‘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: Beverly
Occupation: Interior Design Support
Location: Culver City

Your Transit Routine:

How often do you take transit and for what purpose?

Every day, work and play.

Where are you typically traveling from and going to?

Work is in West Hollywood or DTLA. On weekends I frequently go to Eagle Rock, Pasadena, Hollywood and Santa Monica.

What lines/routes do you take?

Main line is 33/733 connecting in all directions. To work I take the Big Blue Bus 12 or the 33/733 to the 705. I used to take the 220, but since it doesn’t go all the way to Santa Monica Boulevard and only runs once an hour it is both inconvenient and unreliable (mostly UNRELIABLE). I love the Gold Line to get to Pasadena for the weekends.

How long does it typically take?

I can get Downtown faster than I can get to West Hollywood . . . it’s all in the transfer wait time.

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?

Less than $50

Why do you take transit?

Save money ($500/month, plus my employer buys my monthly EZ Pass), less stress, lower carbon footprint.

Other Transportation:

Do you use any other forms of alternative transportation?

I use a bike in the neighborhood and I just joined LAXCarShare.

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

Car-free for 2 years! I lived in NYC for 13 years. I wanted to get back to a more pedestrian-oriented lifestyle. I really missed my reading time and deeply resented the ego-driven LA traffic. So, when the gas prices went up and my salary got cut, I got rid of the car. And the gym membership since I’m walking and biking more.

Your Perspective:

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

Better spacing of buses and/or real time info. I get frustrated when I wait 40 minutes for a bus that should be running every 20, only to see 2 buses pull up back to back. If I knew, I’d walk or look at my other options.

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

I’m pulling for (and talking to people) about the 30/10 Plan. I would love to see more TOD, but the parking regulations have to be changed for that to make a significant difference. Definitely NOT more freeways.

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

I think overall, LA does a pretty good job of covering a lot of territory. I lost my door-to-door ride to work with the 220 cutback, but I love the larger buses and the change to the 733. I do miss being able to hop on the Dash for a connection shortcut, but they were usually empty, so I see the reason for the cutback.

How would you encourage Angelenos to use transit?

Nighttime frequency and security are the biggest hurdles to get the maybes out of their cars when it comes to recreation. How about adding buses (like the Dodger Stadium bus) for big events and get the event sponsors to subsidize/promote it.