Commuters’ Resistance to Car Pooling

While your recent article on car pooling (“Congestion Fails to Drive Motorists to Car Pooling,” Part A, Sept. 17) is factual, it may leave readers with the mistaken impression that our commuting future is gloomy and gridlock unavoidable. In fact, there is good cause for optimism.

It’s true that last year only 14% of the population car-pooled. But that figure remained steady while the number of commuters grew by about 300,000. That means the number of car-poolers this year increased by approximately 42,000.

Add to that everyone who used public transit, rode in a van pool, jogged, walked or skateboarded to work, and the figure climbs to 21% of the population.

More importantly, ride-sharing is not (as the article implies) our only defense against gridlock. Nine percent of the population work a compressed work week, working four 10-hour days, for example. Other commuters are helping to unclog our streets by avoiding rush hour.

And telecommuting, or working at home, keeps hundreds of people off the road daily, and is an option now offered by 10% of employers.

As we have seen with the recent surge of participation in recycling, people will change behavior rapidly once enough of us care. With the commitment of government, business and commuters, a change in commuting habits could happen just as fast. Considering that, our transportation future looks brighter than it has in years.

JIM SIMS, President, Commuter Transportation Services Inc., Commuter Computer, Los Angeles