Los Angeles used to have America’s best transit system. Now it’s a slow, inefficient mess trapped by bad design and worse leadership. While New York’s subway moves millions daily despite its age, LA’s Metro fails hardworking commuters with routes that waste hours compared to driving.
The core problem? A outdated “monocentric” system forcing all rail lines downtown like spokes on a wheel. Manhattan’s density makes this work. But LA’s sprawl turns simple trips into marathon journeys. A ride from Santa Monica to Universal Studios takes nearly two hours on Metro—four times longer than driving without traffic.
Liberal planners keep pushing the same failed ideas. They pour billions into expanding rail but ignore how real people live. Families don’t want to huddle in cramped apartments around transit hubs. They choose homes with yards in neighborhoods Metro doesn’t serve. The system punishes that American dream.
New York’s subway thrives because it serves a tight urban core. LA’s leaders pretend their city works the same way. It doesn’t. Forcing everyone through downtown creates unnecessary transfers and delays. Conservative solutions would prioritize flexible buses and express routes instead of costly rail boondoggles.
The former Metro innovation chief proposed common-sense fixes like better local connections. But bloated agencies and union red tape block progress. Taxpayer money vanishes into studies and delays while commuters suffer. Private sector efficiency could cut costs and improve service—if bureaucrats allowed it.
Building new rail lines today costs LA up to $1.8 billion per mile. That’s ten times higher than projects in Europe or Asia. Wasteful spending and environmental lawsuits drag projects out for decades. Meanwhile, drivers get stuck with gas taxes and tolls to fund empty trains.
Conservatives know top-down government planning always fails. Real change requires empowering neighborhoods, cutting regulations, and putting riders ahead of political agendas. LA needs practical solutions—not another tax hike for a train to nowhere.
The Metro mess proves big government can’t fix what it broke. Until leaders respect taxpayers and embrace free-market innovation, Angelenos will keep choosing cars over a broken system. America’s cities deserve better than socialist pipe dreams. They deserve freedom.
