Auto Club’s Plea for Freeways

On almost the same day that Mayor Tom Bradley was announcing the start of construction on Metrorail, the Automobile Club of Southern California held a press conference (Oct. 13) to inform us what we really need is more and better freeways.

Unfortunately, neither plan is much more than a stop-gap tactic that will be obsolete by the time the project is completed.

It doesn’t take a genius to see that there isn’t enough money anywhere to build a system that will return our freeways and streets to the way they were in 1966.

The same freeways that don’t work today were designed by engineers who really thought they would work based on what they knew 25 years ago.

The trick is to stop building newer dinosaurs and turn our attention toward people.

Just look back to the summer of 1984 and see what can happen when government, business and individuals change their ways of thinking.

Gridlock was predicted for our roads during the Olympics. It didn’t happen.

Simple things like having offices open and close at times other than 9 to 5 took people off the roads.

We must shift away from conventional ways of thinking and move toward innovative approaches.

Business and government should encourage those who can work at home to stay there. Computer technology can move your office to your home.

Bite the bullet and admit that some people are going to have to start working odd hours.

While nobody wants to do it, there is no reason why certain jobs can’t be done just as easily at 3 a.m. as they can at 3 p.m. Just as the oil embargo in the ‘70s forced us to change the way we look at automobiles and conservation, the transportation breakdown that is sure to come, will force us to change the ways we work.

MICHAEL HENRY

Woodland Hills