Happy 2020, LASA! We gathered in LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes to kick off the year together and consider transportation in LA. Thank you to LA Plaza for hosting us. For some, it was their first time at LA Plaza. Daniel P. shared of his visit, “there are rich historical sites that display Hispanic presence in the early days of LA. It was great to see my culture in the heart of LA. I am grateful for the opportunity.”
LASA then divided into four groups. Each group received TAP cards and a different colored METRO line to study. The goal was to observe where the lines cut across the city and who traveled with them (and why) via interviews. They were invited to pick a neighborhood on their line for more intensive walking and study. We set off via Union Station with a promise to return to LA Plaza in a couple of hours to report our findings.
LASA includes students who ride transportation daily and those for whom this was a first. Lucy noted, “By exploring LA through its complex network of public transportation you can experience the city through an alternate lens, one that not everyone gets to see. Although I had already been to the stop our group ended up going to, it was a fun experience to show people around an area I had spent a fair amount of time in. . .I spend most of my time getting around on public transportation, and it’s very important to me because it has allowed me to become more independent and overcome some of my anxiety, so being able to share that with my peers and then learning more about the system itself was a very valuable experience.”
The journeys varied from an invitation to tour the Shrine Auditorium to exploring Koreatown. LASA students encountered many riders from outside of LA who were in town for concerts or access to museums. We were surprised at the overwhelming numbers of riders who reported that they rarely take public transportation. Daniel M. reported, “My group got to go to the downtown arts district and look and MOCA as well as Disney Concert Hall.” Mariah noted, “Through taking the Gold Line, my group explored Highland Park. In Highland Park, it became apparent to me that gentrification was affecting the community.”
Once we returned to LA Plaza and the groups shared their experiences, we welcomed David Rosas Flores and Clemens Pilgram, graduate students in the Department of Urban Planning and Spatial Analysis at USC Price. Maya D. appreciated their weaving together of transportation studies in LA and across the world; she reported, “The relationship between the Olympics and city growth was fascinating, especially how they analyzed the difference between the aftermath of it in Rio vs Munich.” As always, we had more questions on our topic than one day’s LASA can handle.
Kim shared a critical one, “I would have liked to know if part of their research is to look at places where Metro has built rail systems and find people who used to be there, but were forced out because Metro wanted to build on that area.”
Special thanks this month to our LASA teachers whose dedication and time make days like today possible.