Traffic in Los Angeles shows no signs of improving and according to a report from the Institute of Transportation Studies at the University of California, it’s because more locals are buying cars.
According to the study, between 2000 and 2015, private vehicle ownership in Southern California increased from 1.7 to 2.4 vehicles per household. Additionally, it was discovered that car ownership has grown fastest among foreign-born households and other low-income residents.
“Transit today relies on a high rate of use by a narrow base of people. But if that narrow base of people is acquiring vehicles, transit’s healthy future lies in reversing those circumstances, and striving for at least a low rate of use by a broad base of people,” authors of the study said.
In recent years, Southern California has invested heavily in public transportation services. In fact, more than 100 miles of light and heavy rail in Los Angeles County has been added since 1990. In excess of 530 miles of commuter rail regionwide has also been built.
Despite this, and the fact that the countywide transportation tax will raise $120 billion for public transportation over 40 years, locals don’t seem interested in sharing a bus with each other. In fact, The New York Times reports that ridership fell to its lowest level in at least eight years in 2017.
Opening image via Wikimedia Commons