Bus Riders’ Protest

I was pleased to see “Bus Riders Protest MTA Cuts” (Dec. 19), as one who has to ride the MTA and Santa Monica buses. They all are severely overcrowded and there are not enough running late at night. We are the nation’s second-largest city and should have a better transit system.

The MTA has been a boondoggle for politicians and contractors who have milked the system dry. Now who has to suffer? The riders. The poor who can’t afford cars. Also the elderly who are too old to drive.

BRETT CROWLEY

Santa Monica

* The city-by-city comparison chart (“Rolling Into the Future,” Dec. 21) suggests a situation of import: Well over half of the cities with higher percentages of the working population who commute by public transportation have extensive subway systems. Clearly, a fixed rail system is only one factor in the success those cities have had in attracting riders. But, it should not be overlooked.

I have recently used the Red Line to connect with a Wilshire bus to get to and from downtown. Even though there are but a few stops between Western and Pershing Square, the distance covered in a short time by the train is a serious attraction for those using public transport. When the Wilshire extension is completed, the commute will be a very reasonable alternative to driving.

RICHARD BERGER

Los Angeles

* The Dream: A Los Angeles transit system designed for the convenience of the user, with orderly queues of prepaid passengers boarding rapidly, clean, comfortable buses arriving on schedule, and Big Brother’s voice keeping passengers on good behavior.

The Reality: A transportation agency that meets decreasing ridership with cuts in schedule, elimination of lines and increased fares, with no safeguards against those who board in back without paying, conduct themselves aggressively, or openly paint or carve graffiti.

Perhaps the greatest insult is the rolling advertisement--the bus painted all over, hard to recognize from outside and get off of at the right stop, and so dark inside as to inspire depression or rage.

ALAMADA BARRETT

Van Nuys