A Public Transit Duel

Two journalists retry the auto versus public transit duel in Southern California. This time the train wins -- but only for comfort.

1 minute read

April 14, 2004, 9:00 AM PDT

By Chris Steins @planetizen


"Times transportation reporters Kurt Streeter and Sharon Bernstein... challenged each other to an ongoing duel. They'd ply well-traveled routes like the morning rush-hour commute from Santa Monica to downtown Los Angeles, starting and ending at the same spots. Streeter would rely mostly on mass transit. Bernstein would hit the roads in her Honda... The results haven't been kind to Streeter", who has consistently lost the race. However, the two recently agreed to try Metrolink, the commuter rail system that runs trains across six Southern California counties: "The race would pit Streeter and Solow, riding the train, against Bernstein, weaving down the freeways in her car. The winner would be the first one to Metrolink's headquarters at 7th and Hill streets in downtown Los Angeles, a trip of about 50 miles. Loser buys ham-and-egg breakfasts at The Pantry."

Thanks to Chris Steins

Wednesday, April 14, 2004 in The Los Angeles Times

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