Category Archives: Feedback

Why You Don't Ride: KDW, Mount Washington

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Why You Ride (or Don't)‘Why You Ride (or Don’t Ride)‘ is a series where you, our faithful readers, share your transportation routines in L.A. and your thoughts on how to make things better – read more about the concept here.

Want to share your story? Take the survey here if you ride transit regularly, or take this one if you don’t ride.

Who You Are:

Name: KDW
Occupation: Technical Writer
Location: Mount Washington

Your Transportation Routine:

How often do you drive and for what purpose?

Weekdays: to work and to errands & activities on the way home from work. Weekends: to outings, to Vegas and to home improvement centers.

Where are you typically traveling from and going to?

Mount Washington to La Canada Flintridge

How many vehicles do you or your family have?

1

How long does your commute typically take?

15 minutes.

Briefly, how would you describe your typical driving experience? Love it, deal with it, or hate it?

I deal with it.

On average, what do you spend each month on transportation?

$100 – $300

Do you use any forms of alternative transportation?

No.

Why do you drive?

Faster than other options and, most importantly, scheduling. Also it’s more convenient and easier to transport items/groceries/equipment/etc.

Your Perspective:

Why can’t/don’t you take transit?

It’s a mile long hilly walk to the closest transit. Then it takes 5 times (!) as long to get to work – too time consuming and too much weather exposure. Plus I have to carry everything I might need (sports equipment, groceries, computers, etc.) which is too heavy and too awkward.

Have you tried to use transit before? What was your experience?

I took trains to work for a year and a half – I had to use all four lines to get to my destination. I was often stranded or forced to take alternate transportation when there were breakdowns. Occasionally I was stranded because of lack of late night trains. Then I had to deal with filthy seats and other nastiness. Also, I didn’t feel safe at all the stations.

What could local transit agencies do to encourage you to take transit more often?

It’s just not an alternative that can be made attractive to me given my job and house location.

How do you feel about buses?

I probably wouldn’t ride a bus.

How do you feel about rail?

I’d ride rail if it there was a route that served my needs.

Given limited funds, how would you address L.A.’s transportation issues?

Better freeway flow management: not more lanes but better freeway merges/splits/interchanges; overpasses for busy areas that could be bypassed (e.g., 110 flyover for those heading to the 5 interchange and not into downtown).

Why You Ride: Angel, Santa Clarita

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Why You Ride (or Don't)‘Why You Ride (or Don’t Ride)‘ is a series where you, our faithful readers, share your transportation routines in L.A. and your thoughts on how to make things better – read more about the concept here.

Want to share your story? Take the survey here if you ride transit regularly, or take this one if you don’t ride.

Who You Are:

Name: Angel
Occupation: Broadcast Ops
Location: Santa Clarita

Your Transit Routine:

How often do you take transit and for what purpose?

Weekdays to and from work.

Where are you typically traveling from and going to?

Santa Clarita to Hollywood/Los Angeles area.

What lines/routes do you take?

Santa Clarita NoHo Express 757 bus to North Hollywood and then the Red Line Subway to Sunset Vermont.

How long does it typically take?

90 Minutes.

Briefly, how would you describe your typical transit experience? Love it, deal with it, or hate it?

I love it!

On average, what do you spend each month on transportation?

$100 – $300

Why do you take transit?

I was Metrolink rider since 1994 – I’m a New Yorker by birth and transit is in our blood.  I switched over to the bus last September when they offered it and it cuts 1/2 hour off my commute because I don’t have to ride into downtown to get to the Hollywood area. Plus it costs about $100 less.  So I’m still being environmentally conscious while saving myself money.  I loved the train and miss it, but the bus is working out just fine.

Other Transportation:

Do you use any other forms of alternative transportation?

If we are going into LA, chances are I will take some form of public transportation.  Example: parking at North Hollywood and then taking the Red Line into Downtown.  Recently we went to LA Live and used the Red Line and the Blue Line.  If we’re going to the airport, we always use public transportation – I love the Fly Away bus.

Are you car-free? If so, why? If not, why not?

Nope, Santa Clarita is a very hard place to get around via the bus or bike, especially in some of the Mountain areas.  So I drive, mostly to run my weekend errands.

Your Perspective:

If you could make one change to improve your transit experience, what would it be?

Real time arrival info, especially when waiting for the bus at North Hollywood Station.

Given limited funds, how would you address L.A.’s transportation issues?

Personally, I would love to see some of our Freeways fixed. We are probably the worst for road repair.  I would love to see additional lanes added at major choke points.

