Is LA’s Transit Olympics-Ready?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 24 พ.ย. 2023
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LA is known for being a car city, but it's also building more new transit than any other city in America, and in today's video we talk about what's happening & the impact it's going to have. Enjoy!
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Ever wondered why your city's transit just doesn't seem quite up to snuff? RMTransit is here to answer that, and help you open your eyes to all of the different public transportation systems around the world!
Reece (the RM in RMTransit) is an urbanist and public transport critic residing in Toronto, Canada, with the goal of helping the world become more connected through metros, trams, buses, high-speed trains, and all other transport modes.
Great video, and huge thanks for the shout out! Really appreciate the kind words for LA!
Your videos have been such an inspiration throughout the years! Keep up the good work!
Nice! Now the criminals will have an easy way to get around
@@jkohutiakyou have a profoundly simple mind.
I can't wait to hear what you have to say about the new plans for the HSR from Vegas to Rancho Cucamonga that won't even actually go to LA lmao
LA with good transit would be kind of perfect. Imagine New York with good weather in the winter.
I feel like snowy, cold weather is much better than sweaty heat
@@desireandfireLA isn’t sweaty heat. It’s damn near perfect weather year round.
I’ve been saying for years that if LA had a great transportation system it could be one of the best places in the world to live.
@@jwt1035not with the ramoant thefts and homeless population roaming around LA
@@inui12494 True, which is why I said, “could.”
Oh man, an LA that had a robust public transit network would be so amazing. The weather alone makes it ideal for being walkable once transit connects neighborhoods and districts
All you need to do is go back in time. The Los Angeles Railway served LA until 1965 with its Yellow Cars.
@@matt_b...that system was slow, inefficient, badly designed and barely maintained. People idealize the past too much. It wasnt great.
@@matt_b...greedy monopolistic big 3 auto companies bought those electric streetcar companies and ruined them to the ground. So they could sell less efficient busses and make the car the primary mode
It's getting there. Whenever I want or need to go into DTLA, I take the Metro now.
@@cooltwittertagYes and no. It was an efficient system before the introduction of the mass affordable personal vehicle. By the early 1950s, it was on the downhill. The last 20 years was rough by comparison.
For a long time, LA must have been the biggest and most prominent city in the world that had no real subway rail system. I used to think it was because of the risk of earthquakes, but it seems to have had more to do with difficulties of gaining access rights to the underground from lots of private property owners and unlike London, Paris or New York, LA didn't have politicians who ever prioritized underground/public transport.
Not really, eg Tokyo has massive subway system despite it being prone to earthquakes
Don't forget the evil car-addicted suburbanite NIMBYs like John Phillips of 790 KABC trying to kill transit projects!
@@thomasgrabkowski8283 Yes, notice "I *used* to think" - I learnt from a local guy here on TH-cam a few years ago that the seismic thing was not the main reason
LA is too spread out
It's also important to remember that this is just how most US cities are by default (even those with decent existing transit systems).
Read a little bit about SEPTA's woes in Philly. It's a pretty robust system that has proposed a fair number of ambitious expansion projects recently, but they can't get any funding because of political apathy, leading to a horribly managed organization that can't even function well enough to meaningfully improve their existing system
If it goes well for LA it will change LA. My hope is it will result in inspiring more rail to the rest of the country.
I hope that if it goes well in LA an initiative will spread to the rest of the state. I love my home state and I want so much better for it than we have. Imagine from the top of the state to the bottom, multiple transit options! People could spread out a bit, visit everything we have to offer, open more jobs... It's not a solution to the state's problems in itself but I feel like it's a huuuuuge portion of the key
Totally agree... it seems to me that LA in some ways is the most unlikely city to do it, being so car centric, but that makes it all the more impressive and influential if they can pull it off. 🤞
Agree with both these comments so much!
@@AlexBlack-xz8hpLA is doing it. Before 1990, LA had ZERO Metro rail. Now the system is 109 miles with 101 stations and growing. Two new light rail lines have been approved and two existing light rail lines will be extended. And the Sepulveda route will probably be a new subway line.
We could have 6 light rail lines (2 new, 4 extended), 3 subway lines, and 2 automated people movers by 2035.
I was in LA last february and I had a wonderful time getting around on the subway, LRT and buses. Heck, I even went to Santa Monica and back downtown!
Glad to hear it. It's even better now with the opening of the Regional Connector this past June along with 3 new underground stations. Will continue to improve next year with the LAX People Mover.
I already saw many Americans, Europeans and japanese with their luggages on the train/train stations.
Great! Finally I won't have to take uber from LAX to DTLA
I visited LA last spring and I was pleasantly surprised by the availability and cleanliness of LA's transit. They have a long way to go, but its really not nearly as bad as people make it out to be. Its really exciting that they've committed to so many improvements!
Thank you for saying this. The people that mostly complain just like to complain no matter how much LA tries to improve the transit system. You can tell. The police presence alone amongst some of the lines have made a big difference. They're now emptying the trains when the Red Line gets to North Hollywood (final stop). They never used to do that. That alone has helped with preventing the homeless from sleeping on the trains all day. The police are also monitoring the turnstiles to make sure people are paying their fares. That has also helped with the homeless situation. I've seen them make arrests. It's making a big difference and i'm seeing more people using the trains. They need a more consistent presence but when they're there--it's a major deterrent.
@@uscitizen3252Agreed. I've seen the improvements too over the last 6 months.
Part of the reason the homeless issue got so bad over the last 3 years was mostly due to Covid. Metro decided during Covid NOT to enforce fares. Because of that, you saw a constant increase of homeless on the system. They started enforcing fares at the start of 2023. The addition of the ambassadors in March, and additional security in June has made a big difference.
These changes, and the opening of the Regional Connector, have resulted in a increase in passengers every month this year.
Another change was instituted 12-10-23 when light rail train frequencies were improved from 10 to 8 minutes during peak hours.
Indeed. And four additional projects currently under construction will be completed before the 2028 Olympics.
And other changes like increasing train frequencies have happened recently too. The system is continually improving. Very exciting. Thanks
Was there early last November - my experience/
sentiments entirely, plus really attractive fares!
