Katie Donivan
Car Culture
02
Southern California's car culture is unrivaled. It is especially afflicted with sprawling multi-lane highways and heavy traffic around the clock. This cultural dependency on cars presents a problem for public transport systems. Since the systems are chaotic, unreliable, and late, people opt to travel short distances in cars instead of on buses or bikes. At SDSU, students are using their cars for what could be a two-minute walk to the bus stop, using up gas and creating more traffic around the crowded campus.
In a survey of 1,885 respondents, SDSU’s Alternative Transportation Committee found that more than 50% of off-campus students have parking passes. Comparatively, only 17% of off-campus students said they commuted via public transit, demonstrating the university population’s preference for private cars. The university has discounted MTS passes, but only 16% of off-campus students utilize the offer.
When asked why they don’t use public transport, students like third-year journalism major Grace Roche said her first impression was that it is unsafe and needs many improvements. Roche said she would be more likely to use public transport if improvements were implemented to make it more efficient, like in Paris and Stockholm. Roche is also aware of the epidemic of car dependency around campus and the perpetual parking issue.
“The students that have to drive to school—who don't have any other choice—are very overwhelmed by the parking situation here,” Roche said. “There’s a lot of traffic at the end of the school day, too, and I’ve had to delay or cancel plans because of it.”
Aundrea Kaiser, a graduating speech language and hearing pathology major, said she noticed how much of the transit system is for tourists rather than locals needing to get to work or school. Around SDSU and the city, public transport is built around freeways and car infrastructure. Kaiser thinks public transport is fun and convenient and she would love to use it more often if it actually served her needs.
“I would take the trolley way more if there was a trolley stop closer to me,” Kaiser said. “But there's no way I could walk to one. At that point, I might as well drive.”
In search of a solution to the issue of heavy traffic areas, some cities have removed cars altogether, such as San Francisco’s Market Street. The private analytics company Inrix collected data after the street was blocked off, and surprisingly, the change had no effect on traffic. The bus system, however, was quicker by nine minutes, resulting in a higher ridership rate. Dedicated bike lanes and the lack of bustling cars incentivized people to ride more bikes.
Another impact of removing cars is the evolved infrastructure that comes after banning vehicles: transit malls. Imagine pedestrianized streets with dedicated lanes for buses, bikes, and trams and wide sidewalks for pedestrians. In Melbourne, Bourke Street Mall is an evolved example of a transit mall that completely revitalized the local economy. The alternative reality of roadways devoid of private vehicles is difficult to scale to SDSU’s smaller college community.
A study at Berkley done by Robert Cervero found that urban design and walkability positively correlate with whether people will walk versus drive to get to public transit stations. The area around campus could be made more pedestrian-friendly in small ways, like adding roundabouts and ensuring sidewalks are everywhere there is foot traffic. The university could also make its campus more commuter-friendly to allow the large majority of students who commute to have an easier time doing so.
Proponents have been lobbying for pedestrianization in sleepy areas of downtown like C Street since the 1970s, but car culture can negate the impact of these changes. Until the transit system is updated and streamlined, most people will opt for the safety and comfort of a private car. And while the city deals with issues like trolleys blocking intersections and dilapidated theaters, it is unclear if San Diego's future will be walkable, let alone a transit village.