I’ve been having a thought recently as I drove the 210 in the Sunland area: why can’t we somehow connect the 210 and the I-5 somewhere there.  So if we have a sig alert, there could be possible movement around the incident.  I have no idea of the topography, but it seems that there is at least one place where a road might be able to be built.

Do you think L.A. transit is better or worse since you started riding? What’s changed?

Absolutely better.  I had to drive the first 14 years I worked.  I love not having to commute daily via car.

How would you encourage Angelenos to use transit?

I would bet that 90% of the people who live outside the central part of LA don’t even know we have a subway.  I know that most in Santa Clarita are woefully ignorant of that fact.  Get more in their face via media and let them know that there are options beyond their cars.

Weekend homework: take our Why You Ride (or Don't) survey!

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Why You Ride (or Don't)First off, I want to thank everyone who’s taken the time to fill out our Why You Ride (or Don’t) surveys – there’s nearly 100 of you now.

For those who have yet to fill out a survey, find a moment this weekend to share your story with us. It won’t take that long and it’s your chance to tell the agency (and fellow readers) what you think of transit in L.A.

Our results are still lopsided towards the transit riding crowd and we’re eager to hear from all those Angelenos who don’t ride.

What’s the number one reason so far that non-transit riders have given for driving a car? Convenience, plain and simple.

Here’s the Why You Don’t Ride surveys we’ve posted:

And here’s the Why You Ride surveys:

You’ll notice that I’ve highlighted responses I found particularly interesting in the surveys.

Finally, here are the links to the surveys:

Have a great weekend!

Why You Don't Ride: Karl Fielding, Sherman Oaks

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Why You Ride (or Don't)‘Why You Ride (or Don’t Ride)‘ is a series where you, our faithful readers, share your transportation routines in L.A. and your thoughts on how to make things better – read more about the concept here.

Want to share your story? Take the survey here if you ride transit regularly, or take this one if you don’t ride.

Who You Are:

Name: Karl Fielding
Occupation: Environmental Planner
Location: Sherman Oaks

Your Transportation Routine:

How often do you drive and for what purpose?

Five days a week for work over the Sepulveda Pass. With the construction, this has become a very unpleasant experience. Also: random errands and events on the weekends and evenings.

Where are you typically traveling from and going to?

From the valley to the Westside. Again, with the 405 construction, this is something I dread.

How many vehicles do you or your family have?

1

How long does your commute typically take?

40 minutes.

Briefly, how would you describe your typical driving experience? Love it, deal with it, or hate it?

I deal with it.

On average, what do you spend each month on transportation?

$100 – $300

Do you use any forms of alternative transportation?

If I’m commuting to downtown for a meeting or event, I try to take a local bus to connect to the Red Line. I’ve done this twice over the past year. I own a bicycle, which I barely ride – it’s mainly for recreation.

Why do you drive?

Convenience and efficiency. Unfortunately, it’s still the best and fastest way for me to get where I need to go.

Your Perspective:

Why can’t/don’t you take transit?

I wanted to take the 761 express, but the connection on the Westside almost ruins the benefit. Either transfer to the 720 in Westwood, adding 20 minutes, or the 14 on Sunset – but that doesn’t have reliable return times in the evening. I haven’t had the patience or courage to try it yet, and I consider myself a transit-savvy person.

Have you tried to use transit before? What was your experience?

Yes. Taken Big Blue Bus for short trips in Santa Monica, and used local bus service and Orange Line to connect to the Red Line. Very convenient and enjoyable when it works and goes where you need to go. Unfortunately, that is not often the case in our sprawling urban landscape.

What could local transit agencies do to encourage you to take transit more often?

Better inter-agency coordination to help people understand the best way to get across town. Update the trip planner! For all the work that Metro has done to revamp the website, the agency should be ashamed of how outdated that tool is. The map is completely useless, and the results are not always the easiest to interpret. I often have to manipulate the variables to get the trip planner to show me more efficient routes that I know exist. This is a major problem, and probably a big reason people don’t ride: it’s a confusing old tool instead of an intuitive way to show them how easy it is!

Obviously Measure R and 30/10 will greatly improve things, especially with the Westside Subway, but it’s still frustrating to know that in a city with bus service as impressive as LA, the perceived barriers to ride are as high as they are.

