@janisj

10 years ago I would have said the same thing . . . and this is from someone who likes to use public transport nearly everywhere else in the world.

But I've found, at least on LA's westside, the traffic has become so horrendous, road rage on the upswing, and all of these "gappers" due to (I am convinced) bumpers made of cheap plastic, that public transport is sometimes better.

The new trains cutting across town (light rail, like the BART) often takes substantial time off the commute, especially if you live within walking/biking distance of the train.

Example: It used to take me exactly 30 minutes to get from my home to the courthouse downtown, rush hour or not, using surface streets. It used to take my husband, using the commuter "express" about an hour for the same start and finish, but the bus makes stops and takes the freeway.

Because Santa Monica got redeveloped and is now a huge work/live center, commuter traffic on the westside went 180 degrees in rush hour. Before, heaviest traffic in the morning was heading east, and afternoons, heading west. Now it's the opposite.

Getting from my home to the current last stop on the expo line (Culver City)takes me 10 minutes. Taking Expo from one end to the other takes 1/2 hour. So 20 minutes to USC/Sports Arena/Science Museum, etc.

Most of the lawyers who work downtown these days take public transportation, since it's quicker and easier. Most of my concert buddies who live all over town, including way out in Woodland Hills in the Valley or North Hollywood, take a combination of uber (to public transport) then public transport.

It's faster, more convenient, and allows you to drink without getting a DUI.

Downside to it is that the stations and trains are not monitored all that much, so we get beggars and homeless people and a lot of nuts. Some are loud. Some are very smelly. I don't think I'd be using light rail late at night by myself, but a lot of my friends do.

The nice thing is, when there's a concert or ball game either downtown or in Hollywood, at the end of the concert or ball game there's so many from the venue returning home on light rail, it's more fun than scary. We use it going to Pasadena as well to go to the Rose Bowl when UCLA is playing.

Bottom line: we've come a long way, baby!