What are you talking about clean metros. I was there for 2 weeks last week. And the metros are filthy and smell of sewer, trash on the tracks and the walkways are dirty. Visit Washington dc metros, and then you'll see clean. No comparison
May all these plans be realized in a reasonnable timeline 🙏
I recently drove to the Metro LaCienaga-Expo Station to park, then caught the Metro E Line Light Rail to LA Coliseum for the USC vs UCLA football game. I pitied the people who drove there to pay $40-80 and took forever to exit the parking lot. Next year, when K Line opens, I start a Metro Redondo Beach Station, then transfer to E Line eastbound to Coliseum and Downtown LA and westbound to Culver City, West LA and Santa Monica. Can't wait for the K Line Northern Extension up to Wilshire Blvd (hopefully via Fairfax to the MUseum District).
The key to getting out quick at sporting events in LA is to stay until the end. By that point most of the crowd has cleared out and there's no traffic!
@@ktcottrellthat’s a solution with a built-in problem.
@@davidlang1125if the problem is being scared of going outside then its just a skill issue
@@eyeamstrongest I don’t understand your comment. To be clear, I was saying the built-in problem is the long wait for the parking lot to empty.
Can't wait for the day that all 3 of our biggest cities have equally robust systems, now it looks like thats well on its way
It wont happen because they hire people based off dei and also Union delays
Well the push is underway and the younger population prefers public transit so in the next decade expect to see all the systems in place. The momentum is wayy too strong rn to pedal back.
Chicago for whatever reason doesn’t appear interested in building ANYTHING inbetween their existing L Train network or fitting in regular LRT & true BRT radiating to serve the neighborhoods that the L trains don’t serve.
Hell, a 4 line streetcar system all over the Loop connecting:
>the West Loop neighborhood in general & United Center
>Grant Park & the Museum Campus
>Navy Pier & River North
& Magnificent Mile
With one another; especially to fill in A LOT of the missing directions that the L network doesn’t (nor will ever) serve.
@@schwenda3727 so you don't think the red line extension is actually going to happen? Or?...
I'd like to hope Long Island gets some LRT/BRT connecting to LIRR, and LIRR gets fully electrified, but it would take the wealthy people out in the Hamptons pushing for that to make it happen. In recent years Nassau and western Suffolk counties have become a refugee camp for people who got priced out of NYC and the decline of the area shows it big time. People like to think New York is a place where you can easily live without a car, but that only really applies in NYC proper, and even then the eastern parts of Queens (you need to get a few miles into Queens to find subway lines) and basically all of Staten Island are a little lacking in transit other than regular buses. Nassau and Suffolk counties are still fairly car dependent, even with LIRR's presence
Oh my god just thinking about the possibility of taking the train to and from LAX is enough to make me smile. LAX is always a traffic nightmare.
Also all of these projects sound really exciting. I want to live in other places and travel, but LA will always be my home and I want to see it improve so it can be a better place to live for my kids one day!
It's crazy but most US airports have little to no rail connections
@@SeanSoraghan you'd be surprised how many do though. denver, seattle, portland, san Francisco, JFK/EWR, boston, Miami, Chicago, dallas/fort worth, Washington (all three of them), Minneapolis, Cleveland, st. louis, Philly, salt lake city, phoenix, Atlanta. the main problem is that half of these are not connected to transit networks that are solidly built out so they are not practical for many people.
@@aaronshi721
Thank you .. good point.. a
I'm so hyped.
Please LA, this could be a transit, cycling, walking paradise.
We passed the HLA measure so that will help with making LA more biking and walking friendly. It passed by a large margin, too.
As a Salt Lake City native the 2002 Winter Olympics is one of the primary reasons the light rail system even exists. The recent announcement that SLC is the preferred host city for the 2034 Winter Olympics makes me excited to see what my hometown might do with transit expansion in the future.
LA's been flying under the radar. Usually when you think transportation and LA you think of the horror show of the 405 and 101 freeways. They just need another earthquake to get some projects done, if you know your LA history you know what I'm talking about haha (The Antelope Valley extension of Metrolink was literally built in 5 days by the Navy Seabees after the Northridge quake in 1994 due to road connections to Palmdale and Lancaster being cut off by landslides).
The plans for LA union station are really cool. It's kind of hard to track everything they want to do there because its kind of spread across a lot of smaller projects but the highlights are the LA union station master plan and the LA river revitalization projects and the plans they have for the river in the vicinity of union station.
One thing to note is that Transit oriented development is something very encouraged by CA housing laws. A lot of the expansion goes through areas that aren't super dense now, but will be redeveloped in the future, after the transit opens. Lots of laws allow density and height increases near transit, so each station that opens unlocks new area to be developed. The shot at 6:44 of the culver city station on the Expo( now E) line was a literal surface parking lot when the line first opened. It's been great to see the area build up, and I've seen the same thing happen with other stations on that line. LA is a great example of laws encouraging TOD, the market is begging for it, and the transit to allow it to happen is being built. Very exciting.
Within the year, a lot of restrictions were lifted on zoning within California. It will take quite some time before we see real progress, but we can finally at least start moving away from nearly everything being zoned for just single family homes. I'd love to see more mid-rise mixed use areas over the next decade or so!
Growing up, I bought my Christmas trees from that lot. It's wild to see the changes over the years.
I have hope that it'll get better in LA. I'm living in NYC now and thinking of moving to LA and it would be amazing to get in a train to go somewhere!
You can take transit to get places for sure. Maybe not train specific but busses. However your time to get to a destination depends on where you're going and your route.
From NYC. Lived in LA car-free for two years. Returned back to NYC. You can use public transit to go to some places but it doesn't cover big parts of the city. Although bus is a good alternative to limited rail service. Still the biggest rail problem there is not limited coverage but homeless on the trains. My suggestion use busses or if you can bike.
@@andrelukin6364The homeless issue is being dealt with so it's much reduced in the last 6 months now.
The prospects for what LA Union could become if they build the through track connections genuinely excites me!
I was an LA resident in 2008 and voted for Measure R, so I’m excited to finally see that Purple Line Extension completed.
