be much safer if students and adults had the option to take the train home later in the evening, especially if they're intoxicated. Having the public transportation system relieves the financial pressure of having to rely on rideshare options like Uber and Lyft, which are relatively expensive especially during surge price hours. "
Elaine Huang, UCLA Student
“I think public transportation in LA has gotten a lot better and more convenient with the expansion plans. For example, Metro has opened the new Expo and Purple line that help connect students from UCLA and USC to other regions of the LA area. The train times are also pretty reasonable seeing that they come every 7-15 mins. Additionally there are essentially buses at every train stop that get you to the location you are headed to, as long as you know how to navigate the lines. The buses are a lot more inconsistent and unreliable for students who are pressured to get to classes in time which requires precautionary planning of logistics in order to get to your location on time. The public transportation system in LA is definitely a valuable resource for students without cars and even occasionally for students with cars because it offers a means of mobility during traffic rush hours or if you're unexpectedly facing car troubles. The prices are also relatively affordable at $1.75 per trip! There are also the means of applying for a student card which comes out to $22 a month allowing you to take as many trips as you would like!”
References
Nelson, Laura J. “L.A. Is Hemorrhaging Bus Riders - Worsening Traffic and Hurting Climate Goals.” Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 27 June 2019, https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-bus-ridership-falling-los-angeles-la-metro-20190627-story.html.
Nelson, Laura J. “Southern Californians Are on a Car-Buying Spree, and That's Cutting Deeply into Transit Ridership, Study Says.” Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 1 Feb. 2018, https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-transit-car-ownership-20180201-story.html.Lo, Andrea. “Los Angeles' Traffic Problem in Graphics.” CNN, Cable News Network, 28 Feb. 2018, https://www.cnn.com/2018/02/27/americas/los-angeles-traffic/index.html.
Yeh, Jack S. “3 Projects That Are Leading the Los Angeles Transit Revolution.” Bizjournals.com, L.A. Biz, 16 Nov. 2017, https://www.bizjournals.com/losangeles/news/2017/11/16/3-projects-leading-los-angeles-transit-revolution.html.
Transportation is, inherently, the single most important factor in any individual’s life as it dictates the speed and distance at which one can reach to get to their desired location, which in turn dictates the amount of opportunities and destinations that are available and that are within reasonable traveling distance. However, the emergence of the terrible traffic congestion has plagued residents all across the Greater Los Angeles area where the issue has become notorious nation-wide. This poses an incredible strain on mobility for commuters whose trips are drastically delayed as a result of the congestion; a strain that more greatly affects low-income residents and students who may not own cars. The issue stems from the shift in the preference of modes of transportation in the Greater Los Angeles area over the last few decades as its residents have opted for the convenience of an automobile over public transit. 
Over a 5 year time period from 2013 to 2017, the number of public transit riders of both the bus and the rail had fallen by 14%, a staggering decrease of nearly 72 million trips from the initial 500 million trips. To understand why rider attendance has dropped, we must first understand that the only other reason as to why is because, of the 18 million residents in all 5 counties, there were 4 times as many cars bought during 2000 to 2015 than there were in the preceding decade. This was aided by cheaper gas prices, more aesthetic car models, and a litany of other minute factors like gentrification, sub-urbanization, and lower auto-loan rates.
However, the most apparent reasons for the shared desire to drive is because of the sweeping suburbia that blankets the land around Central Los Angeles and the intricate network of highways that promotes the use of automobiles. The established infrastructure of this web of highways was never meant to support the current surplus of automobiles, and reforming or even adding to the network is near impossible as doing so would only cause more congestion and cost exponentially more for both the county and the drivers who would need to spend more time and money as a cause of road work and less road capacity. The presiding issue is that encouraging automobile owners to use public transportation instead is not an option because the transit system is too inefficient. As of now, public transit services retain a higher trip duration than personal automobiles and for those who do use transit, the quality of services are mediocre. There simply are not enough buses in operation to account for the amount of riders, all with different schedules and destinations. There are those whose trips could be delayed by over 45 minutes if they miss their bus. Many are also concerned with safety and sanitation because of the worsening homelessness problem. 
