L.A. River Freeway

In response to “Riverbed Freeway Proposal Receives Qualified Backing,” Metro, Sept. 9:

The Los Angeles River is neither an oasis of beauty nor an extended corridor connecting our diverse city, but it could be. We have plenty of freeways, but precious few rivers.

An optimistic vision of our future includes reduced dependency on personal automobile transportation, not further freeway construction.

A portion of our valuable imported water gives the river a year-round flow of relatively clean effluent as it cascades from Sierra snow to aqueduct, to lawn sprinklers, car washes and gutter runoff. Why let this evaporate in an elongated concrete flash pan? Portions of the riverbed should be broken up and planted in willows or other flood-tolerant plants. This would create a series of ponds which would foster wildlife, and recharge the subterranean water table. In addition, this would create a green corridor for people, bicycles and surface-routed metro trains.

MARTIN K. GELBARD

Burbank