One big mistake at 5:25 - The new "West Santa Ana Branch Transit Corridor", which will be renamed by popular vote on the Metro website does not come CLOSE to Santa Ana. It stops in Artesia on Pioneer Blvd. The city of Santa Ana is only partly visible, way down in the south-east corner of the displayed map. There is no plan to go any further than Artesia, although the "West Santa Ana Branch" used to be a red car line actually going down to Santa Ana prior to the 1950s. Maybe at some point in the future it COULD go all the way to Santa Ana, but we're talking decades away if ever.
Also, Santa Ana ITSELF has a street car system under construction, due to be starting service in 2024. It will be just south by a mile or so of what is visible on the map. That street car actually does go UP the "West Santa Ana Branch" from the other side, but stops just short of the 22 freeway in Garden Grove. Essentially, there is a 20 mile (have not actually measured) gap between the end of the new line projected here, and the Santa Ana street car..... two systems that aren't compatible, assuming the new Los Angeles project uses the same technology as the current light rail systems to integrate them.
That is why they are renaming the route. Santa Ana is in Orange County so the WSAB will NEVER cross the LA County boundary. That's not LA Metro's transit service region. It's up to the OC transit agency to connect to the WSAB from their end.
Orange County is so anti-public transport I'm surprised this was ever approved
Orange County and Los Angeles County could reach a similar agreement for connecting across counties like LA did with San Bernardino County for the foothill transit light rail corridor that will eventually extend to the city of Montclair.
@@seanhakam That would be amazing, but I just cant see Orange County cities wanting anything to do with out network.
I am always crossing back and forth over that street car project, and as great as it would be for me to take it, the termination points make no sense for anyone. 💔
As someone who frequently rides the Los Angeles LRT system, I couldn't be more excited for the LAX people mover. Driving there is a nightmare -- not uncommon to spend 1 to 2 hours on a mile stretch of road. There are some issues that I think should be brought up as well -- I do think that the transit system already provides decent convenience to the commuter, but its reputation is awful not because of the trains, but the riders. Every other ride youll see someone smoking up a storm, completely knocked out from alc, or just your average homeless guy. Normally, this isn't too big of an issue, but when the ridership levels are low (as they have been), youll often find yourself in a 1 on 1 situation with these people. In my experience, theyre always harmless and sometimes fun to talk to but its very easy for a family man or anyone to ride the system once and be scared away by the disproportionately large amount of drug abuse happening on these trains. They seem to be hiriing more "metro ambassadors" to try and scare these guys away but they cant really do anything. Besides that, not many people like mid-freeway stations either-- very loud, makes the walk 10 minutes longer, etc. Trains themselves, on the otherhand, aren't too shabby, and the views youll get are quite nice depending which line youre riding.
Agreed. The need sound barriers on the 105 and 10 fwy stations. If they install platform security doors, that would help with the fwy noise.
All of this expansion is great, but there's one major flaw: if transit takes longer than driving (even with traffic), no one will use it instead of their car. L.A. has way too much surface-level transit, and it seems as if the traffic lights are not coordinated with the train in many sections. For example, I ride the A (Blue) line from Long Beach, a 60 minute ride to downtown L.A., about 15 minutes of which is waiting for traffic lights to change from red to green. If the lights were coordinated with the train the ride would be 25% shorter -- but it would still take longer than driving during most of the day. This just won't work.
But there are other lines where taking Metro is faster during rush hour. And Rush Hour keeps getting longer both in the morning and evening. The E, G, and A line North of DTLA can be faster than driving during that time.
And let's not forget the B and D subway lines that are usually faster than driving no matter the time, and more people will experience that once the D line is extended to UCLA.
Eh, maybe. I an some like minded friends often opt for a 20-30 minute bike commute to sitting in traffic for even 10 minutes. And while house sitting i got to commute to work via train for a two weeks and that was a really good change of pace. That commute was 15 minutes longer but i got to be a passive passenger instead of an alert driver, and i got to walk more. Definitely worth it IMO when the options do become available
With the recent closure of the 10, LADOT finally worked with Metro to improve the signal coordination for the trains. I think it really only had marginal improvements unfortunately. Our LRT system needs crossing arms installed like they're planning on doing to the G Line in the next couple years. That's the only way to really allow for maximum speed through intersections.
The Netherlands has done it, but we have to have a "home-grown" system so rich people can make more money.
As a daily LA metro rider, I really hope that with new projects we’ll see improvements in public safety. Many ppl would love to use the LA subway system but it’s not always safe. Especially for young single women. It has improved in the recent months, I hope the trend continues
Yes. I've noticed the improvements too since the Regional Connector opened in June.
I went to USC and loved the convenience of the new metro expansions. However, I also saw many homeless people, drug usage, people drinking in public, people selling drugs, and even an overdose. Taking the line that goes to Ktown is especially heart pounding at night.
It didn't.
I rode in May 2024 and the trains were still full of bums and crazies. There was a strong law enforcement presence at all of the downtown stations but the problems were on the trains themselves. It was obvious the people using the train as a rolling homeless shelter were riding each line "end to end" so hardening the entry points in the city is pointless. They need a robust ticket checking program and the ability to eject non paying riders.
As an angeleno I think there are two things holding back LA rapid transit
1. the lack of connection to the San Fernando Valley. A decent chunk of LA county live in this one region of the city and yet the only rapid transit we have is the g-line. So it really is just impractical and slow to take rapid transit anywhere if you live in the valley
2. Rider safety, people just really do not trust the metro to safely get you from point a to point b without something like a stabbing happening. Every time I try to bring up taking the metro anywhere someone looks at me like I just asked to get robbed. My friend is genuinely terrified of taking the g-line on her own.
Both of those issues are being addressed. Do a weekend trip with your friend and take the G line to the B line transfer to either the E or A line, get off at the Little Tokyo station and eat at one of many great restaurants there. If you have questions, there are transit ambassadors on the platforms.
Homeless and nasty smells, so gross and i just came from LA
In 2019 LA's B/D Line had a per -mile ridership rivalling Chicago's L. Impressive, given the low frequency.
However, as of Sept. San Diego's Trolley still had more riders than LA's LRT.
