Car-Free Los Angeles & Southern California [ペーパーバック]

Los Angeles is one of the world's 'mythical' cities. Given the presence of Hollywood, there is an odd familiarity to the place (sort of like a dream) even if you've never visited. One of the city's core myths is that you must have a car. Years ago, absolutely, this was a fair statement. Given its sprawling nature, complex network of freeways and inadequate public transit, having a car was a sensible idea. However, over the past decades, the city and region have made great strides in public transit options. There is a growing rail system (a mix of subway and light rail), which provides a solid backbone to the public transit system. Bus service has improved markedly with the Rapid buses.

For many visitors, particularly for those from abroad, renting a car was not an option for many reasons. Given the improvements to the public transit system, it is a reasonable idea to go car-free in Los Angeles. The challenge for the visitor is understanding your options and choosing wisely.

Enter "Car-Free Los Angeles". It is an excellent guide to all the public transit options in Los Angeles and the greater Southern California region. The author has a long career as a transit planner at various agencies from across the country. Over the years, Los Angeles came to occupy a special place in his heart. Part of his enjoyment of the city was figuring out how to navigate it all without a car.

Like most travel guides, the book is structured by neighborhood, particularly those that appeal to the visitor (e.g. Hollywood and Santa Monica) and those that are well-served by public transit (e.g. downtown and West Hollywood). The book is well organized. The writing is crisp and clear-headed with ample detail. His style is low-key. So there are no extended essays waxing poetic about the city. Rather, everything is just the facts and to the point. I suspect international readers whose first language isn't English will appreciate this clarity. A larger objective of the author is emphasizing that a little planning ahead will pay great dividends for the visitor.

My only quibble is that occasionally the author inserts some political flourishes, which are certainly unnecessary and somewhat distracting. I take public transit because it is convenient or economical or enjoyable, not because I think it is morally superior. Regardless, this is a very minor distraction in an overwise excellent and valuable book. Hopefully, there will be revisions to keep it up to date.

For those planning a trip to Los Angeles and wondering if a car is necessary (no, it isn't), this is the book to read. For international travel agents, it is an absolute must-have.