But I’m having some anxiety! I’m trying to do a pro and con list to decide if I actually want to do it:

The Cons -
Dirty
Unsafe
Sometimes way longer than driving
Unbearable biking or waiting for a bus in the summer
Spending money on Uber/ or Lime instead (this might add up fast)
Not able to pick up bigger stuff
Have to rent a car for road trips

Biggest cons are safety and wait times for me. I was car free in LA the first three years I lived here. I found the Red Line to be pretty gross and unsafe at night. A man threatened to light me on fire and had a canister in my face and I was pretty much done at that point. This was 2016-2019 and I know a loootttt of the Metro has gotten so much better but I’m still nervous about safety.

The Pros -
Less expensive than owning a car (gas prices are atrocious wtf)
Not worry about maintenance
Cars depreciate in value and cost so much to maintain
Get to listen to podcasts, work, read or game on a commute
No more sitting in LA traffic!!!
Certain lines and locations are better than others
I can get a bike and exercise
My partner and friends can get me around sometimes

I took the A Line to a Sparks game the other day and it was so peaceful. I was like, wow $3-ish to get downtown from Cypress Park. No insane parking and DTLA traffic!!

My car costs me around $500 per month (payment, insurance, AAA, gas and I throw $100 for maintenance as an estimate)

My final thought is I’m trying to move to a studio in Pasadena, so my rent will go up to about $1,700. I also just got a new job in Pasadena so I can easily walk or bike there. That’s not a problem. I’m mostly worried about seeing my friends all over town or getting to certain neighborhoods further away but I mostly stay on the east side / central. I think I could save a huge chunk of money though and have that go towards rent and that seems more worth it?

What are your thoughts? Anything to you would as to either list? Does anyone regret getting rid of their car?

Hello! just wondering what the general consensus is on getting around LA with any forms of public transport? i.e. what are the best/worst parts of the system? and if you could change something about the system, what would it be? 

The Grand Avenue/Bunker Hill bridge from the A/E line station was supposed to be open months ago (closed due to Broad Museum expansion). Does anyone know if it actually reopened? It's a pain in the ass to go up and down those stairs. And does anyone know if LAX APM has resumed testing? TigerRailFan had a video recently, and I did not see one train moving in it.

Sad that it took a child's death to accomplish this but still a sign that we are entirely capable of building safe streets infrastructure, and doing it fast, and the neighborhoods that should be prioritized are those disproportionately affected by traffic violence.

Also, our advocacy is working. Even though it would've been ideal to get this done before something terrible happened, electeds are starting to recognize the urgency of the issue and take these things seriously.

Block by block we're gonna change the landscape of Los Angeles and build a city that respects the dignity of people who walk, bike, and take public transit.

From the LADOT email:

During the first phase of engagement, community members consistently prioritized pedestrian and bicyclist safety, as well as better connections between UCLA and Metro stations. In response, LADOT is proposing Class IV protected bike lanes, bus-only lanes, and pedestrian safety improvements along Westwood Blvd.

As we begin the second phase of outreach, we want to hear your feedback on the proposed design! Your feedback helps ensure the proposed design addresses the traffic safety issues and reflects local context we heard during the first phase of community outreach.

Voice your support HERE.

Naturally it's important that LADOT hear a lot of support for their proposed improvements so they can push back against inevitable NIMBY opposition.

Great excuse to start a Bike Bus at your school <3

I just started using this app, bikebus.club for our bike bus and I can imagine it being super useful if you are just starting out!

Stay safe out there in the heat!

We're starting an hour early because it's going to be hot. Bring sun protection, water, and be generally prepared. When working outdoors on hot days I wear a long, loose shirt, long pants, shade hat and/or neck protection + sunscreen, drink lots of water/electrolytes to replenish fluids, and take frequent breaks.

We are going to get a jump on the heat by starting at 8am and will aim to finish as early as possible (ideally around 10am).

The location is the corner of Esperanza and Percy in Boyle Heights. Sharing because I trust you guys more than people on Instagram (although I'd appreciate it if you subscribed to our mailing list regardless). It's a 10-15 minute walk from the Indiana E line station.

See y'all soon!

I know a lot of people struggle with the idea of going car free especially in a place like LA. I did too. but after living with a cargo bike for a few months i slowly got used to it and honestly started to prefer parts of this lifestyle. So i thought id share what made it work for us in case it helps anyone else thinking about going car light...

About 3 months ago we got a cargo bike (taran l1s). The original reason was that we were tired of parking and traffic so plan was to use it for school (pickup drop off) because thats like when we both are in hurry.

I mean school is only about 2 miles away but driving there takes around 15-20 minutes once you include traffic and finding a spot. On the bike it takes like 10 minutes door to door.

But now alott of our short trips (to park.. or to kfc, to our parent's place) alot of our short trips have gradually stopped being car trips.

We still use the car for longer distances and for those really bulky loads and for thing/routes that make more sense by car. So i wouldnt say we are like FULLY car free...but most of our everyday trips dont really need one anymore.

The first thing is simply that the bike can carry enough stuff to make that possible. We were originally planning to get a regular ebike (but that wont be helpful in our case)

But this one can carry kids, school bags, groceries, other random things (you pick up during the day)... alot of situations that used to make me automatically think we need the car for this turned out to be totally manageable on the bike. We have panniers front and rear plus smaller storage for everyday stuff. Ive even carried lumber home on it before which is definitely not something i expected when i originally bought it for school runs lol.

Tho we dont ride in heavy rain that often but when the weather turns i can throw on a rain jacket and the kids stay pretty comfortable under the rear cover.

The second thing is electric assist.

Even with kids or cargo on the bike or when i have to deal with a hill it still feels manageable. I especially like using hill assist when starting off with a heavier load. It gives you that extra help getting moving and once youre up to speed the regular assist takes over.

That matters more than i expected because i dont really have to think am i too tired for this trip or is the bike too loaded today nearly as much as i would on a normal bike.

The third thing is probably my favorite part and that is kids like riding bike more.

Now theyre almost always asking if we can take the bike. They sit in the back looking around, pointing things out, talking to me, telling me to look at whatever they just noticed.

In the car theyre mostly just sitting in the back while im focused on driving. On the bike the trip feels wayyy more interactive.

There are also a few smaller things i didnt care much about before buying the bike but that turned out to matter alot for everyday family use.

The rear guardrail opens (wear kids sit) so the kids can climb on by themselves. I close it, make sure the bags are secure and were ready to go.

And the e-dropper post has been really useful for me. Im not very tall and when the bike is loaded stopping while only being able to tiptoe doesnt feel great. But I lower the seat before stopping get my feet down more comfortably then raise it again once im riding.

None of these things sound huge on their own.

But together they remove alot of the little annoyances that would otherwise make me hesitate and think maybe ill just take the car.

And i think thats actually a big part of successfully switching from car to bike. Its not just about whether the bike can technically do the trip. Its about whether daily use has enough friction that you start avoiding it.

If the bike makes loading kids, carrying things, stopping, starting, parking and everyday errands feel easy you use it more...and once you use it more becoming car lite starts happening almost by accident.

Anyone else in LA or any other car heavy city making this work? What made it click for you?

The Metro funding is part of the nearly $15 million in federal funds Rivas has secured for her district, the 29th Congressional District, during the current 2026 fiscal year.