LA Metro's "One Car Challenge" calls on drivers to leave cars at home and take public transit
Los Angeles Metro is seeking volunteers for their "One Car Challenge," which calls on people or families with two vehicles to leave one behind and take public transit instead.
The countywide challenge will award successful participants $600 if they're able to leave a car at home for five weeks.
"We're encouraging, or basically providing an incentive for people to leave the car behind," said Patrick Chandler, a spokesperson for Metro.
LA County residents 21 and older can preregister for the challenge. Instead of using their second automobile, Metro is asking people to walk, carpool, or use other modes of transportation like bikes or public transit. They're inviting more than 2,000 people to take part.
"We expect to see that, hopefully, people will change their behaviors with this incentive," Chandler said. "We're hoping to see that change and learn from the experience of 2,000 participants countywide."
When they conducted the same challenge as a pilot program in Santa Monica, Metro says that's exactly what happened. The challenge was run in 2023, where more than 16% of the 300 participants stopped taking solo car trips over the five weeks, instead relying on other options.
To track vehicle usage, Metro is asking people to upload pictures of their odometers to the application "Go Carma," which logs odometer readings while respecting data privacy, Metro said.
Metro notes that participants will be given a two-mile grace range, in case they need to move their car for a street sweeper or something else at their residence. They also said that while the study targets households with more than one car, single-car households are welcome to apply.
The program is being conducted due to a $2 million grant from the Southern California Association of Governments. The challenge is a "core component' of their broader Travel Rewards program, which seeks to reduce traffic congestion and encourage sustainable transportation across the Los Angeles region.
When asked if they think the challenge is feasible, Angelenos were split, with some people like Megan Sanches, a regular Metro user, saying that it's already part of the day-to-day.
"I'm a perfect user for that because I ride the bike, I'm active," Sanches said. "I believe in an America that supports bike infrastructure."
Others said there's simply no way.
"There's no way you can live in Los Angeles without a car," said Sue Steinberg. "It would make it completely impossible for me to actually take Metro if I didn't have a car."
