Often times, the public transit system in LA is lambasted for being ineffective. I'll admit it: I'm only an occasional subway rider (when I have time to spare). But tonight, I saw a somewhat baffling sight. Not too long ago - about 11:40pm - I saw a Metro bus speeding down Wilshire Boulevard westbound at Doheny that was crammed with people. The standing-room-only bus was packed, and I don't know why. Was it the only bus running so everyone had to use it? Why, at that hour, was it so jammed? Is ridership up, or is this just further proof that the system is not efficient?Photo from BBC News... not the actual bus I saw.
3 comments:
Hence the consent decree.
Weekday rush hours and late evening (9pm-ish, when routes start to cut runs) I always see the 180/181 PACKED along Los Feliz Blvd. I also see busstops along Riverside Drive overflowing with people waiting, waiting, waiting for the afternoon 96. Having taken public transportation on the well-run Denver system for two years, I'd say LA's MTA routes don't run often enough, or run at odd intervals (41 minutes between evening 96 buses, 33 minutes between the eastbound 180/181). I bet MTA loses ridership when people see the crowds and decide next time they won't want the hassle. -AVN
I ride L.A. public transportation every weekday to get to/from work. That sounds like a pretty late time (11:40 p.m.) to see a bus so crowded, but my guess is that some previous bus got delayed causing the later mash-up. Sometimes for no explicable reason the buses just don't come. You don't know if it's just traffic or if there's been some kind of accident or what, but it happens all the time. Plus, since no times are ever posted at any bus stop that I see, you never when a damn bus is supposed to come anyway. It's a total nightmare.
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