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i always say that the only thing i miss about living in NYC is the public transportation system/not needing a car. so yes, i would happily give up my car if i didn't need it!

LA certainly needs a pubic transportation upgrade but the real reason you don't need a car to get around in New York or London is the density of these environments. Many day to day tasks can be handled by walking (groceries, sundries, etc.) which obviate the need for transportation. Taking a bus to the middle of a parking lot populated by a single super market is not a recipe for a public transportation dominated LA.

So many people in L.A. come from somewhere else. Anyone from Europe, NYC, Chicago, D.C. Tokyo, etc., would be delighted to skip freeway traffic. Even if the locals didn't want to give up their cars, it would ease a lot of congestion.

It wouldn't work - LA is too spread out, and people are too attached to their cars. We'd be better off waiting for self-driving cars, to control the flow of traffic. Besides - it sounds like it's not as bad as London yet - as long as you know where (and when) to avoid trouble spots, know what stations to listen to to get traffic updates, and are knowledgeable on your alternate routes.

I would love to use public transportation on a regular basis... unfortunately in order to get most places you have to get on a bus at some point, and that really just defeats the whole purpose. If I have to sit in traffic on a bus, I'd rather just sit in traffic in my own car. Nothing against buses, but in LA they just defeat the purpose.

Absolutely, but then again, I'm already doing that. With a little planning and a different view point, going car-free in LA is definitely do-able. Contrary to popular belief, most shopping, arts and entertainment in LA can be done car-free, with a combination of bicycle, bus or train. And just like planning to drive at certain times to avoid traffic, planning to get on the bus/train at certain times works too. Lots of LA neighborhoods are extremely walkable with amenities nearby!

Last summer when gas was approaching $5 a gallon I looked into taking the bus (there isn't rail service) from my apartment in Long Beach to my job in Huntington Beach. According to the metro.com website it would take me 2.5 hours to go the 7 miles to my job which right now takes me 20 minutes to drive.

Until it is more efficient than people will continue to drive.

Mass transit in Los Angeles is designed for people that work in downtown Los Angeles and not for the millions of us that don't.

I'd do it in a heartbeat. They just need to build a system that runs the route the 405 does!

LA is way to spread out. The public transportation system wouldn't need to be improved, it would have to be revolutionized in order to accommodate our geographic structure, which would probably be impossible due to seismic activity.

But if the public transportation system WAS revolutionized, I would definitely use it. I wouldn't give up my car though, I'd just leave it parked most of the time.

I used the public transit system exclusively while I was in LA. I had no problem with it. I also lived near a hotel, so if I needed to go someplace funky I could just use a cab obtained from there. It's amazing how many places you DON'T need to go when it would be a hassle to get there.

Does anyone else read the Onion? Excellent "article" about how most of us want public transportation to improve... so that others will use it and free up the road for us.

I live in Seattle where the public transportation debate has been raging for years. Anyone else remember the monorail debacle? What it comes down to is that most people live outside of the city- and we don't want our tax dollars going towards something that is only beneficial to city dwellers (who already have an excellent bus system). When I worked downtown, the bus was an excellent resource. Now that I work just North of the city, not so much- it takes me 45 minutes to get to work on the bus, and 9 minutes to drive.

I wish more people would be honest instead of idealistic- and I wish politicians wouldn't try to force these projects on us!

Until moving here we've always used public transportation. I miss the convenience of the metro. I would absolutely give up my car.

being born and raised in chicago, i loved the el and public transportation. having lived in LA for the last year i miss it. i would definitely use it, but like others have said, LA is far to spread out when compared to NYC and Chicago. i'm waiting for when they tunnel the subway from downtown to the westside. i've used that train a few times, but it doesn't really go most places i'd want to go. as it sits now, i drive for work, but on the weekends i rarely move my car from the garage. i can bike to malibu, beverly hills, manhattan beach, etc easily enough from santa monica.Cheers,M

Great conversation about public transit in LA.

There are a few misconceptions though. LA isn't any more spread out than most major cities. I for one don't need to get my drycleaning done in Norwalk, grocery shopping in Santa Monica, and then catch a movie in Burbank. I'd go nuts if that were the case.

So while yes, the urban area in LA is huge, most of what I have to do is done within a few miles of where I live.

Secondly, people really need to start thinking about transportation and proximity to jobs when they move. One can't expect to be able to get from their house in Long Beach to a job in Woodland Hills in a reasonable amount of time - it's too far! That's not Metro's fault.

As our rail system continues to grow, Los Angeles will become more livable. The Gold Line Eastside Extension is set to open within weeks, and the Exposition Line from Downtown to Culver City (future extension to Santa Monica) will open next year.