San Diego’s downtown is a little more compact and nice than LAs so it makes sense that feeding it would have high ridership. Also they serve the university which I’m sure is a lot of trips. I think SD will struggle to expand ridership much past what they have now cause of the rest of the sprawl
@@chrisorr8601 San Diego is building tons of TOD outside of Downtown. Mission Valley alone is building two $4B TODs on the Green Line: SDSU Mission Valley and Riverwalk. UCSD is building 23-story student apartments next to Mid-Coast stations. The Blue Line/Green Line could get NAVWAR redevelopment, a TOD as big as both of the Mission Valley TODs combined. SANDAG is proposing a rubber-tyred automated light metro--Phase I will connect Downtown with the airport with 2 minute frequencies. Future phases may go to Midway Rising, another TOD megaproject.
San Diego's Blue Line alone added over 10K daily riders in the last year alone, and MTS is now planning 7.5 minute peak frequencies on the Mid-Coast Trolley by 2025. San Diego's busiest bus line now carries 50% more passengers than it did pre-COVID.
Yeah, that won't last. LA will have superior ridership very soon and retake the top spot as it had for years before Covid. LA Metro ridership across the entire system (including buses) has increased every month for the last 10 months.
When the LAX People Mover opens next year, the ridership will grow exponentially.
The People Mover will be a game changer. But I still think expansion will be slow because of rampant NIMBYism
@@mrxman581hope so. I actually noticed downtown's transformation over the years.. so many residential bldgs being built in the last 10 years even though they are mostly expensive rental apartments 😅. Thats the qay to go, we need to catch up to what we have missed by building suburbs and freeays
Huge bonus points for pronouncing “Sepulveda” correctly.
I went to the USC-UCLA game last Saturday, but because I live nowhere near public transport, it took me 2 hours to get 30 miles home.
My nephew who goes to UCLA just took the train from Westwood to the stadium, it was a breeze. So it can be done.
This can't be true. It isn't true. The USC game was at the Coliseum across from USC this year which has two stops on the E line from East LA to Santa Monica. - There is no current train to UCLA/Westwood and won't be until 2027ish.... Your nephew could have taken a train from Santa Monica but not westwood... unless he's living in the future.
@@JohnWSmartNow the only stop i can think of is westwood / rancho park
@@JohnWSmartNow that's what he told me. Took a bus from the station to school, so maybe he got dropped off outside Westwood
@@alhollywood6486 there are a lot of buses that go from westwood to the metrorail... between the 8ish of them they're frequent if not super regular. i'm a ucla student and i take the train frequently and it's always such a pain in the neck on the way back figuring out which stop i should get off at to take which bus.
THERE IS NO TRAIN to westwood. There is no way this person's nephew you took the train to the USC UCLA game this year @@indisciipline
I was born and raised in the LA area; I live in San Francisco now. While LA doesn't have the Bay Area transit that I love, it has gotten MUCH better. My girlfriend and I did the Inland Empire using the Redlands trains to the museum the Broad and Little Tokyo entirely by rail, and it was a delight. This was not possible even ten years ago. I still love BART and Muni more, but I feel hope. If we can connect it all via the Clipper Card to make transit seamless across California, that would be amazing.
That's a great example. Cool.
I feel the need to mention just how good the G line-the non-rail bus-is, in its current iteration.
It runs zero-emission buses all day on its own lane, separate from existing car traffic. Buses arrive regularly, and the route hits a lot of major areas in the valley (close to malls and schools, drops you off at a subway).
It isn’t perfect-for example, there needs to be grade-separation for intersections, which is a planned future project-but it’s pretty great, all-told.
I rode this almost every day in university, great bus. I never had to worry about being late because there was always another bus just about to arrive anyways. Huge stress reliever.
I've been using it a lot more recently, especially since regional connector opened. It's been remarkably convenient for me.
Me too. Getting to Santa Monica from East LA is much more convenient now.
@@mrxman581 I'm going from Koreatown to South Pasadena. One transfer at 7th/Metro. It's actually faster than driving!
LA is reaching critical mass!!!! How exciting!
@@mrxman581awesome man! I live by the East LA station
@@J_131That's great. Couldn't agree more.
Now nearing the end of my driving days, I began using the LA Metro rail system about 3 months ago. The seniors discount is awesome and the system is very impressive. Staff are courteous & helpful ... quite a change for LA.
Me too. I really like it too.
As someone who was born and raised here in LA, it's really nice to see things come together like this. I still know this place like the back of my hand and being in high school when the Expo Line was being built (Culver City stop) was crazy to see! It feels like it's been years now lol But right after high school/college I got an awesome job in downtown LA. Before I could afford a car, the Expo Line was my quintessential ride to and from work. (This was before the extension to Santa Monica) Ah the good ol days. lol
I'm an LA native and I love Nandert! Thank you for shouting him out!!
Current LA resident, the problem I see with all this expansion (as great as it is) is that the light-rail network is too slow. I grew up in the NE corridor and love taking subway/train whenever I can, but the LA Metro system just can't compete with the speed of driving, even considering traffic! My current commute from Pasadena to DTLA is 20 minutes by car, but twice that by light rail. The only way to get the public to consider public transit is for it to be faster than driving and as long as the network prioritizes light rail over subway lines it is going to stay a car dependent city.
How are you getting from Pasadena to the heart of DTLA during rush hour in 20 minutes.? The 110 is notoriously packed during rush hour and the section near Pasadena has fewer lanes and terrible short ramps.
It's not just about speed but convenience. You don't have to deal with the traffic and stress.
@@mrxman581takes me 20 minutes from south pasadena, I commute to Torrance and most of the traffic is just near downtown, the A line is not very fast or convenient even though I’m walking distance, and the turnovers at Union Station are extremely slow
Yes! The trains have to go faster than the cars for it to be an attractive alternative.
LOVE THE LOVE!! As a SoCal resident I love the attempts to fix the mess that is LA Transit as it finally feels like we are making so much progress!
My local tram in the netherlands when i was little, had text on its side, that would probably annoy people as they were stuck in city traffic: "we're going 60(hm/h) in the inner city, and you?"
Speaking of "tons of reporters," it's astonishing and disappointing how much LA's ambitious transiit expansion has been ignored by the media in its coverage of the recent I-10 fire. I hope the Olympics finally get reporters from major newspapers to stop relying on the lazy car culture cliche and acknowledge what the region has done.
Best trip I ever took to LA was taken via metro link from VTA to union, no parking no traffic watched a movie on the way down!
