Funds for bullets but not transit

Re “MTA rail projects may not get there despite fare hike,” May 26

Sad to see that the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s financial troubles continue even after substantial fare hikes. It’s worth noting that the MTA’s projected $1.8-billion deficit over the next decade is what we’re spending on the Iraq war every five days. The $100 billion that the Democratic Congress just approved for the war could have been used instead to build world-class public transportation systems in dozens of U.S. cities.

By electing pro-war Republicans and Democrats for office, we effectively choose bombs, bullets and death instead of healthcare and public transportation.

STACY BERMINGHAM

San Diego

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Am I to understand that fully funding a $10-billion comprehensive capital investment program for commuter light rail in L.A. County to mitigate the area’s disastrous traffic and air pollution is “a tough sell” in Congress, but half a trillion dollars for a misbegotten war is no problem?

DAVID RAETHER

San Marino

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Re “High-speed rail network can’t be built piecemeal,” column, May 28

The contention that the entire $40-billion California high-speed rail system must be built at the same time shows total ignorance of the technology. Bullet trains run on standard tracks that are exceptionally straight and smooth. However, they can cut their speed and run on existing train lines.

The California High-Speed Rail Authority chose Los Angeles to San Francisco because there is no Amtrak service between the two cities -- that’s because of an 86-mile gap from Lancaster to Bakersfield. The priority has to be closing this hole, improving adjoining lines and creating a high-speed trunk line from L.A. to San Francisco.

Sacramento and San Diego already have 80-mph Amtrak routes that, with relatively minor improvements, could feed trains into this trunk line, where they can accelerate to 250 mph for the trip through the Central Valley.

The California High-Speed Rail Authority is following the European and Japanese examples of exploiting existing infrastructure and building in fiscally responsible phases.

EVAN CARTER

Los Angeles

The writer is a member of Friends for High-Speed Rail.

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Re “MTA sets sights on Broadway,” May 26

Only several days after passing one of the largest fare increases in the last decade, the MTA now wants to fund a project to make a tiny section of downtown into a bus-only type of mall? If the MTA is going to increase fares, can it at least spend the money on projects that make some sort of sense in terms of serving greater public good?

PATRICK MORRISON

Mount Washington