MetroRiderLA

Among the people involved with MetroRider.elhay I probably ride the least as I have not yet switched my daily communte over to the hands of a semi-capable MTA driver. I’m still a weekend warrior with the public trans, but I’m waiting for a new rapid out of hollywood/western which is supposed to start in July before I fully hand over the keys in the morning.

I’ll be the first to admit I have a problem with busses. (more…)

I came into this public transit fray initially for one reason only - the cultivation of a good time via MTA. There are as many kinks and fetishes out there as there are the myspace pages to contain them, but if you boil it all down having a good time is basically comprised of 3 things: People who you are sexually attracted to, the presence of social stimulating chemicals, and a place in which to combine the aformentioned things away from one’s home. This metro rider is currently only concerned with the last listed item; getting there. I’ll go so far as to say the place where people meet their vice is the largest and most important aspect of the three. So why don’t people party with transit in this city? There’s is definitely no clear or simple answer but I’ve taken it upon myself to slowly answer that question over time, drink by drink, party by party, post by post.

As FredCamino pointed out in a previous post, the MTA has decided to scale back operating hours due to “rider demands”. Aside from being ridiculous and falling into several old timey greek logical fallacies this move deals a heavy blow to the MTA party quotient. 12:30am is already absurd, an end time which really only allows the MTA to be used to get to the party, but now even earlier? It practically knocks the lime out of my gin and tonic. There really isn’t much more that can be said about this new policy change other than it is evil and clearly implemented by anti-social bridge trolls scared of their own reflection and the smell of human pheromones after dusk. So take a swig and speak up, let them know this post hoc ergo propter hoc doesn’t count as “rider demands”. Until then be sure to ride soused, arrive drunk, and bring a change of clothes then crash at Tammy’s place. Happy hangovers.

Note:  This was posted in error.  Read about it here.

Last weekend, on a trip down the Red Line to Union Station in search of Metro materials for this blog, I came across a Metro pamphlet inconspicuously placed amongst rail and bus timetables near the main entrance of the Gateway Center, MTA’s headquarters. This classy grey trifold brochure (#05-2245tr) was entitled “Late Night Metro Rail Schedule Adjustments” with the subheadline, “Effective June 26″. Ignorantly, I grabbed at it with excitement, hoping to read about the addition of truly late night service to our train system. I’ve always been disappointed with the current “late night” service with last trains departing around 12:30am. Seems hardly suitable for a “world-class” city like Los Angeles, a metropolitan area with 16 million people who work and play at all hours of the day. Digression aside, I picked up the pamphlet and began to read,

“Metro Rail will be adjusting its schedules for late night service on some lines to better meet passenger demand.”

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Can someone please explain to me why several of the rapid busses stop running during peak hours of traffic? That when I get off at Wilshire and Fairfax from my jam-packed east bound 720 Rapid anytime after 6:20pm the 717 northbound Rapid has passed for the last time and the twenty to thirty people at the stop all have to jump aboard the 217 local instead. Half of these passengers all get off at Rapid stops anyway, therefore wouldn’t it make sense to make the 717 continue through at least 7pm, which according to “tow-away” and “illegal left turn signs” is the end of peak traffic. And I don’t mean the 717 finishing it’s last stop (Hollywood/Argyle) BY 7pm, which it currently does, reaching its final stop at approx. 6:42pm, I mean starting its last northbound trip (from the West LA Transit Station) at 7pm. South bound’s last trip leaving from Hollywood/Argyle at 7pm as well of course. Another line that is guilty of this is the 714, which ends its tiresome day at 6:30pm for eastbound buses and 6:19pm for its westbound busses. Are other lines guilty of this? I downloaded all the rapid timetables and it seemed like it was just these two… WTF?!

Check out this thread over at mograph.net, a forum for motion graphics artists that I regular.  LA is home to many motion graphics animators and designers, so I received many opinions on the issue of LA public transit from these artists.  Here’s a sampling of some of the responses:

“I think if the metro system was as accessible as the ones in NY, Chicago, Paris, London, etc…then it would be used…but because there are approximately 7 stations…(and that might be a stretch) it will not be successful.”

“everything’s just way too spread out in this city. besides, there are too many people with expensive cars - who’s gonna give up their m6 to sit next to a smelly stranger?”

“I like the Redline, I use it anytime I have to go downtown. Perfect for Jury Duty or sporting events at Staples Center. I wish there was a way to get to Dodger Stadium though.”

Definately some varied opinions, check it out when you have some time.

This blog is about the “public transit lifestyle.” So where better to talk about such a thing than in Los Angeles?

Huh? Isn’t that utterly wrong? Isn’t L.A. where the car is king? Where you roll unemcumbered at 65 mph down endless empty freeways in your 1960’s convertible, your hair blowing in breeze, as you ride into the sunset with The Beach Boys playing on your AM radio? No. It isn’t. You’ve been watching too many Frankie and Annette movies, my friend.

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