On the heels of destructive wildfires and as the 2028 Olympics approach, Angelenos are juggling climate anxiety and infrastructure concerns - with a few bright spots - according to a new LABarometer survey on mobility and sustainability.
The Center for Economic and Social Research (CESR) at the USC College of Letters, Arts and Sciences conducted the survey between February and April 2025, shortly after the January wildfires.
Wildfires are a part of life in L.A.
Following the wildfires that burned nearly 40,000 acres in Los Angeles' Pacific Palisades and Altadena neighborhoods, researchers found that more than half of Angelenos avoided going outside in the last year to avoid smoke from a wildfire. This nearly matches the number who reported avoiding smoke in 2021, after the Bobcat Fire scorched more than 115,000 acres during the fall of 2020.
But the threat wasn't just to their lungs. Nearly a third of residents reported symptoms of psychological distress from a natural disaster, up from 26% following the 2023 fire season and 28% in 2021.
"These patterns indicate that even a fire as catastrophic as the one we just experienced is no longer unusual in terms of how it affects the majority of L.A. residents," said Kyla Thomas, LABarometer director.
Climate concerns feel personal, but preparedness lags
Despite the severity of the latest wildfires, Angelenos are less prepared for disaster than they were in 2020. Just 40% say they're ready for a natural disaster compared to nearly 45% in 2020, a steady decline over the past few years. "It suggests that even high-impact events like the January wildfires alone may not be sufficient to spur an increase in preparedness," explained Thomas, a sociologist at CESR.
Yet, concern about climate change remains high - just over 70% of residents say it feels like a personal threat, a figurevirtually unchanged since 2020.
Heat is also becoming harder to ignore. Nearly half of Angelenos reported symptoms of heat exposure, a 20% increasesince 2023 when nearly 40% experienced symptoms related to heat exposure.
Looking ahead to the 2028 L.A. Olympics
As Los Angeles prepares to host the 2028 Summer Olympics, well over half of residents indicated that they're looking forward to the Games. But, of the remainder who aren't, most cite traffic and transportation as their top concerns.
When explicitly asked about the city's transit readiness:
- Almost 40% said L.A. public transit is "not at all prepared."
- Just over one-third said it is only "slightly prepared."
"Residents are clear-eyed about what's working and what still needs to change," said Thomas.
Even with major investments to expand rail lines, open new stations and improve safety in recent years, public transit ridership gains have been modest, raising questions about whether the system can support a car-free Olympics.
Metro Rail ridership rose just 2 percentage points over the past year. Bus use, meanwhile, remains stuck at just under three-quarters of pre-pandemic levels.
Comparing their data to Metro's recent report that bus boardings increased last year, the researchers suggest that frequent riders may be using buses more often, but occasional riders remain hesitant to return after the pandemic. According to their data, the total number of unique bus users hasn't fully recovered since the pandemic - 18% thus far this year versus 24% in 2019.
One bright spot, the modest uptick in rail ridership is likely tied to the opening of the regional connector in June 2023, which linked the A (Blue), E (Expo) and L (Gold) lines through downtown. The E line alone has seen a 17% jump in ridership since January of this year, according to Metro's recent report showing an increase in ridership on rail lines.
Another encouraging finding is that more residents say public transit feels safer now than it did a year ago. The share who rate buses as somewhat-to-very safe rose to 26%, up from 21%. Metro rail ratings around safety also saw modest gains.
Gas-powered cars are still favored as EV enthusiasm cools
Despite decades of environmental campaigns, an expanded electric vehicle market and rising fuel prices, most Angelenos haven't moved out of their gas-powered cars - much less onto buses and trains - and they don't plan to. Just over halfexpect their next vehicle to be electric or hybrid, about a 9% drop from last year.
Researchers suggest that the dip in enthusiasm is part of a broader statewide trend, exacerbated by national political polarization, tariffs on foreign electric vehicles and declining Tesla sales. The company underperformed its quarterly sales by nearly 25% this year.
Once the face of the EV movement, Tesla has become politically charged since the 2024 election, with some buyers now viewing the brand as a partisan choice.
About the survey
LABarometer is a probability-based internet survey panel of about 2,000 Los Angeles County adults, managed by the USC Dornsife Center for Economic and Social Research. It tracks participants over time to capture trends and shifts in their attitudes and circumstances.
A total of 1,370 residents participated in the Mobility & Sustainability survey from Feb. 19 to April 27, 2025, providing insight into transportation habits, climate-related experiences and views on the 2028 Olympics.
