Los Angeles once had America’s best transit system, but today’s rail projects are stuck in bureaucratic gridlock. Despite billions spent, riders avoid trains slowed by outdated designs that force everyone through downtown. Planners keep pushing expensive rail lines, but taxpayers see little progress as costs balloon and timelines stretch.
The core problem? A top-down approach ignores how real Angelenos live. Most don’t work in downtown high-rises—they’re spread across suburbs needing local connections, not more downtown tunnels. Yet Metro keeps building rail like it’s 1920, wasting money on empty trains while traffic worsens.
Funding disasters plague every project. California’s high-speed rail, years behind schedule, shows what happens when government runs construction: endless delays, blown budgets, and lawsuits. taxpayers foot the bill for mismanagement, with no accountability for failed promises.
Local communities fight back against Metro’s heavy-handed plans. Homeowners resist dense housing near stations, knowing it drives up rents and destroys neighborhoods. Activists weaponize environmental laws to block projects, creating a legal maze that stalls progress for years.
Transit-oriented development sounds good but hurts working families. Forcing high-rises near stations prices out small businesses and replaces affordable homes with luxury units. Families who
