‘Shifting Gears’ on Bicycles, Motorcycles

This letter is to mention the gridlock solution that you left out of your article on solutions to the one-person, one-car problem.

You nicely covered the advantages of commuting by RTD, car-pools, bicycles, roller skates and walking. You failed to mention motorcycles. While it is true that motorcycle commuting is not for everyone, I believe it should have been mentioned as one of the viable alternatives.

Motorcycles are not as safe as cars, but with the excellent and inexpensive training offered by the Motorcycle Safety Foundation, the use of adequate safety equipment (helmet, boots, gloves and jacket), and the liberal use of common sense, motorcycles are far safer than their reputation among non-motorcyclists would indicate.

The advantages are many. My insurance for a 1,000-cc BMW in West Los Angeles is $300 a year for $300 deductible. I average 42 miles per gallon and am never late for work due to traffic jams. My 21-mile commute to Rosemead takes 30 to 35 minutes in light traffic, about the same as it does in my car. In bumper-to-bumper traffic, it takes 45 to 50 minutes, which can be more than half an hour quicker than I could make it by automobile.

PHILIP W. LYON

Los Angeles