Go Metro! But Don’t Step in Anything!
Written by Stephen Box, Hollywood Resident and Bike Activist http://SoapBoxLA.blogspot.com
One of the simplest things we can do to support mass transit in our community is to make sure that transit stops are comfortable, clean, safe and aesthetically pleasing. it seems like a no-brainer that if we want people to become transportation solutions by getting out of their cars we’ve got to make the choice attractive and at least competitive in terms of convenience and comfort.
Unfortunately, we’re far off the mark.
The Metro has its focus on getting people from point A to point B. As for the transit stop amenities, the “no-man’s land” approach from the Metro and the local authorities leaves the average mass transit patron feeling like a second class citizen.
The Metro holds that the City is responsible for the streets, the sidewalks and the amenities along the way. The City looks at the wear and tear on the transit heavy streets and asks the Metro for maintenance money and the standoff starts. Meanwhile, transit patrons throughout the City of Los Angeles stand on narrow, filthy sidewalks, looking for little respect.
The Metro holds that the sidewalks are not their responsibility and that the City is responsible for street furniture. The City turns and contracts out with CBSDecaux who then installs bus shelters with advertising, paying the City for the privilege. The money is split so that our City Councilmembers all end up controlling some of this revenue, ideally to be spent within the respective Council District.
CBSDecaux provides everything from the traditional bus shelter shown above to the automated public toilets (APTs) such as the one located at the Santa Monica and Vermont Red Line station. Along the way they put up advertising, on the bus shelters and on two and three sided sidewalk-sized kiosks and billboards.
Missing from this relationship is a simple commitment to supporting mass transit with an overall plan for streetscape beautification, a plan that would improve the aesthetic of the neighborhood, complement the local architecture and streetlife and encourage pedestrians and transit patrons.
The picture above is of a bus shelter on Hollywood Boulevard at Western. It sits on a narrow sidewalk, forcing pedestrians to squeeze past. The sidewalk is sticky, the area smells and the solid wall of the shelter hides the activities on the other side. It’s evident here that the standards for architectural security are non-existent, that the placement of transit stops is not part of a larger commitment to mass transit and that maintenance is low priority.
The sidewalk just beyond this shelter is sinking, leaving two plates that don’t line up. A simple misstep results in a tumble as pedestrians squeeze past the shelter and passengers who are jockeying for their bus.
On the west side of Western, the sidewalk is not just uneven and patched with asphalt, it has a meter hole covered with plywood.
At least mass transit passengers suffer no delusions of equality. It’s painfully apparent that in the grand scheme of things, mass transit is for people who have no choice. It’s evident that it’s a bare-bones service for those who can’t afford a car. A comfortable, walkable environment that is safe and pleasant is not something to be wasted on a public street.
It’s a sad commentary on our community that the most popular streetscapes are fake, created by developers who study Great Streets and then imitate them, drawing people in cars to the Grove, Americana and CityWalk, all so people can walk on faux boulevards. enjoying something they should be able to find in their own neighborhoods; walkable streets.
As for our neighborhood, it’ll change when we work together and demand big sidewalks, clean sidewalks, street furniture and a commitment to making our streets pedestrian oriented.
“See you on the Streets!”
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I concur. We at The Bus bench have undertaken a project—soon to be posted—regarding not just the dismal, stinky (and sometimes, literally shitty) state of bus benches and shelters but the obvious favourtism shown certain shelters—such as the one in front of City Hall.
A past project had to do with the moveable bus bench at Olive and 5th, a major bus stop for no fewer than three agencies’ lines. Nearby a municipal “safety vehicle” was often parked outside the administrative office of Pershing Square, and yet for well over a year the bus bench under review remained unattached to the ground. It was in a new spot every day, and is now gone.
Comment by Randall BusTard — January 19, 2009 @ 4:07 pm
I think you article speaks to the need for planners of public transit in our City to be people who actually use public transit. I had a great conversation with a woman in Silver Lake a while back regarding the fact that the Metro Rapid stops and the normal Metro stops are often on opposite sides of an intersection. This results in people inching their way out into the street to see which type of bus is arriving next (Rapid or normal bus). Then, they rush to one side or the other of the intersection depending upon which one it is. This is a clear public safety hazard.
Anyone who is a frequent Metro rider probably knows exactly what I’m talking about. Yet, often the Council deputies in charge of public transit are not Metro riders and can’t relate to this situation (in the conversation I had in Silver Lake that happened to be the case, in which deputy for Garcetti was not a Metro rider herself).
I am proud to be a Metro rider and look forward to continuing to do so while on the City Council, so I can continue to maintain my perspective of knowing what it’s like to deal with the consequences of public transit decisions in LA.
Comment by Gary Slossberg — January 21, 2009 @ 4:25 pm
I think an additional problem with the scenario described above is that CBSDecaux is motivated by ad revenue (which is their prerogative) and not transit benefits. One of the best ways to attract new riders would be if the shelters has maps of the system. In San Francisco and London, if you are in a new part of town, and you see a bus shelter you go towards it, because you now it will have necessary information. However in LA there is nothing there but ads. The bus stop post may list lines and destinations, or even Figures illustrating a particular line, but without more information this doesn’t help the new rider, or even a frequent rider who happens to be new to the area. (after all LA is a big area).
A good framework for thinking about this problem is “Yes revenue is good, but how much would it cost to provide these maps, and what is their benefit? Can this be subtracted from CBS Decaux generated revenue?”
Comment by Marco "Marcotico" Anderson — January 22, 2009 @ 9:21 am
Great article, Stephen,
and - great comments, folks!
I totally agree.
In fact, one of my letters to MTA was to address the issue of bus stop Shelters. (although - perhaps I should address with the City directly, not MTA).
A transit agency will be much more respected if well-lit, comfortable, and attractive Shelters will be offered, not lonely poles with ugly & dirty benches. This is the issue that MTA, along with the City, have ignored for decades…
Let’s hope that now, with the new pro-mass transit direction this country is heading, that the Bus Stop issue will be solved.
Alek
Comment by Alek F — January 22, 2009 @ 10:13 am
Many bus stops look like 3rd world torture chambers garnished with a movie ad. There’s usually no shade or seating for more than 5 people and the buses seem to run in packs so that at busy times of the day there are masses of people standing around on the corners of streets.
LA citizens who rely on, what should be standard civic resources in the 2nd most populous city in the US, are being governed by people who lack a commitment to substance.
Comment by JenMoran — January 22, 2009 @ 10:16 am