This study addresses the issues of urban transportation in Los Angeles, and identifies ways in which more sustainable choices may be encouraged. GIS and a range of qualitative methods are utilized to present a picture of current transportation mode choices, the cultural context, and policy approaches of major transportation agencies within the region. The study analyzed the Los Angeles Sustainable City pLAn, as representative of the direction and priorities of the City of Los Angeles administration, and this was compared with the policies of other relevant organizations. These policies were found to reflect optimistic, far-reaching visions for the future, sometimes with ambitious targets for increasing use of public transit and active forms of transportation. However, they showed a lack of intention to actively reduce car use, and no insights into how to address the culture of car-dependency or to encourage behavior change. This research identified and explored perspectives from environmental psychology applied to transportation behavior change. It was concluded that a sustainable transportation system should be adaptable and responsive to the diverse and changing needs of society, and that this requires integrated policy approaches, that include targeted communication and incentive strategies to reach all specified audiences.