‘Cutting Back the Daily Commute’

In his Commentary “Cutting Back the Daily Commute” (Feb. 1), Martin Brower concludes that when commuting gets too tough, people will find jobs closer to where they live, and the problem of rush-hour traffic will be relieved.

I found it hard to believe that a head-in-the-ground slow-growther like myself was in agreement with a former Irvine Co. “slash, burn and develop” executive like Brower. But there it was in print, at least for a moment, until Martin let his true colors fly. The people who live far from their work will, he went on, “grumble about stopping growth, about holding back development and blocking freeways.”

Well, Mr. Brower, I live five minutes from my job, so I’m sure you’ll be surprised to know that I am sick and tired of hearing about plans worked up by developer-types, like yourself and our county Board of Supervisors, to blast away our beautiful coastal and inland foothills and stack them high with balloon construction houses selling for inflated prices.

You say that to be “properly planned” (read: richly rewarding for the Irvine Co.), we need to build “Transportation Corridors” (read: 17-lane, smog-belching, congested-when-they’re-finished slabs of asphalt) to relieve traffic (read: make room for more development).

If you really want people to work close to their homes, don’t build your freeways. You said it yourself: When the commute becomes too tough, the people will catch on.

SUSAN THOMAS

Tustin