Well, I'm cheered to see L.A. back on top again (I believe Houston stole the traffic crown from us briefly).
Traffic here gets worse every month. Maybe if the lights go out for a while, then people will stop moving here. We can only hope...
Yes, "few mass transit options" sums it up. The buses are dysfunctional, a hideously expensive subway was built from downtown L.A. to MacArthur Park, then to the middle class S.F. Valley. Not many use it. MacArthur Park is a curious place for a subway stop as it is best known for being a swell place to buy crack and maybe get shot. There is also some light rail, which is being used.
The trouble is, L.A. is spread out horizontally, not vertically, and L.A. County is larger in square miles than the State of Connecticut.