Trains Are Great! But What L.A. Needs Are Bus Lanes

Zocaloadmin — Mon, 17 Aug 2015 07:00:07 +0000

“Nobody walks in L.A.,” or so goes the 1984 song by Missing Persons. That refrain is an exaggeration, of course, but L.A. is ranked below other cities in walkability and pedestrian-friendliness. Last year, the city earned a Walk Score of just 64— compared to San Francisco’s 84 and New York’s 88. As far as the quality of its public transit, Walk Score ranked L.A. ninth in the nation, noting that in this city, “your best bet is to live close to work.”

Some Angelenos walk or bike to work, but most of us are getting where we need to go via bus, train, or car. Every day, 2,000 Metro buses crisscross L.A.’s streets, trains traverse 87 miles of light rail and subway tracks, and—well, then there’s the 405 at rush hour.

On the heels of new city plans to add bus and bike lanes, it’s a good time to take stock of the big picture in this big city. What should L.A. look like for pedestrians, bikers, drivers, and transit commuters? And what do we need to be thinking about as we look ahead? In advance of the Zócalo/Metro event “What is the Future of L.A.’s Transit?” we asked a variety of transit experts: What is missing from the current vision of L.A. transit future?

The post Trains Are Great! But What L.A. Needs Are Bus Lanes appeared first on Zócalo Public Square.

Zócalo Public SquareTrains Are Great! But What L.A. Needs Are Bus Lanes – Zócalo Public Square

Trains Are Great! But What L.A. Needs Are Bus Lanes