Interesting. As a non-North American my perception of LA is: highways, dirty, dangerous... and more highways. I've never thought of it as the sort of place I'd want to visit. Perhaps I'm just watching the wrong movies.
Although Demolition Man is becoming more accurate as time goes by
No, you're watching the sensationalist news media.
It's not like that at all...there are SO many walkable areas because they were streetcar suburbs. Santa Monica, Venice, the Sunset Strip, Koreatown, Echo Park and all the coastal cities in Orange County to name a few.
If you like movies, why wouldn't Hollywood or Beverly Hills be on your list of places to visit? LA is not utopia, but there are plenty of iconic places and tourists.
Los Angeles is no where nearc the most dangerous cities in the USA with a large population - last full FBI stats for violent crimes ranked L.A. at 33rd - Cities in the South are much more dangerous as a general rule.
Great video as always RM Transit! I live in LA currently, and the recent week-long closure of the 10 Freeway in Downtown during multiple entertainment events in the area that weekend caused an increase in Metro Rail ridership. Hopefully it is more of a one-time thing for those extra passengers
Metro ABSOLUTELY has to get serious about rider safety; otherwise all this expanded infrastructure will be for naught
Here on the right of my YT feed there is a KTLA News story about LA Transit
taking steps to improve safety at its stations. Click on that next...
The problem is, their “plans” almost always come down to “ambassadors” roaming around with fake smiles. They don’t need ambassadors. They need gates at the entrances to platforms that you can’t just squeeze past. They need police in the stations and on the trains arresting people who don’t obey the rules. They need to get over the idea that trains are shelters for mentally ill and homeless people. Sorry, I tried. For three months I commuted from Pasadena to USC, where I had a teaching gig. Every day was a horrorshow. Every day I had to deal with mental cases and drug dealers and just plain jerks. The last straw was when a creepy guy tried to sell me drugs then spent the entire trip from Union Station screaming at passengers and threatening them. At least two people called the police that I could see. Nothing. The guy got off at at Memorial Park station and promptly urinated on the outside of the train. No thanks.
The other point is that higher ridership naturally tends to decrease crime (and the perception of danger) all by itself. Think about whether you’d feel more comfortable in a busy street with tons of pedestrians, or in a dark alley by yourself. It’s not a coincidence that perceptions of danger on transit went way up during the worst of Covid, when ridership dropped and a lot of work commutes evaporated.
When transit is fast and convenient for most people, a larger cross-section of people will use it. Just look at how many people use the NY subway, despite its general levels of scruff and grunge. Ridership naturally puts more “eyes on the street,” discouraging some of the worst antisocial behavior, and also makes it feel less dangerous, which is arguably even more important (remember, even with current levels of violent crime, transit is still WAY safer than driving).
Definitely. I'm a frequent Gold Line rider, and as I'm born and raised in this area I'm not very skittish. When you have to, you get used to the awful sight of people slumped over on drugs (or even injecting them right in front of you and children and anyone else walking by) because you know that realistically they don't want to hurt anyone. But some people really do look like loaded jack in the boxes, like they're ready to hurt someone. Not all the time, or even often, but sometimes my mental alarms go off so badly that I get off early and wait for the following train.
I've done that on buses here. Kids being assholes or Tupac wannabes
giving me the eye. I don't need this. So I get off and get the next bus.
LA does a great job building transit!! Hope this will get cars off busy interstates!!
Those highways need a diet, ie bus lane and subway line.
A city is unlivable without transit.
As for the Olympics and the transit being ready for it, buckle up boys, even Paris won't be ready in time. Only Line 14 extensions will be (mostly) ready, except for a few infill stations that will open after the olympics. The other lines of the Grand Paris Express won't even see the light of day until 2026 at best...
and there's not even enough drivers now for full service, it'll be catastrophic during the Olympics
The grand Paris Express is not for the olympics. It’s for the suburbs of Paris. What’s not ready is the amount of conductor, train. It’s already hard to get in in normal time so in the Okympics it’s going to be horrible
@@thibaudlombard5075 Sure, why would we care for a couple of months mayhem, GPX is not for the olympics but it was supposed to be, in the Olympics dossier that Paris filed up to obtain the games in the first place.
I guess they might gain some drivers by actually temporarily CLOSING some bus lines in some places "for fan zones security reasons"...
Well, Los Angeles will have four more years to build. And things like the Sepulveda subway definitely won't be open by 2028. The D Line extension, the first bit of the A Line extension (to Pomona but not Montclair), the K Line through LAX, the OC Streetcar, both people movers, and maybe some BRT will pretty much be the only things open by 2028.
@@GeotpfThat's a huge list of projects, and very consequential lines for the Olympics. The Green Line might be connected to the LAX People Mover by 2028 too.
This is a fantastically made video. As someone who has lived in LA for a year, and the midwest for half a decade; public transport is the backbone of major cities around the world. After the first year in LA, definitely didn't rub me in the best way comparing to systems that I have used extensively in Singapore, NYC, Boston and Chicago. The wait for bus is always infuriating with inconsistent timing and services, however, bus services are often much better around the Mar Vista, Santa Monica, and Burbank area because of local buses operating. Metro has been surprisingly consistent, even though the homeless situation is still a while away to be resolved. The light rail is the stand out, with decent connections overall. Definitely most excited for the Purple Line extension, even though the road blockage during constructions was quite a nightmare on weekends.
Indeed. The opening of the LAX People Mover and subsequent connection to the LA Metro will be game changing too.
The last time I was in the LA region was in 2015. I spent all of $2 to get from the airport to my hotel in Santa Monica. Zero dollars to get from the airport to the bus connection terminal (free shuttle). One dollar to get from there on the Big Blue Bus to Santa Monica. One more dollar to go up Wilshire Boulevard where my hotel was, again on the Big Blue Bus. That was possible, back in 2015.
The Los Angeles Metro raised the bus/train fare from $1.50 to $1.75 in September 2014. Going into 2024, the bus/train fare is still $1.75. The Big Blue Bus is now $1.10.
@@Okaydo1 $2.20 to get from LAX to that hotel in Santa Monica would still be great value for money, don't you think?
@@Okaydo1And in July they implemented a capped fare system where no one pays more than $5 per day. Once you reach the $5 threshold, the rest of your trips are free across the LA Metro system including buses.
