Investigating Sustainable Transit Alternatives in Metro Los Angeles
Hypothesis: There are viable options for more sustainable modes of travel than a private automobile in metropolitan Los Angeles.
My experiment trip began from my home in Beverly Hills to Loyola Marymount University, which is more than 5 miles. Due to my commitment to reducing the ecological footprint as proposed, I used the MTA trip planner for guidance on which public transportation exists for me to use. The MTA trip planner provided me with two routes; the first route had a total commute time of 81 minutes, which according to them, was the best route to use while the second route had a total commute time of 117 minutes. Both routes involved using a bus, rail, and walking modes. I opted using the 81 minutes route, which, according to Romeo2rio.com, the average estimated cost of the trip was $5-$6. According to the Trip planner, the journey had a walking distance in three sections totaling 1.89 miles. The first section was from home to the rail station, the second section was from the rail station to the bus station at Santa Monica, and the last section was from Bluff Creek bus station to LMU. Since I was committed to the mobility plan 2035, I also experimented using a bicycle on the same trip, which according to Google Maps, had an average time of 53 minutes and a different route covering 9.7 miles. Riding a bike proved to be much faster than using public transportation.
The trip becomes much shorter while I opted to use my car. According to Google Maps, the average time is 20 minutes, while MapQuest estimated the time to 23 minutes. Total miles traveled was 11.8 miles. The estimated fuel cost of the trip was $1.27.Using the AAA estimates, the total rises to $7.68, which is much higher than the use of transit mode.
Conclusion
Yes, the mobility plan is realistic, as we have to protect our climate for a better tomorrow. As the state implements the project, it should also establish shorter routes to be used around the metropolitan. While I used public transportation during the investigation of the trip, I noticed that the trip became that long due to the many stops that the bus made. For the mobility plan to be accepted and used, the state council needs to establish methods to reduce this. Despite the bike transportation mode being more convenient, riding the bike will require more energy, which might prove difficult for me. Opting out to the Mobility plan is not a result of financial costs but also a matter of time management. As a student, time management is always more precious to me as I have to attend all classes on time and attend my work shifts daily. Using public transportation makes this hard as the estimated time may also change due to the availability of transportation issues. Driving my car gives me a 90% guarantee that my work and school attendance will not be negatively affected.
Based on my experiment, I realized that public and bike transportation could not be workable for me to use in Los Angeles, Despite my commitment to undertaking my part in reducing the “ecological footprint” and supporting the billion-dollar initiatives implemented by the governor. Yes, my decision to use the proposed transportation modes will have a slight impact, but until every issue is addressed in the mobility plan, I am not ready to get out of my car.