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The key here to see if they can pull this off is the addition of 3000 buses. LA Metro currently only runs 2000 buses, and that’s for the entire service area, I

The key here to see if they can pull this off is the addition of 3000 buses. LA Metro currently only runs 2000 buses, and that’s for the entire service area, I’m guessing the new buses are going to be concentrated in the Olympic areas. I used to rely on the bus back in college. It was not convenient. The bus schedule controlled your schedule. My bus to school ran every hour. If I wanted to travel from the San Gabriel valley to downtown LA, it was over two hours. An early job I had, 20 mile commute, combined riding and walking (job was a mile from the bus stop) meant a 5:30am bus trip to get there by 8. It’s functional but hardly convenient. It’s a far cry from a 10m wait for a subway train. One mistake in the chain, and it was quite punishing. One year, the last bus from campus (at 8:05pm, which i really hated — just too early for a college student) was late. It was caught in LA traffic because of the World Series at Dodger Stadium. Which was 30 miles away. And the riders that night were trapped. Last bus, had to sit and wait for it. Couldn’t pop back into the library and come back in an hour for the next one. Hour and a half late. LA is huge. As busy as downtown is, it’s busy everywhere. Buses are the most scalable and flexible solution. All you need for a new bus route is a bus and a sign. But as a user, all I can say is they beat walking, but just barely.

kjkjadksj 2y ago
The city has been making changes to the bus system recently. They are implementing the next gen bus plan with a goal of having 80% of the ridership get 10 min or better frequency. Of course that might not include some distant san gabriel valley stop if its seldom used compared to somewhere pretty heavily trafficked with high ridership busses like in east hollywood. Not sure of your commute if you were using foothill transit busses, but the next gen plan is for la metro busses at least.
drunner 2y ago
Adding 3000 buses won't do anything if they don't also add bus priority lanes and lights. Otherwise they just sit in traffic and at red lights like everyone else.
- kjkjadksj 2y ago
  They have been building out more bus lanes and increasing their priority where they can. What makes it a little tricky is a bus will never just get straight priority/preemption because they cross other bus lines going a perpendicular direction all the time, and these will naturally conflict.
vondur 2y ago
People don't want to ride public transit in Los Angeles, its not safe. Los Angles wants to anything but crack down on crime and the homeless. A major problem with the LA light rail system is the homeless taking over trains and harassing passengers. https://www.cbsnews.com/losangeles/news/a-timeline-of-violence-on-metro-buses-and-trains-since-the-beginning-of-2024/ https://www.cbsnews.com/losangeles/news/a-timeline-of-violen...
- gamblor956 2y ago
  Two months ago, LAPD began doing its job again and patrolling the stations and trains. Early estimates are that property crimes and violent crimes dropped by over 75% in August. It only took a few murders and LA Metro revoking[2] the security contract[1] for LAPD to start doing its job. Because LAPD and LA Sheriff almost exclusively assigned officers who had already hit their 8/40 for the day/week, almost all of the time on the LA Metro contract was billed at overtime hours. With its own internal police force, LA Metro can actuall field a security force almost 50% larger for the same amount it was paying LAPD/LAS. [1] In the 1990s, in order to increase the size of the police force, the LA City Council shut down the LA Metro police force and forced LA Metro to contract security out to LAPD and LA Sheriff. Security in the system started worsening immediately, reaching rock bottom earlier this year. https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2024-06-26/editorial-why-metro-wants-its-own-police-force-again https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2024-06-26/editorial-w... [2] https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2024-06-27/metro-oks-plan-to-start-its-own-police-agency-and-end-contracts-with-sheriff-lapd https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2024-06-27/metro-ok...
- ta988 2y ago
  https://abc7.com/road-rage-incidents-los-angeles-lapd-data-la/12822761/ https://abc7.com/road-rage-incidents-los-angeles-lapd-data-l... looks like cars aren't safe either in LA, and that's not counting accidents
  - bestnameever 2y ago
    As a driver, I have a lot more control of what scenarios I find myself in when driving vs when taking the metro.
tecleandor 2y ago
It's surprising that a city like LA, comparing it to Madrid, has roughly the same number of buses. Specially because Madrid has an incredible subway and commuting train network supporting all this trips. From what I see, the LA Metro Rail sees 60 million travelers a year, but Madrid subway is over 600 million... [0] 0: https://www.metromadrid.es/es/nota-de-prensa/2024-01-14/la-comunidad-de-madrid-aumenta-en-2023-un-16-los-viajeros-de-metro-y-roza-las-cifras-previas-a-la-pandemia
- lttlrck 2y ago
  Not really surprising at all when you see the ridership numbers is it?
  - tecleandor 2y ago
    Well, there aren't more riders in LA because they wouldn't fit in the buses or the trains :D (Half jokingly: people can't use public transport if there isn't any...)
bestnameever 2y ago
I think people are misinterpreting car free. Car free likely just means more of a park and ride type situation. You hop on a designated bus that will be available at various locations, and that bus will take you to the venue.

