Interview with Dr. James Ortner - manager of Transit Technical Services for the Orange County Transportation Authority

Background and Credentials

Dr. James Ortner is manager of Transit Technical Services for the Orange County Transportation Authority. Dr. Ortner is also a lecturer in the urban planning department at the UCLA Institute of Transportation Studies.

Interview Questions

Who do you think are the primary beneficiaries of public transportation in Los Angeles?

Ortner: Primary beneficiaries are transit dependents (youth, poor, seniors, disabled) Middle class and above avail themselves of public transit, primarily express bus and rail to much smaller degree. Given the dispersion of homes and jobs, driving is more convenient for work and non-work trips than relying on public transit.

Do you think public transportation in Los Angeles is as affordable as it should be? If not, what could be done to make it more affordable?

Ortner: Transit is reasonably priced. The current MTA (Metropolitan Transit Authority) fare is $1.35 plus $0.25 for a transfer. Municipal bus lines in the metropolitan area charge $0.75 - $1.00. San Diego, for example is charging $2.00 per trip while Orange County Transportation Authority charges only $1.00 per boarding. Given economic conditions in Southern California, the issue is not making them more affordable; it is how to prevent then from becoming less affordable.

Are there obstacles preventing Los Angeles public transportation from expanding and improving? If so, what are they?

Ortner: Major obstacles include insufficient taxpayer support to address operating, service, and reliability issues. Expansion of the growing rail system is hampered by the lack of capital funds. Bus service is impacted by a U.S. Federal Court decision requiring overcrowding issues to be addressed first. Union work rules impact efficiency objectives.

On a scale of 1-10, 10 being the most accessible, how accessible do you feel public transportation is for the average citizen? How do you think access to public transportation in Los Angeles may be improved?

Ortner: For those residents who do not have access to a car, we would rate the accessibility of the public transit system around 7 or 8. If you are in the more urbanized areas of the metropolitan region, bus and rail service is good. The problem is in this region is that dispersed activities and residences makes provision of efficient public transportation difficult.

How does public transportation technology in Los Angeles compare with that of the rest of the world? How does it compare with the technology of private transport?

Ortner: MTA is rapidly adopting new technology - digital communications system, smart cards, etc. While not as technologically advanced as private transport, public transportation is moving forward aggressively in this area.

Do you think the presence of public transportation and its facilities facilitates social interaction in the community?

Ortner: Public transportation is necessary for the poor and working class in the Los Angeles area. Generally, for social trips, those with access to a car will use it for social purposes because of the dispersed location of activities in this area.

How does public transportation in Los Angeles affect urban structure and vice versa? In other words, is the Los Angeles geography conducive to the expansion of a public transportation network? And how does public transportation affect the spatial structure of the city (segregation of neighborhoods), etc.?

Ortner: Public transportation in the early part of the 20th century had a major impact on spatial structure when real estate developers used the interurban rail system to sell real estate. This region, unlike the East Coast urban areas, was always dispersed. Because the urban region is dispersed, trip times via local transit (express bus and commuter rail excluded) no longer affects the urban structure. In many wealthy areas, there is little public transportation. While in lower income areas, public transportation is generally available.

How does public transportation in Los Angeles affect social mobility? For example, is it useful in providing transport services for people commuting between their residence and place of employment? Can you think of a transport service which it should, but does not, provide?

Ortner: Generally, transit riders are from the lower income communities. Studies show than many people use public transportation to access a job, but begin ridesharing or driving a car once work is secured. Higher income workers use express bus and commuter trains, but their numbers are only a small percentage of transit users in the Los Angeles metropolitan area.