For decades, transit officials in Los Angeles have wanted more riders like Roy Orecchio. The reality television showrunner, 50, is the definition of what planners sometimes call a choice rider — someone with the option to commute by car but who opts to take transit. To get from his home in Lincoln Heights to work downtown, Orecchio has long preferred taking light rail, even though driving used to be faster. That changed this June.
“It’s been a game changer for me,” Orecchio said as his Tuesday morning A-line train cruised above standstill traffic on the 101. “In LA, it’s so crazy to be able to say that transit is actually, verifiably better than driving.”