Even with the Measure M ballot passed in 2016, experts believe that public transit ridership will not reach its projected increase rate and that congestion will remain unaffected. This stagnancy is simply due to the fact that driving a car is more attractive as it provides unrivaled comfort, a private space, and greatly more convenience in reaching places. Brian D Taylor, director of the Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies and the Institute of Transportation Studies at the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs, states that building upon the transit system will not relieve congestion "because the demand is still there. You can make all the improvements in public transport in the world, but if people can drive (from the suburbs) to their destination ... the reality is (driving is) always going to be a more attractive way to get around." The Community
 |
| Eric Doan, CSULA Student |
 |
| Angela Zhu, USC Student |
 |
| Stephanie Li, UC Berkeley Student |
“I think transportation in LA is difficult without a car. I’ve seen bus stops here and there but I’m sure it takes twice as long to get to places. I think if you live in LA and want to maximize the amount of things you do and your productivity, you need a car. Getting around isn’t difficult because I am able to use my parents' car occasionally. But whenever they need it, I'm basically stuck at home or have to walk to the nearest bus station which is probably like half a mile away because I’ve never seen many around me. If it was easier to get around, I’d probably just take public transportation. In San Francisco, I think it’s more convenient to use transit than a car especially when everything is closer to each other. And unless you live outside of the city, you should use public transportation.”
 |
| William Choi, Pomona College Student |
"I rely on the public transportation system on a daily basis from going to the grocery store, to work, to visiting friends on university campuses in Los Angeles. The numerous routes that interconnect multiple counties make it possible for me, a student with no car, to be able to fulfill daily responsibilities such as attending work and have access to visiting my friends in a completely different county. It's actually more convenient for me to take the train which takes approximately 50 minutes to get from Pomona college to DTLA rather than if I were to have a car and had to drive into LA during rush hour. Additionally, the stops along the way provide options for me to visit other locations where my friends live. In many ways, the public transportation system is even more reliable than having my own car because I would not run into issues such as car accidents. This grants me a peace of mind when I have to get to and from places. The only down-side would be the schedule of trains which stops relatively early in the night. It would be much safer if students and adults had the option to take the train home later in the evening, especially if they're intoxicated. Having the public transportation system relieves the financial pressure of having to rely on rideshare options like Uber and Lyft, which are relatively expensive especially during surge price hours. "
 |
| Elaine Huang, UCLA Student |
“I think public transportation in LA has gotten a lot better and more convenient with the expansion plans. For example, Metro has opened the new Expo and Purple line that help connect students from UCLA and USC to other regions of the LA area. The train times are also pretty reasonable seeing that they come every 7-15 mins. Additionally there are essentially buses at every train stop that get you to the location you are headed to, as long as you know how to navigate the lines. The buses are a lot more inconsistent and unreliable for students who are pressured to get to classes in time which requires precautionary planning of logistics in order to get to your location on time. The public transportation system in LA is definitely a valuable resource for students without cars and even occasionally for students with cars because it offers a means of mobility during traffic rush hours or if you're unexpectedly facing car troubles. The prices are also relatively affordable at $1.75 per trip! There are also the means of applying for a student card which comes out to $22 a month allowing you to take as many trips as you would like!”
References
Nelson, Laura J. “L.A. Is Hemorrhaging Bus Riders - Worsening Traffic and Hurting Climate Goals.” Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 27 June 2019, https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-bus-ridership-falling-los-angeles-la-metro-20190627-story.html.
Nelson, Laura J. “Southern Californians Are on a Car-Buying Spree, and That's Cutting Deeply into Transit Ridership, Study Says.” Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 1 Feb. 2018, https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-transit-car-ownership-20180201-story.html.Lo, Andrea. “Los Angeles' Traffic Problem in Graphics.” CNN, Cable News Network, 28 Feb. 2018, https://www.cnn.com/2018/02/27/americas/los-angeles-traffic/index.html.
Yeh, Jack S. “3 Projects That Are Leading the Los Angeles Transit Revolution.” Bizjournals.com, L.A. Biz, 16 Nov. 2017, https://www.bizjournals.com/losangeles/news/2017/11/16/3-projects-leading-los-angeles-transit-revolution.html.
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