Eyes on the Street: “YES, L.A.! YES, BUSES!”
It’s raining, in case you didn’t notice.
Which can make the streets a bit dreary. And lonely, as everyone is busy hiding under things to stay dry instead of looking at what’s going on around them.
As I rode my bike home from a meeting, I realized that the only people I was making eye contact with were those staring forlornly at me from beneath palm fronds, ficus trees, newspapers, awnings, or whatever else they could find to shelter under as they waited for the bus.
Rainy season is the least fun time to be a bus rider.
But, then I reached Sunset Blvd. and I had to smile.
Several weeks ago, I noticed that the Dodger logo had been painted on the peak-hour carpool/bus-only lane. The re-designation of the lane earlier this year had already made my commute westward up the hill a lot more comfortable, especially at rush-hour. The addition of the logo multiplied my happiness exponentially.
Not because I’m a Dodger, or even a baseball, fan — I’m not, really — but because it felt like the lane was unabashedly proclaiming, “YES, L.A.! YES, BUSES!” for all to see. Like only the cool kids could ride in the L.A. lane and everyone else was unworthy.
It’s so rare that buses get that kind of fanfare.
But what if more bus-only lanes got that kind of treatment? What if all such lanes were decorated with celebratory symbols? They could be representative of the communities they moved through, images of happy people on buses, or positive images promoting environmental consciousness (smiling earths, happy polar bears, etc.).
I am quite sure that there is no budget for anything of the sort. And, as I wrote previously, doing a bit of splurging on the stops should be one of the first priorities. But, maybe enhancing the visual appearance of lanes is something the city should be thinking about, too. The logos along Sunset are clearly intended to demonstrate and/or instill LA/Dodger pride while making the taking of public transit to a game feel like a more attractive and special experience. Isn’t that what we ultimately want to see across the whole system?
What say you? Am I the only one who gets a kick out of prideful and shouty bus lanes?