I almost forgot, how dare you offer transfers to another agency but not to your own fleet? That KILLS my willingness to ride. The fact that I pay a full Metro Rail fare and that doesn’t allow me to transfer to a local bus is ridiculous. How is that world class? No way should I have to fork over a whole new fare, especially when Metro offers transfers to Big Blue Bus and Culver City Bus! Where is the logic there? I don’t see it. Please correct this, connections and transfers are one of the big obstacles for taking the system, and creating additional and unneccesary cost at that point in the chain is crippling, IMHO.

How do you feel about buses?

I’d ride a bus if there was a route that served my needs.

How do you feel about rail?

I’d ride rail if it there was a route that served my needs.

Given limited funds, how would you address L.A.’s transportation issues?

Let me recap: free or drastically reduced transfers within Metro’s own systems (bus/rail/whatever), overhaul the trip planner, create a modern and robust mobile website instead of the shell that you offer now, coordinate with other agencies to communicate the best ways to get across town and jurisdictional lines and make it easy for people to understand!

Why You Ride: John K, Koreatown

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Why You Ride (or Don't)‘Why You Ride (or Don’t Ride)‘ is a series where you, our faithful readers, share your transportation routines in L.A. and your thoughts on how to make things better – read more about the concept here.

Want to share your story? Take the survey here if you ride transit regularly, or take this one if you don’t ride.

Who You Are:

Name: John K
Occupation: Graphic Designer
Location: Koreatown/Wilshire Center

Your Transit Routine:

How often do you take transit and for what purpose?

I ride Metro at least twice a day to get to work and since I don’t own a car I use it to augment my bicycle journeys all over the county.

Where are you typically traveling from and going to?

Typically, it’s to go to work.  I live in Koreatown and work at Universal City.

However, I also use Metro to go grocery shopping at Trader Joe’s in Hollywood and to get to events downtown and to the beach on the Westside.

What lines/routes do you take?

The Red Line to Hollywood and the Valley, the Purple Line downtown, the 720 Rapid west along Wilshire and the 754 down Vermont on my way to the Green Line/airport.

How long does it typically take?

My workday commute, door to door, is 25-35 minutes, especially when I ride my bike to the station.

Briefly, how would you describe your typical transit experience? Love it, deal with it, or hate it?

I love it!

On average, what do you spend each month on transportation?

Less than $50

Why do you take transit?

I use transit to save money and stress from day to day.

Other Transportation:

Do you use any other forms of alternative transportation?

I ride my bicycle everyday, both for long-distance commuting and as a shuttle between my apartment and the Red Line.

Are you car-free? If so, why? If not, why not?

I decided to go car-free in March.  I couldn’t afford the hidden costs of auto-ownership (time, stress, parking, gas) and love riding my bike, so I thought I could manage it.  It’s been so easy to be car-free!

Your Perspective:

If you could make one change to improve your transit experience, what would it be?

Signal prioritization for buses and light rail, plus FREE bus to rail transfers.

Given limited funds, how would you address L.A.’s transportation issues?

I’m a big rail advocate.  Buses just don’t compare with the capacity and quality provided by grade-separated rail. Light rail is awesome, but it needs to be fully grade separated so it can go FAST.  If a train is stuck at a light like a bus/car, what’s the point?

Do you think L.A. transit is better or worse since you started riding? What’s changed?

I haven’t taken L.A. transit long enough to have an opinion, but I think the Rapid buses are a great innovation that the last city I lived in did not have.

How would you encourage Angelenos to use transit?

Building more rail/subway lines.

Don't forget to let us know why you ride (or don't)

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Why You Ride (or Don't)

UPDATE 7:35pm: The links to the surveys weren’t working. They’ve been fixed. Sorry for the inconvenience.

Due to the tech difficulties we ran into today, I’m going to hold off posting any survey results today, but I’ll double up on it tomorrow for your reading pleasure.

In the meantime you can check out our first two posted surveys: this one from Jonny in Santa Monica, who doesn’t take transit but would like to see rail on the Westside and this one from Michelle in the San Fernando Valley who relies on transit “for just about everything.”

This is also a good time to remind those who haven’t filled out a survey yet to take a few moments and share your story with us. More results mean a more complete picture of how our readership feels about transit in L.A. and what they want from Metro.

I’m already noticing patterns in the results – when asked “If you could make one change to improve your transit experience, what would it be?” many regular transit riders are responding with “real-time arrival info.” Information like that can help tell the agency what customers value.

Here’s the links to the surveys:

Why You Don't Ride: Jonny, Santa Monica

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Why You Ride (or Don't)‘Why You Ride (or Don’t Ride)‘ is a series where you, our faithful readers, share your transportation routines in L.A. and your thoughts on how to make things better – read more about the concept here.