@@Okaydo1 Not LA Metro. Big Blue Bus out of Santa Monica. Was stll $1 per ride in 2015.
Great video. An additional piece of information is the bullet train LA - San Francisco with a main terminal at Union Station.
As someone from Maryland, I’m always impressed when a government is able to just build a subway line and it doesn’t take them a decade (looking at you Purple line)
Great video. You hit the nail on the head about how LA has been traditionally hamstrung by its single hub at Union Station, but it's getting better. One small correction: The West Santa Ana Branch Corridor project won't actually go to the city of Santa Ana; it's merely named after the historical right-of-way.
As a train guy myself, I am so glad you mentioned, “Her“.
Transit was totally my favorite part of that movie too.
I don't understand why the light rail rail lines don't have Transit Signal Preemption, even when far smaller cities like Portland do. Even on the new K Line, it runs free separated for most of the route, but it stops at stoplights on the short at grade section. It's so frustrating
My understanding is that some of that is due to obsolete environmental laws. Basically, the train can't have full on priority because cars waiting for it to pass would sit there idling. When an (older) car idles, it pollutes. So, to limit that idling, the train can only have minimal priority. Now, hybrids, electric cars, and even some non-hybrid gas cars shut down when stopped, and even cars without such features pollute a lot less than these calculations, but things haven't really been fully changed since what was then called the blue line opened in 1990 with these restrictions.
There are plans to implement it, but there are additional costs. I read that they would need to replace all the traffic lights at intersections that would have this technology. And they are also studying the idea of installing 4 arm barriers at those traffic light intersections.
@@Geotpf you know what's better for the environment? Making the train more convenient so more people use it.
@@robk7266That was specifically not allowed to be part of the calculation, IIRC.
The Metro will finally be a convenient transit system in a few years but they need to majorly step up security along the entire line.
Was happy to hear his comment about street car suburbs being reconnected! I live in an old apartment building walking distance from the expo line and it’s amazing! If you’re living in LA dont forget the metro. Most angelinos dont realize that it can already get you tons of places!
I cant wait to see my city in 15 years!
Even by 2027, the rail transit infrastructure will be much more comprehensive in very significant ways. The two most significant being the LA Metro connection to LAX via the People Mover, and the extension of the D line to the Westside. Both of those projects will transform the city into a true public transit powerhouse. It will be 2nd to only NYC in many ways.
Within 15 years from today, you'll have the following projects completed.
Sepulveda Pass line
San Fernando Valley line
East LA Second Phase E line
Southeast Gateway line
Making LA Metro the 2nd largest in the country without a doubt.
If the Metro Green line could extend to the Norwalk Metrolink station, that would be awesome
That has been on the drawing board for literally 25 years or more. The problem is that the city of Norwalk itself is highly against it for obvious reasons-you would have demolish dozens if not hundreds of houses unless you put the line underground for quadruple the cost.
There are discussions, but local cities have a lot of power in these situations especially if there are significant negative community impacts.
It’s insane that the Green Line wasn’t designed to make a direct connection from the Norwalk metrolink train station all the way to LAX
The Norwalk bus line #4 goes too the Green Line.
@@johnwells6268 I'm sure anyone who uses either system is fully aware of that. But in all situations, trying to achieve rail connection is preferable. The less affected by roads, the better (and before a retort, of course the Metro Rail is still affected by roads, but exponentially less)
Would be amazing to get more rail in the OC region, specifically from the San Dimas'ish area. Right now if you wanted to take a train to Disneyland from San Dimas, you'd have to go all the way to Union Station first. Ridiculous lol. Great video.
Indeed. It's up to the OC powers to make that happen.
yep, exactly. Fat chance that happens in our lifetime lol. Last thing all those millionaires want is a train going through their backyard.@@mrxman581
Disneyland and Disney World has better transportation than a lot of the US
agreed.@@RakoonCD
yep I remain doubtful but there's always a possibility.@@mrxman581
Great Video, keep up the good work 👍🏽
Another LA video!!! 🎉🎉🎉 todays a good day
Good to see hydrogen trains getting the guffaw they deserve!
Also nice to see a pipeline of projects for building the network step by step; lets hope the knowledge is transferred from one project to the next.
What's wrong with hydrogen trains? I've never heard of them but they sound interesting.
@@cherryslat5702the energy density is worse than diesel. So more hydrogen is needed to move the same amount of distance, thus allowing less freight or passengers for the same amount of fuel
Theirfore co2 emissions can be reduced. The best way are electricfied train lines I think. Less weight, less co2, less metals for batteries
@@Socaltransit Oh ok I see thank u
@@Socaltransitbut they emit much less greenhouse gas than diesel. People smirk at hydrogen only because green transition has not accelerated yet. In the future thanks to wind and solar there will be a lot of cheap electricity for which we will not have enough batteries to store thus hydrogen will be produced. Then it will become much cheaper and more accessible for transport, chemical and heavy industries which are harder to decarbonize. Of course regarding transport it will be used for trucking, shipping and remote train lines mainly while city transit should be electrified through catenary lines and these trains are only considered cause Americans refuse to electrify high usage corridors properly.
The absolute best thing that came from LA getting the 2028 Olympics is the deadline to get transit ready. So happy about these improvements!!!
I hope they could get Los Angeles the “city of the metro” as they did for streetcar and cars. They could set off new line building book like the Canada line or line 10 in beijing
I just hope the evil car-addicted suburbanite John Phillips of 790 KABC doesn't sabotage the project.
Theres a lot of need for more transit, but the public appears to want it!
otherwise id riot. also tell me more abt that @@crowmob-yo6ry
@@RMTransitAre they willing to pay for it?
@@user-mb3dx3nn5cWe have been. How do you think the LA Metro rail transit system expansion has been paid for since 1990? Residents voted several times over the last few decades to increase the sales tax multiple times to build and expand rail transit in LA.
As a frequent rider of the LA metro and bus services, this is really exciting news! They’re building a whole new metro line through my city that will directly connect me to LA proper. But I also agree with others they need to improve rider safety.
6:30 This gave me an idea. I think you should make a video(or a series) featuring different transit oriented channels around the world, perhaps even collaborating with them on a video based on their regional transit.
