Public Transit's Negative Image in Los Angeles

Why Does Public Transit Have a Negative Image in Los Angeles?

Amy Ford, graduate student researcher at UCLA, points out that "another obstacle is certainly the negative public image in LA [Los Angeles] of transit. Too many people have said to us either 'I would never think of getting on the bus' or 'I thought buses were just for the homeless' to make us think transit will be an easy sell in LA. And, the vast, vast majority of riders that we personally see on the bus are probably dependent, and not choice riders. However, LA is experimenting with BRT/Rapid Bus and other high-service (but still less costly than subway) transit systems that may begin to change this public perception and open up new markets of people who just may get on the bus for the first time in their lives - by choice."

As examples of investing in technology, Amy Ford points out that "LA [Los Angeles] is beginning to use some new technologies that are quite revolutionary in the US: smart cards, GPS locators, signal synchronization, etc. Due to very high air quality standards in southern California, most buses are running on clean fuels, such as CNG or LNG or clean diesel and we believe this type of technology is ahead of the pack. Compared with other countries, however, we think LA's technology is probably outdated or behind the times." Dr. James Ortner, manager of Transit Technical Services for the Orange County Transportation Authority, also says that "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."