Support for LAist comes from
Local and national news, NPR, things to do, food recommendations and guides to Los Angeles, Orange County and the Inland Empire
Stay Connected
Listen

Share This

This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.

This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.

News

Proof That Angelenos Are Ditching Their Cars

EmptyStreets.jpg
Photo by Eric Norris via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr)
()

Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.

Good news: Many of us in Los Angeles are spending less time stuck in our cars than we used to.

On average, Los Angeles residents are driving more than an hour less per day than we did ten years ago, according to a chart from a recent LA City Planning report. The chart, which was tweeted out by future Santa Monica City Manager and outgoing Los Angeles Deputy Mayor Rick Cole, shows that from 2002 to 2013 there was a consistent decline in per capita vehicle miles traveled. In other words, it shows that on average each person in L.A. is spending less time in the car.

According to Cole, this is the "clearest sign yet of a Third Los Angeles," which refers to what many consider to be a new era for the city that focuses more on public transit and shifts away from our past dependence on cars. As more people venture on to the city's quickly expanding transit system, ride bicycles more often, and generally find ways to ditch their car more often, chances are the city could look quite a bit different in the coming years and decades.

Support for LAist comes from

h/t: Curbed LA

As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.

Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.

We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.

No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.

Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.

Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.

Chip in now to fund your local journalism
A row of graphics payment types: Visa, MasterCard, Apple Pay and PayPal, and  below a lock with Secure Payment text to the right
(
LAist
)

Trending on LAist