Direction of Monorail
The monorail project is being correctly criticized for requiring all northbound and southbound passengers to change, by elevator or stairs, at Universal City. This will add an average of 20 minutes each way (versus a subway system) and discourage ridership. No suburban system in the world attempts to mix above- and below-ground transportation modes for this very reason.
The “cost advantage” of the monorail seems to have eroded to a statistically insignificant level, according to a recent Times report. Furthermore, little attention has been given to the sharp erosion in property values which will inevitably occur along the monorail route due to noise, both from operations and the two-year construction period (largely at night), visual blight and shadows from the 70-foot-high structure.
Once homeowners realize this, they may well sue on the grounds of Big Government expropriating their property.
There is still time to return sanity to this matter and derail this Alice-in-Wonderland project.
RICHARD N. BAILEY
Sherman Oaks
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