The answer is "Yes!" for Kenny Uong who is passionate about L.A.'s buses and trains, knows how to get around without a car, and hopes to inspire others to do the same.

Los Angeles is well-known for its car culture, traffic, and freeways, but it actually does have a public transit system. And there are probably very few people who know and use this network like Kenny Uong, who was recently featured in this article by Nita Lelyveld of the Los Angeles Times. At age 21, Uong just completed his junior year at Cal State Northridge, where he studies urban planning. Uong has thousands of followers on Twitter, where he passionately shares his love for buses, trains, all things public transit, and his adventures across Los Angeles County.
Uong's story is inspiring. Some of the highlights he shared with Lelyveld include:
- He first fell in love with public transportation when he was about 3 years old. His parents did not have a car, and they still do not. The family came to California from Vietnam in 1998, before he was born.
- When Uong was around 5, he started collecting Los Angeles bus and train schedules and Metro brochures. He soon started mapping out the routes and schedules of the buses his family would take, serving like a transit app.
- By the time he was 10, he had memorized the entire Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority public transit system.
- For his 10th-grade English class, he wrote a poem called “Metro is the way to go.”
- For a ceramics class project in 11th grade, he shaped the word "Mobility" in clay, surrounded by images of a traffic signal, a bicycle, and a bus.
- Growing up, his dream was to be a Metro planner. Now as a young man, he is more interested in joining a nonprofit or advocacy group to promote transit justice.
Please read the source article to learn more about Uong and his love for public transit.
FULL STORY: Need help ditching your car for a train or bus? Meet an L.A. public transit superfan

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Congressman Proposes Bill to Rename DC Metro “Trump Train”
The Make Autorail Great Again Act would withhold federal funding to the system until the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), rebrands as the Washington Metropolitan Authority for Greater Access (WMAGA).

The Simple Legislative Tool Transforming Vacant Downtowns
In California, Michigan and Georgia, an easy win is bringing dollars — and delight — back to city centers.

Maryland Awards $1.25M in TOD-Related Grants
The state’s DOT is funding projects that prepare sites around transit stations for future mixed-use development and housing.

Judge Rules in Favor of Massachusetts TOD Law
The court rejected an argument that the MBTA Communities law, which requires zoning for multifamily housing, is an “unfunded mandate.”

Supporting Cycling Takes More Than Just Bike Lanes
Safe, protected bike lanes are a key part of a city’s bike infrastructure — but secure parking, e-bike charging, and other amenities can also influence people’s shift to cycling.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Smith Gee Studio
City of Charlotte
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
US High Speed Rail Association
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)