Why Would Anyone Own a Car in Los Angeles?
By any number of methodologies Los Angeles has the worst auto congestion in the country, by far. This phenomenon begs the question of whether it is worth the trouble and expense to own and operate a car there at all (for those who have the resources and ability to be car owners and drivers). Remarkably, when measured by accessibility, Los Angeles is also the best place in the country to drive to destinations. Specifically, in 30 minutes in LA one can reach more potential job opportunities than anywhere else in the country, even more than the New York City region (which has more jobs overall). The excellent access to destinations via auto provided by the years of roadway investment and auto-oriented development is limited only by the fact of many people wanting to enjoy it simultaneously.
Los Angeles also typifies the trends in accessibility during the COVID era. In 2022 and 2023, congestion returned as the accessibility observed during the peak of the pandemic encouraged people to drive to their destinations, creating the negative feedback and reducing available access. However, the level of accessibility remained elevated compared to 2019. Economic improvement (more jobs), transportation improvements (infrastructure), and the interaction with travel behavior (partially reduced congestion from 2019 levels as at least some telework continued) combined to result in around 14% higher job accessibility by auto in the latest year available, over pre-COVID levels. The average LA driver is significantly better off in destinations reachable for the same travel time.
Other urban areas saw even smaller reductions in accessibility from the COVID peaks. Residents of Boston experienced a 38% higher access to jobs by car in 2023 than in 2019; for the typical resident of San Jose it was 23% higher, in Atlanta, 26% higher. Accessibility gains were smaller but still measurable in Minneapolis (17%), and Houston (11%), among others. There were certainly infrastructure improvements made in some, if not all, of these cities in the intervening years, but the accessibility changes were most likely due to the reduced feedback from trip making. While that higher accessibility induces demand from behavioral and land-use changes, the social factor of telework means it is difficult to predict a steady return to pre-COVID accessibility levels, or whether there is enough reduction in trip making to keep accessibility levels high and dampen the negative feedback loop.