Los Angeles Los Angeles was ranked ninth out of the North American cities on Oliver Wyman Forum's list and 37 out of the 60 transit systems examined across the globe. The city might be a surprising addition considering it is known for its vehicle traffic congestion.

Los Angeles often receives a "bad rap" for its car culture, but its public transportation system actually ranks surprisingly high in national assessments, though it remains behind the dense "legacy" systems of the East Coast. In terms of Transit Score and ridership, Los Angeles typically ranks 11th in the United States, trailing cities like New York, San Francisco, Boston, and Washington, D.C. However, when measured by ridership per route mile, the LA Metro Rail system often ranks within the top five, reflecting its high efficiency in the corridors it serves. In 2026, the city is in the midst of a massive expansion project ahead of the 2028 Olympics, which has already seen the opening of new lines and the modernization of the bus fleet. While the "sprawl" of the LA basin makes it difficult to achieve the universal coverage found in NYC, the LA Metro system is currently the ninth busiest rapid transit system in the country, carrying hundreds of thousands of passengers daily and slowly shifting the city's reputation away from being exclusively a "driver's town."