Finally, there's nothing to fear about the bus. Long distances are best covered by rail, but if you're a simple bus connection away from a rail station, it makes sense.

Transit will never be everything to everyone. But making smart choices can have a big impact on your lifestyle and stress levels.

It's funny because after living in LA for a year now I've just bought a car.

I was in San Francisco and the public system was really enough for me to do everything. I hated the fact that here in LA, you're kind of forced to buy a car. Most jobs I had applied to wanted me to have one even if my job didn't consist of driving. I much prefer to ride the bus without the stress of weaving through traffic. I was lucky enough to live within walking distance to grocery stores, stores, restaurants, bar, the post office so it wasn't a problem.

The only issue was the reliability of the buses here. I had to leave out so early because I knew there was at least one bust that wouldn't be on time or come at all. If the transportation system had been better I could have saved my money and went on vacation this summer instead of getting a car.

Part of the problem is that L.A. has terrible zoning. Mixed use zoning -- where housing and businesses coexist on the same street -- makes most errands walkable. It creates neighborhoods.

Putting lots of housing together in subdivisions and gated communities, then putting big-box stores and strip malls in another area is an ecological disaster.

Cities that have gone this route will have a very hard time creating public transit. The cities that have good public transit are the older ones, where businesses and housing evolved side-by-side from the beginning.

I'm a native Angeleno and would LOVE a more efficient public transit. I have a car and use it more than any other means of transportation. On weekends it's nice to ride my bike, but that's not always an option. I have used the bus on occassion and would like to use it more- if it weren't such a hassle (it's not the most reliable system- late, too crowded, etc.). With gas prices that fluctuate on an almost hourly basis, traffic that can trap you in the afternoons, and efforts to be more environmentally friendly, I think we crave a better public transist system and I do think it would be used frequently.

I would absolutely use the public transportation system. I love Chicago and NYC and Paris because of their public transportation systems. If I could take an Elevated Train from Hollywood to Santa Monica I would do it every day.

The problem whith what we have is that the buses get stuck in the same traffic as if I were driving except I don't have to make stops to get there. If I had 3hrs to get to work in the morning, I'd take a bus. A good place to start would be direct routes to main areas, Downtown to WeHo, WeHo to Santa Monica, Santa Monica to Sherman Oaks, via subway. LA needs Elevated Trains and more Subways. But considering our earthquakes, I'm not sure how safe those would be.

We need to figure out something though. Traffic here is a mess. 1hr for 8 miles? Rediculous.

The public infrastructure of california and mostly LA is such that it must cover a wide range of terrain. That said there has been efforts to improve the traffic conditions that Angelians must go through on a daily basis. A small factor of the problem is indirectly linked to the culture of California which banks of individualism.

you don't need a metro to reduce the amount of cars on the road, you just need less cars, and one of the best ways of doing that is sharing your ride with someone. There was a public directive from Caltrans in the 90s to promote this called ride share, but it never took off.

There has been some talks that the auto industry directly profits from a public transportation system that is less than adequate, though i dont know how much merit that point has, but it's been raise to in my circle more than a few times.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, public transportation in LA is great. Its improving all the time. Just because you don't use it doesn't mean millions of people don't use it every day. It is really not that necessary to have a car here. I was born and raised here and did not get a license until I was 20 because I didn't need one. And even a couple of years ago when my car finally died, it just took the bus to work for 6 months while I made up my mind as to what car to get.

The public transportation system gets you just about anywhere you want to be. Does it take longer than driving, sure. But extending your commute time gets you tons of benefits. You get to read a book or crochet or whatever you want. Even just last week when I met my friend at the airport. I took the bus to downtown, hopped on the red line, then the flyaway, and was at LAX in less than an hour. So good!

Also, lots of people in LA don't have jobs in cube farms. If you work in production, your office can be anywhere inside the TMZ. Or if you freelance (and LA has a huge % of self-employed/free lance workers), you may need to be mobile during the day.

When I lived in Pasadena, and worked by LACMA, I needed to take 2 trains and a bus to get to what should be a straightforward destination. The planning for the Metro was very poor (and I'd moved from DC where the Metro was great.)

I'd be glad to take public transport if it went places I need to go. Most of the time, it doesn't.

My boyfriend is from a small village in England and has lived here in LA for 3 years. He still has no license, no idea how to drive, and no desire to learn (despite my pleading). He bikes to his new job, but previously took the "buses of doom". LA's public transporation system has potential to be great despite how spread out it is. If the Metro system spread out to more areas of LA, such as Westchester, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills etc. and not just downtown, more people would ride it. And if the buses actually arrived ON TIME and more frequently even I would ride it.

