Originally Posted by
TWA884
I will just point out that the reporter's test of rideshare vs. public transport took place between the Los Angeles Times' offices, which are located on Imperial Highway in El Segundo, and Terminal 1, a distance of 3.2 miles.
I thought the same thing re: distance!
Evidently the journalist was challenged by readers to do a longer distance trip, so he picked Fullerton & Riverside. While public transit was cheaper, that was the only thing going for it. Excerpt from email I received today (am on LATimes headline email list).
"One reader suggested I “test this while carrying/carting two large 50kg suitcases, a carry-on or backpack, and a small personal item.” Another respondent said it was “fine for a distance of just under 4 miles, what about travelers who are further from the airport?”
Challenge accepted: I tested two routes, one from Fullerton (33 miles) and another from Riverside (68 miles) while hauling a 20-pound carry-on suitcase along with my 15-pound travel briefcase.
How much time did it take to reach LAX? What were the costs, setbacks and successes?
Trip #1
Route: from Fullerton Metrolink/Amtrak to LAX Terminal 1
Cost: $21.25
Time: 3 hours, 1 minute
My public-transit trip was two hours longer than a ride-hail drive. It saved me $34.69.Trip #2
Route: from Riverside Metrolink to LAX Terminal 1
Cost: $13.50
Time: 2 hours, 55 minutes
In comparison, a Lyft ride would have cost me $101 but would have put me at Terminal 1 at 12:26 p.m. — an hour and 19 minutes sooner than with public transit. They say “time is money.” Is an extra hour and 19 minutes of your time worth $87.50?
Final thoughts: General hostility
It’s easy to see how cumbersome and unfriendly public transportation can be, even when it works.
You need two forms of payment — one for Metro and another for Metrolink — and, on these trips, there were signs of dysfunction all around.
None of the dozens of electrical outlets I tried on my Metrolink train car (601-A) worked, the restroom was out of order on that train, and the Norwalk/Santa Fe Station had no public stalls.
The adjacent City of Norwalk Public Services building even posted warnings to riders in giant lettering that there were “no public restrooms.” A security guard told me to visit Chick-fil-A.
Although I was appreciative that the Metro-C Line station
boasted a Throne Labs toilet, I was thankful I wasn’t carrying heavy baggage since the elevator was broken.
I want to love public transportation, but it’s difficult."