Want to share your story? Take the survey here if you ride transit regularly, or take this one if you don’t ride.

Who You Are:

Name: Jonny
Occupation: Information Technology
Location: Santa Monica

Your Transportation Routine:

How often do you drive and for what purpose?

Daily – to work and to interesting destinations in the city (theater, beaches, museums, etc).

Where are you typically traveling from and going to?

Santa Monica to downtown Los Angeles.

How many vehicles do you or your family have?

2

How long does your commute typically take?

15 – 20 minutes.

Briefly, how would you describe your typical driving experience? Love it, deal with it, or hate it?

I hate it. There has to be a better way.

On average, what do you spend each month on transportation?

$100 – $300

Do you use any forms of alternative transportation?

Bicycle, skate.

Why do you drive?

There’s no better alternative in L.A.’s Westside corridor

Your Perspective:

Why can’t/don’t you take transit?

It’s too slow. The buses stop too frequently and get gridlocked on congested streets.

Have you tried to use transit before? What was your experience?

Nearly every other city I’ve visited of L.A.’s size has a decent-to-amazing rail system. When I’m there I feel appreciation and envy when I’m home.

What could local transit agencies do to encourage you to take transit more often?

Build rail line(s) that terminate or have stops at mass gathering locations (the beach, airport terminals, museums, theaters, parks, etc). It baffles me that L.A. is so far behind the norm.

How do you feel about buses?

I probably wouldn’t ride a bus.

How do you feel about rail?

I’d ride rail if it there was a route that served my needs.

Given limited funds, how would you address L.A.’s transportation issues?

It was an incredible loss to lose the rail L.A. used to operate. We are long overdue for a dedicated rail line that moves people without being hindered by stop lights and crosswalks – it’s safer too. I’m an 11 year resident and have wasted just as many years in a car. I’d have hoped there would be a better alternative by now, but there still isn’t for us Westsiders and tourists alike.

Reminder to take our Why You Ride (or Don't Ride) surveys

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Why You Ride (or Don't)Yesterday we launched our new survey series, asking you – dedicated Source reader, Los Angeles resident and taxpayer – why you ride (or don’t) Metro’s mass transit system.

So far the response has been fantastic. The responses have been smart, thoughtful and candid. We’ve already received enough results to post a story a day for the next two months – but we want to see more. I’d like for every regular reader of The Source to take the time to fill out a survey, and then pass it along to a friend. This is your chance to share your story to the massive local transportation agency you fund. It beats starting your own blog.

We’ve received a lot more “Why You Ride” surveys than “Why You Don’t Ride”, which is lopsided for Los Angeles. Don’t be afraid to share your story with us if you’ve never set foot in a bus or just found out that L.A. has a subway. Oh, and if you’re worried about using your full name, it’s not required – you can use just your first name, initials or whatever you feel comfortable with.

Go ahead and check out our first posted survey from Michelle, a student in the San Fernando Valley. She’s a car-free (by necessity) daily Metro rider who “deals with” the system, thinks Metro worked better under the federal consent decree and feels that a good solution to L.A.’s transportation issues is to integrate light rail into the 405 freeway. Interesting and insightful – just what we’re looking for.

Here’s the links to the surveys:

Why You Ride: Michelle Klein-Hass, San Fernando Valley

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We’ve already received a tremendous response to our ‘Why You Ride (or Don’t Ride)‘ surveys so we’re going to go ahead and start posting the results.

Why You Ride (or Don't)‘Why You Ride (or Don’t Ride)‘ is a series where you, our faithful readers, share your transportation routines in L.A. and your thoughts on how to make things better – read more about the concept here.

Want to share your story? Take the survey here if you ride transit regularly, or take this one if you don’t ride.

Who You Are:

Name: Michelle Klein-Hass
Occupation: Student
Location: San Fernando Valley

Your Transit Routine:

How often do you take transit and for what purpose?

For just about everything.

Where are you typically traveling from and going to?

LA Valley College. The 902 line is absolutely awesome for that, I can take one bus to LAVC.

What lines/routes do you take?

902 if I can do it, 233 or 761 to the Orange Line if I can’t.

How long does it typically take?

Less than 1/2 hour on the 902, a bit more time if I have to take the 233 or 761 to Orange Line.

Briefly, how would you describe your typical transit experience? Love it, deal with it, or hate it?

I deal with it.

On average, what do you spend each month on transportation?

