gas prices drive commuters to metro rail
Passing by gas stations these days, the relentless rise in fuel prices makes most people cringe. Even for those who prefer to take public transit or alternative methods of transportation, higher gas prices indirectly affect our lives, driving up the cost of food and basic services, forcing many to find ways to offset that added daily expense.
According to an article yesterday in the San Gabriel Valley Tribune, some are turning to public transit to seek that relief.
[Metro] has experienced a 5 percent boost in ridership across the entire Metro Rail system over the past year, officials said.
“Once prices approached the $4-a-gallon mark, that is when people started deciding they could alter their driving habits by maybe taking public transit once or twice a week,” said Rick Jaeger, a Metro spokesman. “When we begin to approach the $5 mark, we anticipate more people will start to park their SUVs and start using public transit for their commute.”
We’re all aware of the unique (and unhealthy) bond between Angelenos and their automobiles. Even as traffic reaches unbearable levels during peak hours, causing stress, loss of time, money and pollution — it’s taking an extreme scenario such as record-level gas prices to ignite a local paradigm shift; one that may finally begin to resonate with the larger population.
Though our public transportation network may be inferior to many comparably-sized cities and come with a stigma of “low-class living,” more Angelenos will come to appreciate the kind of the car-free (or at least car-lite) lifestyle the Downtown community is trying to develop along the rail lines.
Current population estimates for Downtown are over 30,000 (and growing), versus nearly half a million daily workers who drive in and out of our urban core each day.
To those 400,000 commuters who still choose the freeway (and already have half of their lives in Downtown), what is it going to take to motivate your shift?
-Metro Gold Line ridership increases (SGV Tribune)
-MTA says Eastside Extension may open ahead of schedule (Los Angeles Wave)
Photograph courtesy of flickr user rjmcconnell.
9 comments
People in some cities where public transportation is either not offered or very crummy seem to be giving up going anywhere all together. This new poll (http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/home/permalink/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20080527006417&newsLang=en) says over half of Americans are cutting back on seeing friends and family bc of high prices. Oy vey.
This will not help the people that don’t work or live in downtown. If they want to save money on gas, the bus is still the only choice. It will take me one hour each way and two buses to get to my job in pasadena, from glendale, when by car it only takes me 15 minutes. We need more trains that will head from other cities to other cities.
I am a transit advocate. I used to take it all the time in SF, not so much here since I live in the beach cities.
Anyhow, I decided to take the bus one day a week from palos verdes area to el segundo for work. It really doesnt change my finances THAT much since I still drive when I go downtown or the basin.
Anyhow, I don’t mind biking to my nearest bus stop, and biking from the bus stop to work. I don’t mind that fact that the bus is 10 minutes slower than driving. What I do mind is the bus being 20 minutes late when I finish a hard day of work. That is really annoying. THe technology is there to cheaply add a web based or text based ETA system.
A 25 minute commute becomes 70 minutes, when it could easily be reduced to 50 minutes max.
I think as people start to move away from their cars in less transit accessible areas of LA they will find little annoyances. I hope that their is a political push to fix these problems.
I dont want to sound like a wimp so I will also add that I walk mostly everywhere
park, gym, cleaners, ralphs, trader joes, cafe, burrito shop, blockbuster, pharmacy, ups store, post office, doctors office, dentist, sports bar, etc.
The only time I dont walk to these places is if I am coming back from LA basin area or work, and am already out and driving.
That being said, I wish a did more to take transit, but I dont want to bus to the green line, then take the blue line into downtown LA round trip when I can drive there in 1/3 the time.
well its about time that the masses start taking public transit, with rail lines spreading and a more urban environment in downtown there is no excuse to not use public transit.
its going to be interesting when the expo line and the gold line extension open up.
I agree that for the masses to adopt public transport as their primary means of transportation (or at least a secondary means of transportation), the system needs to become more efficient. We cannot have people waiting for late busses or subway cars that have broken down. If we could get this resolved, more people will definately consider public transport as a viable option for their commute. What can we do to get this issue addressed or at least get the ball rolling?
Efficiency is the key definitely. Before I stopped driving in 2005- I use to drive from montebello to burbank
not a fun ride. I can’t even imagine how i would do that now using public transportation.
Now 3 yrs later, new career-job and i can telecommute from home too, and if i go into the office its only 8 miles one way- but a 48 minute bus ride one way.
More than willing to do it now that i’m used to it. And it helps the environment and I do save money not driving a car (estimate$6,200 savings a year ).
The gold line extension into East LA will be less than 3 miles away from me…..hurray!!!!!!!!!
loveandhatela, it probably wouldn’t have been that bad via Metrolink. Though the connection at Burbank may have been an issue, I suppose, but maybe not.
Once the Gold Line extension opens up next year (only about 13 or 14 months away!) the ridership will zoom up. East L.A. and Boyle Heights are heavily transit dependent. Glad that they will be getting access to the rest of the Metrorail system.