‘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: J
Occupation: Engineer
Location: Long Beach

Your Transportation Routine:

How often do you drive and for what purpose?

Everyday, for work and pleasure.

Where are you typically traveling from and going to?

Long Beach to Alhambra for work.

How many vehicles do you or your family have?

1

How long does your commute typically take?

30 minutes in the morning, 1 hour in the evenings.

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?

Bicycle, use transit when feasible.

Why do you drive?

Transit takes at least 2 hours to get to work – not worth the extra time (service just isn’t convenient when I need to be at work at around 6:30am).

Your Perspective:

Why can’t/don’t you take transit?

Takes too long.

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

Yes, couldn’t get up early enough to make it to work on time…if I miss a connection, I’d have to wait half an hour.

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

Increase service, connect cities in ways other than Downtown L.A.

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?

More dedicated alt transit lanes (bikes/buses/trains/motorbikes/etc.), reduce car travel lanes on roads to do this. Add carpool lanes on freeways (reducing other lanes if need be), one carpool lane on freeways aren’t enough, especially if they’re ‘separated’.