I'm tired of always being DD on our nights out to the bar and we tried to take the bus to Venice so I could partake in some beverages for once and we waited for 45 minutes...and still no bus. Eventually we walked home and I drove.

NYC's transist system is efficient...LA just needs to be efficient (and have more metro lines).

Atlanta probably has the worst public transportation of any major metropolitan area. MARTA is great if you live and/or work near a train station, or need to take a bus a short distance, and only on one route. It's also great for sporting events and concerts near the system. But if you live or work any distance from a train station, or have to change buses, forget it. And the service area is way too limited. People like to say that Atlantans are car happy, but that isn't true—you HAVE to get in the car!

First off, everyone should read this. It clears up some of the myths about LA transportation:

http://freakonomics.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/03/03/los-angeles-transportation-facts-and-fiction-transit/

I own a car, but I also live 1/2 block from one of the densest mass transit corridors in California, Wilshire Blvd. If my car died tomorrow, I feel pretty confident I would be able to get all of the basics done. I already walk to the mall and the grocery store and the gym.

yikes! I wouldn't rank SF's public transportation system with the other cities' listed here. muni kinda stinks.

All those people who say that public transport wouldn't work LA is too spread out, apparently as far as city (incl suburbs) size goes my city of Brisbane is on a par with the size of LA. We have public transport. It works. Sure we complain about it daily because it's no awesome Tube, but its available and not just for poor people (an attitude I picked up from my husbands family while in the USA).

Also we've been upgrading out transport systems for years now, which creates a lot jobs from the planning to building, so there is a benefit for LA to do the same.

Add me to list of LA Metro fans. I live and work off the Red Line and it's a godsend to me. My parents used to have 9 to 5's commuting from the IE to Downtown. If I had that drive myself, I'd probably just quit the job. I absolutely love not having to sit behind the wheel and being able to people watch w/ my iPod as my soundtrack.

LA is do-able car-free. my spouse has never had a car here (7 years) and has lived in Hollywood, Santa Monica, West LA and Culver City without one. granted, the westside is MUCH better than the rest of the city as far as buses. there are tons of them and some run all night. now that i'm further west, i rarely need to drive. it's much nicer to sit on a bus and relax, even if it will take longer. i especially appreciate the freeway bus to downtown.

whereas lots of LA-ites know about and take the bus, it can be scary to start getting to know the system. and some people unfortunately think the buses are dangerous and attract dangerous or unsavory people. but with the way people drive (while texting and holding phones), i feel SO much safer on the bus.

hopefully the new lines opening soon will be popular.

The thing that I think metro could do better is not long distance travel through the city, because the rail lines and rapids take care of that fairly well, but having better community shuttles would be great. I know that in East LA we have a couple run by different agencies and so its hard to know what the price is of one over the other, and where they go. It be nice if they where set of community loops. Boyle Heights has one that works really well.

I'm moving to Santa Monica at the end of the month. One of the things I love most about my new place is that the big blue bus stops right at the corner and will take me all around Santa Monica easily.

I can't give up my car during the week because my job requires me to go to multiple places each day. However, I would like to be car-free on the weekends. Santa Monica's big blue bus system is AMAZING. It's fast, cheap (50 cents to ride), clean and convenient.

My main problem is that the metro closes so early in LA. I believe the last one is midnight. I would love to take the metro to go out in Hollywood, and Silverlake. Parking around there can be an absolute nightmare.

LA is spread out, but if each area of the city had a workable bus and rail system, then we could just connect hub to hub and have a pretty efficient system.

i agree with thatmeggirl...i think people would use it especially any East Coast city transplants where public transportation is the rule not the norm.

It's because ofthe entertainment industry, the huge percentage of freelancers like someone already mentioned. When I was carless in LA for a period, I could do all my errands easily by walking or taking the bus but it absolutely screwed me career-wise. I was ineligible for pretty much every job because of my carless status and eventually had to find work in another, more traditional field.

Try taking public transportation with 3 young children and a week's worth of groceries and you'll understand why it won't work. Sure, it works great if you you're alone and have the time, but not so much for the rest of us. I wish it did work, though.

When I first moved to LA I didn't have a car so I took the bus for about 2 years. It has workable system on main thoroughfares, though if your destination was off the beaten path, walking shoes were definitely in order. We're in Venice now and on the weekends we ditch our cars and hop on our bikes. This works great if we stay local but we end up in cabs a lot. Again, fine for staying on the westside but quite costly when heading out to Hollywood. If only there was public transportation connecting the beach cities to Hollywood or Los Feliz, we could enjoy LA more without paying the ridiculous cab fare or finding a designated driver. That's what it boils down to for us--finding a way to 'enjoy' the city responsibly.