‘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: T.L.
Occupation: Service industry
Location: Downtown L.A.

Your Transportation Routine:

How often do you drive and for what purpose?

To work 5 days a week. Also to night life, plays, MOCA and sporting events.

Where are you typically traveling from and going to?

Downtown to Westside.

How many vehicles do you or your family have?

1

How long does your commute typically take?

An hour, maybe an hour and a half.

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?

More than $500

Do you use any forms of alternative transportation?

Red Line.

Why do you drive?

Convenience, since I travel long distances. It would be great if I could reach UCLA from Downtown on transit.

Your Perspective:

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

I love the subway and light rail, however they don’t reach restaurants, MOCA, bars, clubs, night life, music and sporting events.

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

First finish the Expo Line to Santa Monica then build a subway from Hollywood and Highland to Beverly Hills stopping on the Sunset Strip. Since the Westside is the biggest area where the most jobs are, build a subway from Wilshire/Western to Santa Monica.  The greater LA area is the second biggest population center outside of NYC. We need a system that can move people from the airport to the city and business centers in LA. Those being the Westside and downtown LA.

I would also like to see a light rail leaving LAX going to the Expo Line. So that passengers could quickly reach entertainment, work, and sporting events.

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?

More rail. Everything else is a waste of your time and our money. In the next 20 years LA County will most likely have another 2-4 million people. Bus aren’t going to do it people.  Use NYC, Chicago, San Francisco and Europe as an example. Please get the funds and do it.