State of Transportation in Los Angeles Area

The series of articles (April 19-21) on the state of Los Angeles transportation should give impetus to civic leaders, and to anyone who drivers a car, to truly evaluate their role in the traffic boondoggle.

It never ceases to astonish me how we continue to quietly tolerate virtual gridlock daily. There is a massive uproar about airline delays caused by over-scheduling--Congress has even held hearings--yet millions of us continue to be mired down on the freeways daily while there are proven, sensible and economical solutions to the mess.

To pacify us, Mayor Tom Bradley said that Los Angeles congestion is like a “paradise” compared to other cities. That’s like comparing one bankruptcy to another and doesn’t encourage people to work together to improve the situation.

Because of car-pooling, staggered work hours and other traffic reduction methods used during the Olympics Games, traffic was a breeze at all times even though 5% more vehicles were on the road.

One traffic expert states in one of your articles that traffic would be reduced by 10%, thereby greatly reducing congestion, if we car-pooled just twice a month.

Why do our civic leaders continue to spend billions of dollars to Band-Aid the problems with wider freeway projects and the dubious Metro Rail when cheap proven solutions are available? What kind of leadership is that?

It is suggested that commuters shirk car-pooling because they don’t want to sacrifice the freedom that solo driving affords, I would gladly forgo that flexibility, even once a week, to save hundreds of hours lost annually stuck in some unnecessary traffic jam. Not to mention the other benefits--reduced stress, reduced smog and reduced wear on my car.

It is time for Mayor Bradley, other civic, business and community leaders and the media to band together and develop creative ways that result in everyone’s cooperation. If we acted as a team and each did our small part we might see a few more smiles on the road.

DANE CHAPIN

Los Angeles