‘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: Nathan
Occupation: Film Industry
Location: Venice

Your Transportation Routine:

How often do you drive and for what purpose?

I split my time driving or biking/public transit depending on how late I think I might be working or visiting friends across town into the night.

Where are you typically traveling from and going to?

Work and to see friends in Hollywood and Orange County.

How many vehicles do you or your family have?

I have one car which runs great, but I’m itching for reasons to get rid of (mostly for the financial benefit as I’d love to put my money elsewhere).

How long does your commute typically take?

By car 20 minutes. By bike or bus 1 hour.

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?

$300 – $500

Do you use any forms of alternative transportation?

Bike and bus. I joined car share and am experimenting living without owning a car.

Why do you drive?

I’ve learned I can deal with public transit going slower, there are other things I can do. I mostly drive because I don’t really like waiting for the bus after dark. Most stops are desolate and poorly lit, so mostly its about convenience and security at night.

Your Perspective:

Why can’t/don’t you take transit?

For daily commuting I do enjoy transit. As mentioned above, I feel safe once on the bus or train, but don’t really enjoy waiting at the stops for transfers coming back from social visits or work.

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

I’m in the middle of a 30-60 day experiment not using my car, so I’m pretty comfortable with the system, but I’m really on the fence about relying on public transit or non-car options (but trust me I’d love to!).

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

Perhaps more buses running at night and lighting at stops.

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?

Rail is crucial, I can’t wait for the Expo Line. More buses with fewer stops (some locals seem like the stop every block). A tougher, but equally important one is getting all county agencies on TAP asap and praying they get their data on Google (sorry, but the Metro planner is abysmal). Keep up the great work using social media (Twitter, The Source, Metro.net redesign) too. I think part of encouraging ridership will be building a brand and loyal customers.