kjkjadksj 2y ago

The city has been making changes to the bus system recently. They are implementing the next gen bus plan with a goal of having 80% of the ridership get 10 min or better frequency. Of course that might not include some distant san gabriel valley stop if its seldom used compared to somewhere pretty heavily trafficked with high ridership busses like in east hollywood. Not sure of your commute if you were using foothill transit busses, but the next gen plan is for la metro busses at least.

drunner 2y ago

Adding 3000 buses won't do anything if they don't also add bus priority lanes and lights. Otherwise they just sit in traffic and at red lights like everyone else.

kjkjadksj 2y ago
They have been building out more bus lanes and increasing their priority where they can. What makes it a little tricky is a bus will never just get straight priority/preemption because they cross other bus lines going a perpendicular direction all the time, and these will naturally conflict.

vondur 2y ago

People don't want to ride public transit in Los Angeles, its not safe. Los Angles wants to anything but crack down on crime and the homeless. A major problem with the LA light rail system is the homeless taking over trains and harassing passengers. https://www.cbsnews.com/losangeles/news/a-timeline-of-violence-on-metro-buses-and-trains-since-the-beginning-of-2024/ https://www.cbsnews.com/losangeles/news/a-timeline-of-violen...

gamblor956 2y ago
Two months ago, LAPD began doing its job again and patrolling the stations and trains. Early estimates are that property crimes and violent crimes dropped by over 75% in August. It only took a few murders and LA Metro revoking[2] the security contract[1] for LAPD to start doing its job. Because LAPD and LA Sheriff almost exclusively assigned officers who had already hit their 8/40 for the day/week, almost all of the time on the LA Metro contract was billed at overtime hours. With its own internal police force, LA Metro can actuall field a security force almost 50% larger for the same amount it was paying LAPD/LAS. [1] In the 1990s, in order to increase the size of the police force, the LA City Council shut down the LA Metro police force and forced LA Metro to contract security out to LAPD and LA Sheriff. Security in the system started worsening immediately, reaching rock bottom earlier this year. https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2024-06-26/editorial-why-metro-wants-its-own-police-force-again https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2024-06-26/editorial-w... [2] https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2024-06-27/metro-oks-plan-to-start-its-own-police-agency-and-end-contracts-with-sheriff-lapd https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2024-06-27/metro-ok...
ta988 2y ago
https://abc7.com/road-rage-incidents-los-angeles-lapd-data-la/12822761/ https://abc7.com/road-rage-incidents-los-angeles-lapd-data-l... looks like cars aren't safe either in LA, and that's not counting accidents
- bestnameever 2y ago
  As a driver, I have a lot more control of what scenarios I find myself in when driving vs when taking the metro.

tecleandor 2y ago

It's surprising that a city like LA, comparing it to Madrid, has roughly the same number of buses. Specially because Madrid has an incredible subway and commuting train network supporting all this trips. From what I see, the LA Metro Rail sees 60 million travelers a year, but Madrid subway is over 600 million... [0] 0: https://www.metromadrid.es/es/nota-de-prensa/2024-01-14/la-comunidad-de-madrid-aumenta-en-2023-un-16-los-viajeros-de-metro-y-roza-las-cifras-previas-a-la-pandemia

lttlrck 2y ago
Not really surprising at all when you see the ridership numbers is it?
- tecleandor 2y ago
  Well, there aren't more riders in LA because they wouldn't fit in the buses or the trains :D (Half jokingly: people can't use public transport if there isn't any...)

bestnameever 2y ago

I think people are misinterpreting car free. Car free likely just means more of a park and ride type situation. You hop on a designated bus that will be available at various locations, and that bus will take you to the venue.