OPINION: USC should use its influence to support new Metro projects


Yasmin Davis | Daily Trojan

USC has not always had the best relationship with public transportation. In his book, “Railtown: The Fight for the Los Angeles Metro Rail and the Future of the City,” Ethan Elkind discusses a one-day conference held at the University in 1976 where local scholars rallied against a proposal for rail transit, questioning its profitability and whether Los Angeles’ transportation system really needed it. Eventually, Elkin wrote that the rail proposal would be struck down by county vote — though the University didn’t singlehandedly make this decision, it certainly contributed to it.

The 1976 episode demonstrates the power USC — and institutions of higher education in general — wield in local politics, particularly with transportation infrastructure. Although the University now benefits from having three Metro stations within close proximity, it should use its regional influence to continue to support city rail and bus extensions.

To understand how the University would benefit from advocating for public transit, look no further than the recently constructed Expo Line, which connects USC to downtown Los Angeles, Santa Monica and everything in between. Completed in 2015, the Expo Line was a boon for students, who regularly use it to commute to their internships in the city; and after the Santa Monica stop was added in 2016, they used it to go to to the beach.

While the Expo Line is the most obvious example of Metro’s recent success, the system is continuing an ambitious expansion plan. Several projects currently in the works would provide USC students comprehensive transit service at an affordable price. For example, Metro’s Crenshaw/LAX Line, which is set to open late next year, will connect with the Expo Line at a nearby station and take patrons directly to the airport, a major benefit for students traveling by plane. Furthermore, the Downtown Regional Connector, which is projected for completion in 2021, will connect the Expo Line directly to the Gold and Blue lines, enabling easier travel to Pasadena and points beyond. Lastly, the ongoing proposal for the Bus Rapid Transit on Vermont Avenue, if approved, will be a convenient option for students making the trek to Koreatown and Hollywood.

The University can undertake a number of key measures to support Metro. One way would be by incentivizing students to use public transportation. Colleges nationwide have begun adopting “U-Pass” programs, which use school revenue or student fees to offer discounted or free transit. Successful U-Pass programs such as that at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill are not only encouraging young people to take public transit but also providing city agencies with a sustained revenue stream that can then be used for further improvements. Currently USC is experimenting with a U-Pass for graduate students, although it is unclear whether those benefits will be extended to undergraduates in the near future. USC faculty and relevant officials can also provide public support for new projects, which would potentially shift public opinion of public transportation as a viable and worthy investment. In a large city like L.A., where opposition can — and does — come from every corner, even a small effort toward supporting these projects can make a big difference.

As an agent for progressive change, USC should seek to improve transportation for not only its students, but residents of the city around it. Metro’s expansion — the Crenshaw/LAX Line, Downtown Regional Connector and Vermont Avenue Bus Rapid Transit — will benefit both USC students and those living in the affected neighborhoods, increasing their mobility and access to the rest of the city. In this traffic-dense region, efforts must be made to reduce automobile dependence and its adverse impact on the environment.

USC professor of clinical preventative medicine Edward Avol put it succinctly in a 2015 letter Provost Michael Quick. Avol said that USC should support mass transit “not because it is cost effective, not because it is politically expedient, but because it is the socially and environmentally responsible thing to do.”

If the University provides support for these projects, it will be doing its part to ensure a better future for students, the South L.A. neighborhood and Los Angeles at large.