[Quixote]

Based on the current slate of projects? No. But what we do know is that people will actually ride rail provided it takes them to places they want to go. The Expo Line was completed in 2016 and broke its 2030 forecasted ridership only a few years thereafter. Ridership projections for Crenshaw northern extension alternative have ridership density that exceeds Boston's T.

Is it possible to orient the city/metro toward transit? Absolutely. Build a subway along every major commercial corridor and line it with mixed-use mid-rises, bus-only lanes, bike lanes, sidewalk extensions, mid-block crossings, etc. Triple/quadruple track Metrolink, so that there's local and express service.

Metro Rail's peak ridership was I believe 370K-ish. Purple Line extension, Crenshaw northern extension, Regional Connector, and Sepulveda should add another 300-400K riders. Then factor in a potential heavy rail extension down Vermont plus a subway underneath SMB (connecting WeHo to DT, with a stop at Vin Scully Ave. for Dodger Stadium), and you're already at 1 million riders.

It's certainly within the realm of possibility that LA could match the transit share of Chicago and DC. We have double their population, so double their rail ridership (both around 700-800K).