Elevated Lanes on Harbor Freeway

Re “Lanes’ Debut a High Point for Carpoolers,” June 27:

The elevated carpool lanes on the Harbor Freeway are the latest, and most expensive, of Caltrans’ politically correct boondoggles. As on the 134 Freeway between the 5 and the 170 before it, and on the 10 Freeway east of downtown before that, the congested tragic continues as slowly as ever, while the diamond lanes remain virtually empty.

Rather than increasing the capacity of these roads by 20 or 25% (as these extra lanes would do if opened to all the citizens forced to foot the bill for them), the diamond lanes only hector the single commuter about an unchangeable situation; most commuters can’t carpool. Schedules, residences and destinations present an endless permutation of incompatibilities. Caltrans doesn’t get it.

The final insult in this madness is the HOV interchange between the 10 and the 105 freeways, a span of glistening emptiness costing lord only knows how much, soaring above all the actual traffic traveling the lowly (and far less expensive) interchange on the ground.

MICHAEL LAWLER

Los Angeles

* The MTA says that buses cannot use the new elevated Harbor Freeway transitway until August “because drivers have not yet been trained on how to negotiate the new lanes.” Here’s a free lesson: “Stay between those white lines.” OK, gentle bus drivers, start your engines.

PAUL BERGMAN

Los Angeles