DSA-LA Mass Transit Campaign

Campaign Summary + Demands

Every Angeleno deserves the right to get around their city but our reliance on cars is a major obstacle. Vehicle pollution harms our collective health and contributes to a warming climate, while traffic turns simple trips into hours of headache. It’s  clear that more lanes are not  the answer.

What Los Angeles needs is an expansive, reliable, and FREE system of public transit.

LA’s Metro transit system is a universal public good that already serves over 77 million Angelenos yearly, the majority of whom are low-income riders of color, but it suffers from a lack of investment and care. Our campaign aims to pressure City Council and LA Metro to build a transit system that truly serves the working class.

Our campaign has three key goals:

  1. Fare free transit – Public transit should be available to everyone, regardless of economic background; additionally it should not be a financial burden to make use of it. Alongside an existing coalition of advocacy organizations, we are pushing for LA transit agencies to abolish fares to ride public transit. Our goal is for LA Metro and LADOT to end fare collection by Spring 2024.
  2. Transform public streets in cooperation with City Council elected officials – DSA-endorsed City Council members share a commitment to fighting the climate crisis and designing public spaces that serve everyone, not just cars.  Our goal is to plan and implement specific street projects that improve the quality of transit services, and the safety and efficiency of people-powered mobility by Spring 2024.
  3. Improve community services at transit stations – Because so much space is devoted to vehicle infrastructure LA has a distinct lack of public spaces. Transit stops and stations present a unique opportunity to create pedestrian centers. We will push City Council and LA Metro to install restrooms, water fountains, charging stations, shade structures, and outreach services at key Metro transit hubs.

Get Involved

There are a number of ways you can get involved with the DSA-LA transit campaign: