I live in Los Angeles; The Mecca for the automobile. Back in the early 20th century, the city was trying really hard to invest in public transportation through the use of electric street cars. Unfortunately, car manufacturers were able to weasel their way into the pockets of the city planners and put a stop to that.

We have a problem in Los Angeles. And that problem is that it's almost impossible to live close to where you work. Most white collar jobs here require an hour or longer of commuting time. Sure, it's possible to find jobs closer to your home, but when you are a professional in a specific field, your choices are restricted.

I live in North Hollywood, which is just West of Burbank in the San Fernando Valley. It's actually miles from Hollywood despite what the name may suggest.

I work in El Segundo. Before that, I worked in Culver city.

It would take me 4 or more hours and several metro -> bus -> metro transfers to get to work without driving.

The city is working on several new Metro lines and Bus only lanes, but it doesn't solve the problem of everyone being so spread out.