HOW BAD ARE LA COMMUTES?

In the LA Times, Denny Zane tells reporter Ari Bloomekatz that new rail lines and improved public transportation will address congestion problems, but that we also need transit-supportive land use policies and other incentives to get drivers out of their cars. His comments were made in response to a new report that shows, according to the LA Times headline, that “Los Angeles Commutes Aren’t That Bad,” and that many of the cities with the worst congestion are those with robust rail systems.

"You must also have other strategies in place," Zane told the Times, adding that the benefits of public transportation cannot be measured only by commute times. He said transit pays dividends in other areas: Commutes are "more affordable … there's less air pollution, compact development is a more efficient use of land and therefore makes housing more affordable."

The mean commute time in the L.A.-Long Beach-Santa Ana area has stayed relatively flat since 2006, peaking at 28.6 minutes in 2007, according to the American Community Survey.

The story, which was in the Times on Thursday, is here:

Los Angeles Commutes Aren't That Bad