TransitPeople and a trip to the aquarium via Metro

I'm convinced many Angelenos who've never taken public transit would totally become regular Metro riders if they just tried it once. And one nonprofit, TransitPeople, is trying to make this first ride happen early!

TransitPeople basically puts together field trips for inner-city school groups, using public transit exclusively. So I took my first light-rail ride in L.A. last Saturday to take part in one TransitPeople trip to the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach.

There I met a group of 15 or so students from El Sereno Elementary School in Los Angeles who had taken the bus to the Blue Line to ooh and aah at puffins and jellyfish.

Run entirely by volunteers, TransitPeople has been getting kids on public transit since 1999. Trained trip leaders supervise, to make sure kids step onto the train safely, stay together, etc.

Tim Adams served as the leader on my trip, expertly guiding the kids through a very crowded aquarium while answering all manner of questions about marine life.

Getting a trip set up isn't difficult, Tim says. Just contact TransitPeople to work out a plan and set a date. The groups need to be small -- 20 or fewer, generally -- and the destination has to be relatively easy to get to via public transit so the kids stay happy.

The El Sereno students seemed very happy to get to spend a Saturday at the aquarium!

Top two photos by Tim Adams; bottom photo by Siel

Comments

[Lisa]

My friend Perias, who has lived in LA 20 yrs without a car, has been volunteering for TransitPeople for many years and loves it. I think he does the Friday trips so maybe you didn't meet him.

[matt]

isnt seattle the emerald city

[Siel]

Seattle wishes it was :) I believe that Seattle's tried to take it up as its tagline, but the informal survey I took (as in asked a few friends about) before the blog launched tells me few in LA are familiar with Seattle's efforts.

[Raphael]

Seattle and LA can duke it out for the Emerald City, but only Boston has an Emerald Necklace!

[Siel]

We should soon too, I think. Villaraigosa waxed lyrical (PDF) 'bout that, saying “I have a vision of turning the Los Angeles River into an emerald necklace of
parks and natural habitats.” And the revitalization efforts are underway --

[Raphael]

Actually, we can sport a nifty green bola if we get both the LA River and San Gabriel River living up to their potential.