$50 – $100

Why do you take transit?

I cannot drive. It’s not safe for me. I have neurological deficits left over from Chronic Fatigue Immune Dysfunction Syndrome and occasionally have lapses of consciousness. They are extremely brief but enough to make me dangerous behind the wheel.

Your Perspective:

If you could make one change to improve your transit experience, what would it be?

Make the 902 an all day bus on weekdays, and have a few run on the weekends. Some people actually do have classes at Valley on the weekends.

Given limited funds, how would you address L.A.’s transportation issues?

Double deck the 405 with a light rail line.

Do you think L.A. transit is better or worse since you started riding? What’s changed?

It’s good that you are rebuilding the old Pacific Electric system. I never got a chance to use it because it was all gone by the time I was born. Metro worked best, however, when it was under the federal consent decree. More frequent buses, less crowded buses, better all around.

@MetroLosAngeles Twitter Tuesday

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Welcome to Twitter Tuesday, a weekly feature here at The Source in which we’ll round up the latest Metro related tweets in the Twitterverse. To follow Metro on Twitter just search for @MetroLosAngeles. We recommend adding the #MetroLosAngeles tag to your tweets to get our attention.

Rants:

Kythera OHAI 9:16 @ Crenshaw westbound 108. You were only 15 minutes late this morning, as usual. #metrolosangeles

ActOut Male AA @metrolosangeles driver #72859 misses opportunity to serve & leaves cyclists standing. Messed w/the wrong cyclists! #fb #Metro

jmossinca @metrolosangeles Once again, stuck on a crowded line 4 bus creeping its way through Century City. We really need a bigger bus.

PeltFrelken @lotahooya Agreed on all points. Gold Line all-around is way too slow, & the Union Station to Little Tokyo is absurd. #MetroLosAngeles

Compliments:

CoasterMatt Public transit to Hollywood is a great call today. Thanks @metrolosangeles

PeltFrelken Gr8 commute via the Red Line to work on Friday. Los Feliz to downtown in <15 minutes. All of LA needs this (ah, someday). #metrolosangeles

KevinFerguson On @metrolosangeles blue line. Apparent close call w a ped just before imperial. Operator calm, really nice, asked if we’re ok. We’re fine!

Metro Q&A:

Mattyhere #givemeareason why #metrolosangeles can’t extend the Gold Line for an extra 30 mins for @FYFFEST?

@Mattyhere, here’s the reason, and not surprisingly it has to do with money: Extending Metro service hours is costly. Fares alone don’t cover the cost of what it costs to operate the service. The agency just grappled with a $250 million operating deficit, so severe that 20 percent of the non-contract positions were eliminated this spring among other cuts. Extending service hours would require approval by agency directors who are keeping a sharp eye on all budget expenditures.

Kythera @metrolosangeles What’s the best way to report dead birds in the netting at LAX City Bus Ctr? Several have been there about a month now. :(

@Kythera, the best way to report this issue is to e-mail customerrelations@metro.net or call (213) 922-6235. Customer Relations will check to see which agency is responsible for dealing with the issue.

kenyaw @metrolosangeles why does the TAP card have no cash purse? Now there is no way to load single rides @BayAreaClipper has it & it works great

@kenyaw, enabling a cash purse is in the works, and certainly one of the most requested features, but there’s a number of issues that have to be addressed before implementing it. You can read an in depth answer to this question in this roundup of the most commonly asked TAP questions that we posted in May.

Good ideas:

thebusbench Blue Line Ticket bought going towards Los Angeles should be good at Pershing, Civic, and Union Red Line Stations. So easy #metrolosangeles

thebusbench @metrolaalerts 76 bus just took a detour, maybe you should tweet that or something. Does #metrolosangeles get that 1,500,000+ take the bus?

FYI, there are about 1.2 million average boardings on the bus system on the average weekday.

Why I Ride:

MichaelAffeldt “@LAist: DUI Checkpoints in Echo Park & Encino Tonight: http://bit.ly/b6vzOe” @metrolosangeles #WhyIRide

Observations in transit:

themunson To the gent bumping Rick James’ Superfreak on @metrolosangeles at this all too early hour, I tip my cap in your general direction. Thank you

loveandhatela stuff on the @metrolosangeles line 18 bus: puppy in backpack, baby diaper funk and senior blasting Phil Collins on 80′s boom box #LA

sallywasmyride So sunburnt… Why is that lady wearing blue mascara? Oh the people you see on the train. @metrolosangeles