public transportation (Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills: hotel, home, construction)

[teebird1012]

I know LA has a large bus system, but why hasn't the city invested in a subway system like New York, Chicago, Washington DC, Toronto, etc? The city is huge and I know there are two lines already in operation. I'm just surprised it hasn't expanded like in other cities. Any ideas why? I'm also curious as to the best routes from LAX- Beverly Hills- Malibu- Santa Monica- LAX. Any suggestions from the locals? I've heard avoid the 405 at all costs, but short of that I'm fairly clueless as to getting around LA.

[sponger42]

Earthquakes. It's expensive to re-enforce the tunnels. That's why SF doesn't have any subway at all.

[jessemh431]

Originally Posted by teebird1012

I know LA has a large bus system, but why hasn't the city invested in a subway system like New York, Chicago, Washington DC, Toronto, etc? The city is huge and I know there are two lines already in operation. I'm just surprised it hasn't expanded like in other cities. Any ideas why? I'm also curious as to the best routes from LAX- Beverly Hills- Malibu- Santa Monica- LAX. Any suggestions from the locals? I've heard avoid the 405 at all costs, but short of that I'm fairly clueless as to getting around LA.

Our leaders always assumed that driving would be the easiest way and were planning on having LA being a suburb, whether big or small. Then everyone moved here and freeways couldn't build fast enough too keep up with the immigration. Traffic got bad and leaders didn't like the idea of subways or rail due to earthquakes so they planned on expanding freeways. Well, they ran out of room. Now, they are resorting to public transpo. and our Metro system is growing rapidly with sevaral new lines proposed or under construction. We actually have 5 right now, two being subways.

What time will you be travelling? Where in each of those cities?

[trojerine]

Originally Posted by jessemh431

Our leaders always assumed that driving would be the easiest way and were planning on having LA being a suburb, whether big or small. Then everyone moved here and freeways couldn't build fast enough too keep up with the immigration. Traffic got bad and leaders didn't like the idea of subways or rail due to earthquakes so they planned on expanding freeways. Well, they ran out of room. Now, they are resorting to public transpo. and our Metro system is growing rapidly with sevaral new lines proposed or under construction. We actually have 5 right now, two being subways.

This is not really true. LA already showed signs of sprawl in its earliest years before the advent of modern modes of transportation. Then came the Pacific Electric Railway and if anything, the trains were what created LA's sprawl as we know it. The automobile and interstate came later. In fact the freeways closely follow the original Pacific Electric lines. All this is mentioned by the architectural historian Reyner Banham in his Four Ecologies book (recommended by forum member Charles). It's an interesting read.

[teebird1012]

Well I'm looking at Pepperdine Univ. on Feb. 13 at around 11 AM and Loyola Marymount on Feb. 12 at 10 AM. My mom and I have never been to LA (she's been to SF numerous times for business) and we're just doing the touristy things (S.M. Pier, Universal, etc.) We're just concerned with traffic- we've both driven in Chicago and New York at rush hour, but never the legendary LA rush hour gridlock. I was just curious why the subway system wasn't as developed as say NYC or Washington DC.

[jessemh431]

So I'm guessing college search? I'm in the process as well.

LMU is right near my house. Easy 5 minute drive from LAX. Exit LAX and go north on Sepulveda Blvd. Make a left onto Manchester Ave. Make a right onto Loyola Blvd and you'll enter through the front gate. Is that the correct direction? What is your iternerary? What hotel will you be at?

For Pepperdine, that's gonna be hell. You'll have to drive PCH during rush hour. Not to be rude...but good luck! You have to decide if you want to take the scenic route or the freeway, which will possibly be faster. If you take the freeways, take the 405 north to the 10 west. Then take PCH north to Malibu Canyon Rd. or John Tyler Dr. Taking the scenic route would mean taking Sepulveda north to Manchester west. Make a right onto Lincoln Blvd. Then a left on Washington Blvd. Right onto Pacific Ave. The name will change twenty thousand times because LA streets are just cool like that, but you haven't gone the wrong way. Eventually it will be PCH and take the same directions as before.

On your way home from Pepperdine, you will go by Santa Monica Pier, Santa Monica, Venice, and Marina Del Rey. Universal Studios is an all day thing.

All my directions may be wrong though depending on where you're staying.

[RobertsGirl]

Originally Posted by sponger42

Earthquakes. It's expensive to re-enforce the tunnels. That's why SF doesn't have any subway at all.

S.F. does have a subway. It's called B.A.RT. (Bay Area Rapid Transit). It's older than L.A.'s Metrolink, much older.

[orthopodfrancis]

Los Angeles does not have a subway or very developed mass transit system like other cities because L.A. is NOT A CITY - it's a giant spread out suburb. Cities have population densities that can support a large well developed mass transit system. Here in L.A. everything is too spread out, and so mass transit really doesn't help too much.
The MTA is building a few new subway lines - oir at least are building one, and are still NMBY arguing over another line from "downtown" to Santa Monica eventually. Whether they actually work, or are sustainable remains a question.

[teebird1012]

Originally Posted by jessemh431

So I'm guessing college search? I'm in the process as well.

LMU is right near my house. Easy 5 minute drive from LAX. Exit LAX and go north on Sepulveda Blvd. Make a left onto Manchester Ave. Make a right onto Loyola Blvd and you'll enter through the front gate. Is that the correct direction? What is your iternerary? What hotel will you be at?

For Pepperdine, that's gonna be hell. You'll have to drive PCH during rush hour. Not to be rude...but good luck! You have to decide if you want to take the scenic route or the freeway, which will possibly be faster. If you take the freeways, take the 405 north to the 10 west. Then take PCH north to Malibu Canyon Rd. or John Tyler Dr. Taking the scenic route would mean taking Sepulveda north to Manchester west. Make a right onto Lincoln Blvd. Then a left on Washington Blvd. Right onto Pacific Ave. The name will change twenty thousand times because LA streets are just cool like that, but you haven't gone the wrong way. Eventually it will be PCH and take the same directions as before.

On your way home from Pepperdine, you will go by Santa Monica Pier, Santa Monica, Venice, and Marina Del Rey. Universal Studios is an all day thing.

All my directions may be wrong though depending on where you're staying.

Feb. 10- 12 we're staying in Bev. Hills area (The Tower B.H. Hotel) and Feb. 13- 14 we're staying at some Hilton hotel in Calabasas (sp?). On Feb. 15- 16 we're staying at a hotel in Santa Monica. For Feb. 12 I need to get to LMU from Bev. Hills and from Calabasas to Pepperdine on Feb. 13.

[jessemh431]

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