Second Essay Assignment due date

You can get five points extra credit if you complete a draft and discuss it with me before it is due.

Public transportation ridership in the Los Angeles area is smaller today than it was thirty years ago. Ridership continues to decline despite the introduction of rail.

Use the articles on public transportation in Los Angeles and the lecture on Los Angeles transportation as your text. Address the following points in your essay.

A. The Los Angeles MTA has opened a number of rail lines the past thirty years. Discuss generally the costs/benefits to riders in terms of time and flexibility of rail (heavy and light) versus buses.

B. Discuss information in the news articles on the diversion of resources from buses to rail. Has this contributed to the decline in total ridership?

C. Briefly go through the costs and benefits of using a car versus taking public transportation for commuting.

D. Discuss the articles’ idea that the decline in public transportation in Los Angeles is the product of demographic change in the area.