Los Angeles Metro: From Monocentric to Polycentric Transit
Key Concepts:
- Monocentric vs. Polycentric transit systems
- Heavy Rail, Light Rail, Bus Rapid Transit (BRT)
- Dedicated Right of Way
- Transit-Oriented Development (TOD)
- Ridership and Accessibility
- Multi-nodal city
The Problem: Monocentric Design and Limited Accessibility
Los Angeles' current Metro system is characterized by a monocentric design, where most lines converge in Downtown L.A. This design, common in the US, is intended to transport people to and from the city center. However, Downtown L.A. lacks the high density and job concentration of cities like Manhattan, which makes this model less effective. Manhattan has over 70,000 people per square mile, while Downtown L.A. has a much smaller fraction. Furthermore, Downtown L.A. accounts for only 7% of the county's jobs, compared to Manhattan's 53% in New York City.
The system's focus on Downtown L.A. makes it inefficient for travel between other hubs. For example, a trip from Santa Monica to Universal City can take 1 hour and 45 minutes by public transport, while driving could take as little as 25 minutes without traffic. This disparity discourages ridership.
The Solution: Polycentric System and Connective Tissue
Los Angeles is a multi-nodal city with several smaller hubs like Hollywood, Pasadena, and Compton. The solution is to shift towards a polycentric system, similar to London or Tokyo, where lines intersect at multiple points, allowing for travel between hubs without going through Downtown.
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Polycentric System: This involves creating interwoven cross-town lines, enabling travel between different areas without centralizing routes. London's system allows travel from Wembley Stadium to Wimbledon without going through Central London. Tokyo's system features stations with multiple lines, increasing connectivity.
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Connective Tissue: Creating connections between major hubs is crucial. The new K Line, which intersects with the C Line at LAX, exemplifies this approach.
Transit Types and Dedicated Right of Way
The type of transit and its infrastructure are critical.
- Heavy Rail: Offers the highest capacity and benefit but is also the most expensive. It is best suited for high-density areas and requires dedicated right of way.
- Bus Rapid Transit (BRT): A lower-cost alternative with dedicated right of way for buses.
- Light Rail: Falls in the middle, often running on surface streets, which reduces its efficiency due to interactions with traffic, pedestrians, and other street-level elements. Light rail makes up four out of the six Metro lines in L.A.
Dedicated Right of Way is essential for all lines to ensure uninterrupted travel. The D Line extension, though costly and time-consuming (proposed in 1961, expected to be fully open by 2027), exemplifies the benefits of dedicated right of way.
Ridership and Accessibility Challenges
Currently, 73% of Angelinos drive alone to work, and only 6.8% use public transit. This is partly due to the limited job accessibility within a reasonable commute time by mass transit.
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Job Accessibility: Maps comparing job accessibility within 90-minute commutes by mass transit versus 30-minute commutes highlight the car's inherent advantage.
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Safety Concerns: A USC survey indicated that only 16% of respondents felt the Metro was safe, although LA Metro reports a 15% decrease in violent crime per boarding from 2023 to 2024 due to safety initiatives.
Historical Context and Future Outlook
L.A.'s old trolley system declined due to increased car usage and mixed traffic, which reduced its efficiency.
Joshua emphasizes the need to increase ridership for the Metro's expansion to be successful. The best-case scenario involves building all planned lines, while the worst-case scenario involves project cancellations due to opposition.
Quote: "The worst case scenario is that a lot of these lines, they're not gonna be built at all because of opposition. The best case scenario is that all of those lines on the map have become actual mass transit lines."
Even with a "substandard system," any additions will help increase ridership. The challenge lies in finding a balance between building a perfect system (which would take too long) and creating useful additions within a reasonable timeframe.
Quote: "In reality, to build that perfect map, you know, all of us would be dead by the time it was complete. And so what's the point? And so people are constantly trying to find out, 'Well, what can we build within a reasonable period of time that will be useful?' And that's why you see that L.A. winds up with kind of a substandard system, but it's better than no system."
Conclusion
Los Angeles needs to transition from a monocentric to a polycentric transit system to improve accessibility and ridership. This involves creating connective tissue between major hubs, prioritizing heavy rail and BRT with dedicated right of way, and addressing safety concerns. While building a perfect system is unrealistic, strategic additions can significantly enhance the Metro's utility and attract more riders.
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