Los Angeles’ transportation problems are not only major annoyances, they may also be detrimental to regional job growth, according to a Los Angeles County Business Federation survey released today.
Local employers who responded to the survey named transportation as one of their top business concerns, second only to taxes and fees.
Among 22 categories examined, transportation maintained its four-year upward trajectory on the list of top concerns, moving to the number-two spot in 2016 from the number four spot in 2015. In 2013, transportation ranked as the number 10 concern of employers.
“Employers are feeling the effects when their employees, customers and contractors spend four or more hours a day on the road,” said Tracy Hernandez, founding CEO of BizFed. “Congestion and long commutes are resulting in major disruptions in productivity, goods movement and recruiting and retaining employees.”
The annual BizFed poll represents a snapshot of issues of concern in the Los Angeles County business community, based on surveys of business owners and executives on the issues they deem most critical to the ongoing operation and growth of their business.
The 2016 results suggest that transportation problems are also poised to significantly affect future job growth. Forty-four percent of employers ranked “traffic congestion” as a main reason that businesses and jobs are leaving the county. Respondents also believe transportation infrastructure in Los Angeles is a serious impediment to business growth and job creation.
Across almost all categories, more employers identified transportation- related public infrastructure as needing “immediate attention” than in the previous year:
— roads and streets, 57 percent in 2016 compared to 52 percent in 2015;
— highways and freeways, 51 percent versus 48 percent;
— sidewalks and bike paths, 29 percent versus 25 percent; and
— rail, 27 percent versus 25 percent.
Also, 32 percent of employers named ports and airports as an immediate need, the same as in 2015.
“This is the right time to be having this conversation because finding solutions to our gridlock is so high on the agenda for local business and policymakers,” said Hilary Norton, executive director of FAST — Fixing Angelenos Stuck in Traffic — and co-chair of BizFed’s Transportation Committee.
“We are heartened by the work that we are doing with organizations like the Southern California Association of Governments and Metro to plan for a better future, with reduced travel time, more efficient freight corridors and higher quality roads and arterials,” she said.