Coordinating that kind of thing is a TON of work
Great vlog! Thanks, Reece! One small request...when you show a map of the [any] system and speak of an extension, would you blink/flash the lines for a few seconds? Would be a great helP!
Seeing 2 metro stations constructions right next to where I live (by museum row on miracle mile) is super exciting. Especially as someone who travels through LAX constantly for work, its so cool seeing that the metro will reach LAX. I'm super hopeful this will revolutionize LA.
The light rail network is fantastic. There are major holes in it, some of which are being remedied, but for the areas that are currently served, it's fantastic. The Regional Connector has been a game-changer.
Completely agree.
Fantastic video. Super excited about LA finally making a lot of positive changes. Last time I was there these changes where definitely in the air. Their bus network is actually a lot better than I expected. So I'm incredibly excited to see they are upgrading rail as well. Like other commenters have stated... I hope this succeeds and influences other US cities to do the same. We desperately need more public transit, denser housing, less cars, and more walkability in the US.
One housing development entitlement that allows for more density is reliant on being within 0.25-0.5 miles from a major transit stop, so building more major transit stops allows for more housing to be built in this pathway
Love this overview, thanks!
I'm stoked! - LA Native.
I grew up using transit systems and people don’t realize the amount of stuff you can do on it.
I am gratified to see doors are at platform level. After falling on the steps on Caltrain and being frustrated with the failure to already be electrified (they were promising this when I moved to the Bay Area in 1997) I am seriously thinking about moving to LA.
We have a train to the sea, it's just an above ground light rail network that drops you off two blocks from the Santa Monica Pier
@Nandert best vids on LA transits
A big problem with this is keeping it clean and safe as it comes into downtown Long Beach a lot of homeless people hang around the station, leaving trash everywhere and heavily discouraging anyone from using this at night for leisure travel
From what I hear Long Beach becomes a dumping ground because it's the end of the line, so that's where all the sleepers are kicked off.
Nandert got a new subscriber.
Just came back from LA and I was shocked at how ignored the Metro is by the public. I remember getting off at Pershing Square, downtown LA, on a Monday, 5:55pm...ans the station was completely empty. I couldn't believe my eyes. Not a single soul in the platforms, ticket bays, escalators...
Ridership dropped a lot during Covid. In LA, wasn't officially declared over until early this year. However, ridership numbers have improved every month this year. However, it's still below 2019 numbers before Covid.
BTW, Pershing Square is getting a complete make-over. They started a few weeks ago.
One can only hope? After returning from Japan from a 3 weeks vacation… one of the things that most appreciated was how helpful was to have an excellent train system❤
It’s such a shame the US doesn’t invest strongly in trains.
I may have to look into trying transit next time I'm in LA. I've always driven everywhere because I heard the transit stations weren't safe.
They are not safe.
@@rafaelli5852they have been. Compared to other cities, safety in metro stations is pretty average. I dare you to ride the metro in NYC or Philadelphia. Make sure to stop at Queens and Brooklyn stations.
Then you'll get a new perspective on LA stations.
@@danmur2797 I have been to NY and Philadelphia, I know they are bad. But I am not going to tolerate LA metro just because other places are subjectively worse.
@@rafaelli5852 and yet millions of people safely ride those systems every year.
You think LA would be worse?
At this point LA metro isn't perfect, but many people are also just looking to complain about any thing. The grandmas and young college students certainly have gotten by.
@@rafaelli5852 Reading the comment section overall that does seem to be the consensus. Pity, it'd be nice to be able to take the train down to LA and then use transit to get around. Right now I drive 2 hours when I need to go there because I need a car when I get there anyway. Guess I'll keep doing that.
The LA Metro is the noisiest and slowest I have been on anywhere. In places trains have to wait at the lights. Recently it has also been getting more dangerous.
I took Metrolink+Metro all the way from Santa Clarita Station to SoFi stadium for a rams game last week and it was so refreshing how far LA LTR has come since I was a child. One of my favorite routes used to be taking the Metrolink to Union Station and then the Expo Line, idk what it’s called now, to the California Science Center
It's the E Line.
Still the expo line/E line and still the best way to get into USC for events! Used it Monday!
SLC viewer here; since SLC is now all but certain to secure the 2034 winter games, would be great to get a video on SLC's state of olympic transit readiness at some point!
My commute is along PCH (or the 405) from Redondo to Marina del Rey, and it sucks that none of these lines really go along that corridor. But honestly, all it would take to make my commute good would be to turn the parking lanes on PCH into bus lanes, and then run buses every 10-15 minutes along that route. Plus, good bus service there would mean that I never have to pick anyone up at LAX again
From what I understand, the PCH is in an area actively eroding into the Pacific.
@@michaelrmurphy2734 Parts of it are (it stretches across the whole state; up north it's called 1), but in the LA region PCH doesn't actually go right along the Pacific Coast, and erosion shouldn't really be a problem for it.
In my opinion the most important thing that LA is doing is implementing bus only lanes on busy routes. Los Angeles can only build rail lines as fast as they currently are, considering the cost of construction of projects in the US, convoluted environmental reviews, and NIMBY resistance from rich neighborhoods. While bus only lanes take away a lane of road, many are peak travel hours only, which allows for traffic to use them when it isn't rush hour, possibly limiting NIMBY resistance. On top of that, the bus only lanes can be implemented quickly, whereas a rail line can take years to be built, let alone be approved. Buses serve the majority of transit users in the region. Giving buses the speed that light rail can provide will stop ridership losses and boost popularity of transit.
Yes, but they should be doing actual BRT lines and not just painted bus lanes that cars can still use.
Best opening line of any TH-cam video ever. Her is my favorite movie 😂
The biggest issue in LA right now is that it's just so much faster to drive than to take transit for a lot of trips. Frequencies are awful, but even if they weren't our light rail trains can't match the speed of a car (they can reach 55 mph on grade-separated areas which are very limited). What LA needs is higher speed light rail trains and much, much more and better grade separation.
One other complaint I have about even fantasy maps of LA is that the distance between subway lines and stops in central areas like DTLA and Hollywood are still awful. With the red line and purple line extension through Hollywood there'll be quite dense places still 20 or 30 minutes walk from a subway station. LA needs wayyyyyy more subway lines everywhere.
That's changing. The opening of the Regional Connector is the beginning of that change. The LAX People Mover will be the next as well as the opening of the new section of the D line to Fairfax in 2024 or early 2025.
