[AliceInWonderland]

OMG I'm so moving; i can't afford to live here no more and driving is taking so much time away from my life's happenings.

Traffic Negatively Affects Life In SoCal... Duh

(CBS) LOS ANGELES Traffic congestion, poor air quality and a housing shortage continue to negatively impact residents' quality of life in Southern California, according to a report released Thursday.

The annual "State of the Region" report by the Southern California Association of Governments rates the region in mobility, employment, income, housing, air quality, safety and education.

SCAG is the planning council for Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, Riverside, Ventura and Imperial counties.

For the second year in a row, SCAG gave the region an "F" in mobility.

The average Southern Californian spends 90 hours a year sitting in traffic, according to the report. Three-quarters of commuters drive alone, and in 2005, there were more than 1,800 highway fatalities.

SCAG also gave the region "D" grades in housing and education.

Southern California's 56 percent homeownership rate is below the national average of 67 percent. Record-high housing prices and rent increases contribute to the low homeownership rate, according to the report.

Families in Southern California spend more than 30 percent of their income on housing.

Meanwhile, children in the region are not getting the education they need to succeed in college, according to the report. Students in Los Angeles, Riverside, Imperial and San Bernardino counties continued to perform below the national average in reading and math test scores.

"The challenges raised by the State of the Region are interrelated," SCAG President and Los Angeles County Supervisor Yvonne B. Burke said.

"Lower-income residents tend to have fewer educational opportunities to obtain better-paying jobs. Without higher wages, they cannot afford a home and have to move farther away from their job. They must spend more time on the
roads and add to our congestion and air quality problems."

SCAG Executive Director Mark Pisano called the report "grim."

"While the findings of this year's 'State of the Region' report are, for the most part, fairly grim, it is clear that our region has the leadership and the public's support to take us through these challenges and get Southern California on the road to success and sustainability now and in the future," Pisano said.

The region scored the best in employment and safety.

In 2005, 120,000 jobs were created in the region. Southern California's 5 percent unemployment rate is lower than the national average for the first time since 1988, according to the report.

Violent crime rates decreased by 11 percent in 2005.

"Southern California continues to grow as a world-class region, but has become increasingly stifled by inadequate infrastructure and non-sustainable energy consumption habits," said Riverside Mayor Ron Loveridge.

"This report serves as an important benchmark for policymakers to gauge what areas need improvement to achieve a higher quality of life for our region."


(© 2006 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
source: http://cbs2.com/topstories/local_story_348172552.html