The city is rapidly expanding its public transit system and vying for developers to building mixed-use housing near the new stations—but that may not be enough to attract rides. Steve Fifield, co-founder and CEO of Century West Partners and an avid public transit users in his home city of Chicago, says that L.A.'s public transit is missing much needed security. While the transit system is a good incentive for development, Fifield says that more currently car-owning residents would ride train if the city took more security measures.

“The thing that L.A. is missing on its light rail systems: they don't have enough security,” Fifield tells GlobeSt.com. “Some of these great systems that make total sense to be putting in aren't being used. The average white-collar worker is going to work and having to share a car with homeless people that are bothering them.”

In other cities, security—usually on-duty police officers—are standard on public transit, especially during peak hours. “In New York, Chicago and other cities that have robust transportation systems have security on the trains and have people walk through the trains,” says Fifield. “If there is someone there that shouldn't be there, they radio ahead and take them off the train at the next stop because they are acting inappropriately.”