‘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: M.M.
Occupation: Physicist
Location: Granada Hills

Your Transportation Routine:

How often do you drive and for what purpose?

I drive five to six days per week to get to and from work.

Where are you typically traveling from and going to?

From Granada Hills to Pasadena and back.

How many vehicles do you or your family have?

Two.

How long does your commute typically take?

35 minutes each way.

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?

Nope!

Why do you drive?

Convenient, fast.

Your Perspective:

Why can’t/don’t you take transit?

To get to my work place via public transit requires me to take a bus down to the red line station at North Hollywood, then connect to the gold line, then a 1 mile walk to my office.

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

Yes!  I used the Santa Monica blue bus for three years and it was great.  I also try to use the Gold/Blue/Red line combo to get in and out of Clipper games downtown.  Transferring from the Gold Line to the Blue Line is a major pain – the so called regional connector would help.

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

Bus service is too slow, cumbersome and confusing to go more than a few miles. The rail system must be extended.  Convert the Orange Line to rail.

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?

Don’t worry about cost, focus on quality.

Fulfill my childhood dream and convert those silly HOV lanes to rail lines.