Cars, Buses and Air Quality
In “We’re Driving Ourselves to a Lousy Quality of Life in Our Smog-Maker Cars,” (California Commentary, Dec. 4), Judy Wright advocates greater use of buses to cut pollution and speed traffic flow.
It is difficult to imagine how buses could be better for the environment when they all seem to belch far more soot per passenger than most cars. Likewise, it is hard to see how buses could decongest our highways and byways. More often than not, what’s causing a jam is a big, clumsy, lane-straddling bus that’s incapable of attaining reasonable speed or even clearing an intersection.
A decade ago, when I lived near Washington, D.C., the bus drivers went on strike for two weeks during the heat of summer. There were dire predictions of all-day traffic jams, but commuting turned out to be a dream--because there weren’t any stop-and-go snails blocking the way!
My hunch is if we got rid of buses altogether the air would be cleaner and we’d all spend a lot less time on the roads.
There’s no way buses can be the answer. They’re too busy being part of the problem.
RANDY CEPUCH
Pasadena
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