It will be faster than driving to get to many important places especially during Rush Hour. In LA Rush Hour is becoming longer and longer.
It takes less time now on the E line to get from Santa Monica to East LA during Rush Hour than driving, for example.
I agree. I love public transport, but I just can't get into taking the metro. I'll only take it for specific locations. I think there's a few problems. 1. there isn't enough subway lines. 2. There's so many stations where the surrounding area is just not that walkable. 3. The smells, and navigating people with serious mental health issues. So hoping the development around the stations will help overall appeal. I still think there needs to be a solve for more stations and somehow solve for the smells and handling the abundance of individuals with serious mental health issues.
@@mrxman581 I agree completely with the person above me, but I’ll just add that even in completely grade separated alignments LA’s light rail can’t compete with the speed of a car, when you add in street running often without any signal priority, LA’s rail transit is painfully slow. Additionally frequencies need to be 3 or 4 times better across the system.
I completely agree about more subways being needed, even in every fantasy map I’ve seen there are large swaths of relatively dense areas far over 10 minutes from a station.
I just read my original post and I literally said the same thing twice in this reply… we should also build some trams and replace highways with express rail lines a la Metrolink
LA gotta make rider safety and cleanliness a huge priority.
Its a major problem for any transit system in the USA. IMO outside of general NIMBYism safety is the biggest hurdle to USA having better public transit. Its not classist or racist or whatever to expect to not be threatened or panhandled on public transit.
I was in LA this time last year and didn’t need a car for much of anything.
I'm glad. I live in the SF Valley and go to USC. I try to take the Metrolink to Union and then make the connections to the SMC line as often as possible, but atm those regional trains are just so unreliable, as are the timetables for the SMC line. Looking forward to these improvements.
as someone from the Toronto area, hearing 'Metrolink' and 'Union Station' I did a double take
HAHAHA!!! Watch out for TTC and GO in LA! TO IS Hollywood North!
@rmtransit 5:38 the west santa ana branch will only go to artesia and js currently slated for full operation in 2052. The name is from the former Pacific electric line that the ROW is on. Also metro only is in the la county. Each other county has different transit services, leading to the octa streetcar with smaller streetcars using much smaller platforms on the other end of the west santa ana branch
True, but Metro already said they will phase the line in two parts. The first one from Artesia to a shared station connection on the A line which will go into operation much sooner thsn 2052.
@@mrxman581 Artesia is the full build out
I was surprised at how well LA's transit system works. I was able to go from Westlake to Hollywood and Beverly Hills, then to Santa Monica quite conveniently.
i believe the purple line addition will really change la because the connection to ucla, will encourage so many students including the many civil engineering students who will all be inspired to make a switch to more transit centric travel, very excited to see where it goes!
You give me hope 🥺
Appreciate your optimism for public transportation in North America. The transit network here in San Diego, CA is not as reliable and efficient as in other major cities. I would like to expand and have more connections.
Would be also nice if they were to extend the LAXPM into Inglewood instead of building a separate PM system
Hopefully they both use the Alstom system and can be linked up later
@@RMTransitThis is very unlikely. Neither LAX nor the city of Inglewood want to give up control. An eventual extension of the Inglewood people mover south to the C Line is possible though.
That probably will never happen because the customer base of both people movers would be incompatible. The LAX People Mover is about ONLY serving LAX which is why it's designed as a closed system thst will operate 24/7 and run every 2 minutes. The Inglewood people Mover wouldn't need that type of frequency or capacity. It would be very inefficient and costly
It would also be nice if LAX had an air train connection like sfo does instead of the hard to locate bus
Hi Reese, great video! Was curious if you could make one about Metra commuter system in Chicagoland and how it can be improved? That would be amazing!
Metro Link Arrow line probably considered more of a the greater SoCal region since because it currently just services San Bernardino and Redlands area.
Love your videos. LA has come a long way, after destroying the best public transportation in the world (by the mid 1940s). I think the old red car routes served the city VERY well. I am glad to see the new lines expand.
It was bound to happen. Any major world city is expanding rapidly. Like any other,
LA can't simply be building highways for cars. People have to walk or take transit.
@@michaelrmurphy2734LA opened their first modern light rail line in 1990 and has been expanding their Metro system ever since and will continue for the next 20 years.
I will never forgive the film Volcano for making some people think sub transit is a a bad idea for LA. My weird take haha
That movie was so hilariously bad.
There was Independence Day to counter-balance it: "Today was the first day I took the subway. Thank God for Metro Rail." 😄
As a resident of the greater LA area I feel like the area is a few major projects from hitting a tipping point to where the system really becomes robust enough that it's the better option to driving for the average situation. Right now I think the shortcoming is if you want to travel anywhere you need to go though downtown still which doesn't make sense for a lot of situations. I think if and when they get the Sepulveda pass subway in it'll be a huge turn in the tide. Why wait in traffic on the 405 going to work, beach, LAX, etc if that exists?
The turning point will be the 2028 Olympics when many, currently under construction, projects will be completed. There are four rail transit projects: D line extension, A line extension, K line extension, and the LAX People Mover. These four projects will make the system comprehensive enough for people to start driving much less. Though the beginning of the turning point already started with the opening of the Regional Connector this past June.
The future I see is LA residents to be no more than 15 minutes away from a rail transit station. That would be whether your walking, bicycling, taking a bus, or driving.
Yes, driving will continue to be part of the solution to getting around LA. The difference is that it won't be the major part anymore.
If I only need to drive my car no more than 15 minutes a day, that would change LA's transit culture like never before in the last 100 years. Very exciting
The whole system will be useless actually living here until it follows the major expressways. There's nothing down Sunset, nothing don the 101, nothing down the 405, you can't get to OC in any reasonable way. Any time I use the train here, which is either to get into USC or HW Bowl events, I still have to drive and park near a station, then take the train. In 50 years when I'm dead it could be nice. It never will be in our lifetime unless you live in and travel to very specific places.
@@shane864Many projects are planned to be operational by 2035 including the Sepulveda line along the 405, the SFV line, the Southeast Gateway line, and expansions of the A, E, and C lines.
So many of the lifelong residents I know refuse to ever use public transit :(