>>56216I also live in Los Angeles, and agree wholeheatedly with this. Trying to get anywhere with the bus is an exercise in pain.
As an example I will go from LAX Int'l Airport to Union Station, which is pretty close to the downtown area.
Using only buses:
1.LAX Shuttle: 15 min
2.Imperial Hwy Line 120 60 min
3.Broadway Rapid 745 45 min
This does not include waiting between buses.
Compare that with a car, where a comparable trip would take about 30 minutes. So right there you have 4:1 ratio in favor of driving.
Most people will not put with this, and while there are quicker routes (5 year plus rider here), many people will take the obvious but slower routes.
Buses are simply not desirable for medium-range travel, and the city would be far better served with rail.
There are several lines in the planning stages, which will take decades to complete.
I have hope that with the deep and fundamental changes society is currently undergoing we will see a renewed interest in rail and more investment. I can dream, can't I?
