Agency’s Metrolink Survey Shows Who Rides the Rails : Transportation: Typical passenger is professional white male bound for L.A. Though cost is high, half say train is equal or better value than driving.

In many ways, Phil Pratt of Simi Valley is the typical Metrolink rider, based on a profile that emerged Friday from the new commuter rail service’s first passenger survey.

Pratt is a professional white male in his 40s, who takes the train to his job in downtown Los Angeles. His two months on Metrolink have made him a firm believer in relaxing by rail instead of fighting freeway traffic.

The Southern California Regional Rail Authority, a five-county group that operates Metrolink, polled 1,689 passengers like Pratt in late February and early March. The goal was to learn who is riding the train and what they like or dislike about the service, which was launched in October, 1992.

Like most of those surveyed, Pratt gives Metrolink high marks on issues such as cleanliness, reliability and the conduct of its crews.

“It’s a much more pleasant experience than driving,” said Pratt, 46, a supervising bureau chief with the California Department of Insurance.

Although two out of three of those surveyed said it costs more to ride Metrolink than to drive, car-pool or take a bus, about half said the train is an equal or better value.

Pratt’s employer provides only $21 a month to offset his $144 monthly Metrolink fare, but the commuter said the relaxing train ride is worth the price.

“It’s more expensive. It takes a half-hour longer on good days, but I’d still rather take the Metrolink,” he said. “I’ve already read more books in two months than I read all of last year.”

Because the survey found that 65% of the train riders previously commuted alone in a car, Metrolink officials estimated that their service removes about 16,000 cars each week from Southern California’s crowded freeways.

The survey paints the following profile of passengers throughout the Metrolink system, which operates three lines serving 16 stations in Ventura, San Bernardino and Los Angeles counties:

* 67% of riders are white, 13% Latino, 13% Asian and 7% black.

* The average age is about 40.

* The average household income is $63,300.

* 63% are professionals or managers, 14% are clerical workers and 11% are civil service or government employees.

* 65% previously drove alone, 15% rode in a car- or van-pool, 20% rode a bus.

* 72% end their train commute at Union Station in downtown Los Angeles.

Simi Valley City Councilman Bill Davis, who represents Ventura County on the rail authority’s board, said he wasn’t surprised that the survey found that most Metrolink riders are upscale professionals.

“They’re the kind of person who gets two hours of work done with their laptop computer on the train,” he said. “There’s always a scramble for the seats that have the tables.”

Even though Ron Young’s Metrolink ride is a brief 12-minute trip to Chatsworth, the 51-year-old Rocketdyne engineer said he makes good use of the time.

“I had my car in the shop, so I decided to take the train for a week,” he said. “I decided I liked it, so I did it for a month. It’s less aggravating (than driving), and I get to do some work on the train.”

His monthly pass would normally cost $80, but Young buys it through his company for $59.

The survey determined that nearly half the riders receive a subsidy for Metrolink travel from their employer.

Although riders gave Metrolink high marks overall, they asked for more evening trains, more space for each passenger and more signs to explain how to transfer to connecting shuttle services, according to the survey.

The poll provided little information specifically about Ventura County riders, who board the Moorpark Line, which also stops in Chatsworth, Van Nuys, Burbank and Glendale--all in Los Angeles County.

It determined, however, that 47% of the riders who use the route live in Ventura County. Among this group, just over half live in Simi Valley, while 22% live in Moorpark.

Most of the remaining Ventura County riders live in or near Thousand Oaks and Camarillo. A few drive from distant Ventura and Oxnard to catch the train--a finding that caught Davis by surprise.

“I don’t think we had anticipated that kind of ridership,” he said.

The survey also found that about half of those who board in Simi Valley and Moorpark step off before reaching Union Station.

Among them is Bill Pickering, 54, of Simi Valley, an electronics engineer who works in Burbank. His monthly pass costs $144 because Burbank is in the same fare zone as Union Station. His employer does not provide a subsidy.

Still, Pickering prefers not to drive to work, despite the steep fare.

“I say you can’t put a price tag on stress,” he said. “Therefore, it’s reasonable.”

Not all Metrolink passengers fit the survey’s profile.

Debra Minahen, 38, of Simi Valley, was recently laid off from her job as a computer technician with an aerospace firm. She rode the train downtown this week for retraining and quickly became a fan.

“I’m thinking of getting a job in Burbank or downtown just so I can take the Metrolink,” Minahen said. “No more driving!”

John Brennan, director of the Times Poll, noted that a high approval rating is expected for such a poll, considering that the subjects of the survey have already been sold on Metrolink.

“Since the survey is of current riders, there is a good chance the opinions of these folks toward Metrolink are inherently more positive than the whole potential pool of train users,” he said.

David Solow, deputy executive director of the rail authority, acknowledged that weakness in the survey.

But he said the agency is in the process of polling non-riders to find out why they don’t use Metrolink and what it would take to make them riders. Results from that survey are expected in early summer, he said.

Where Riders Go Destination of 97 people who boarded in Moorpark:

L.A. Union Station: 49%

Glendale: 13%

Burbank: 14%

Chatsworth: 17%

Van Nuys: 6%

Simi Valley: 1%

Destination of 97 people who boarded in Simi Valley:

L.A. Union Station: 50%

Glendale: 22%

Burbank: 17%

Chatsworth: 5%

Van Nuys: 6%

Source: Southern California Regional Rail Authority

Where Riders Live Simi Valley: 52%

Moorpark: 22%

Greater Thousand Oaks*: 11%

Camarillo-Santa Rosa: 7%

Ventura: 4%

Oxnard: 3%

Santa Paula: 0.7%

Oak View: 0.3%

*Includes Newbury Park, Westlake Village, Oak Park, Lake Sherwood

Who Rides Metrolink

A survey of 1,689 Metrolink riders shows most are professionals who previously drove alone to work.

Commuter Ratings

On-time arrivals: 827

Space allotted to each passenger: 691

On-time departures: 896

Safety at stations: 842

Survey ratings on scale of 0-1000

Who’s on Board

Occupation:

Clerical: 14%

Professional/Manager: 63%

Other: 23%

Ethnicity:

White: 67%

Latino: 13%

African-American: 7%

Asian: 13%

Sex:

Male: 52%

Female: 45%

No answer: 3%

Prior Transport:

Bus: 20%

Carpool/Vanpool: 15%

Drove alone: 65%

Demographics of Riders

Average age: 39.5 years

Household Income: $63,300

Ridership Frequency

5 Days a Week: 82%

Use each time to travel to the destination: 69%

Monthly Pass: 67%

Source: Metrolink and Facts Consolidated.