Tollways’ Success

Your readers count on you to provide factual, unbiased accounts of the news, and I am no longer convinced you are doing this when it comes to the toll roads. It seems that long ago when they were in planning and construction phases, you reported on facts.

Now that they are open and successfully being used by residents, businesspeople and visitors to Southern California to improve their lives, you slant every story against them and print only toll road opposition letters.

Isn’t it true that some 1.4 million people take the toll roads every week?

How can they be considered unsuccessful?

Weren’t they financed with private money at no cost or risk to the taxpayer?

How can that be considered unsuccessful?

Didn’t investors recently clamor to participate in the refinancing of the Eastern toll road, which was being refinanced to take advantage of lower rates and terms (and allow for early pay-off of the bonds)?

How can that be considered unsuccessful?

Our business recently got a transponder because we need the toll roads.

For us, customer service is key, and we have to make it to our customers when they need us, not when the traffic allows.

We do a lot of business in South County and in the Inland Empire, and without the toll roads our drivers and sales reps would waste time on what are laughingly called freeways.

If these roads can be financed without taxes, paid for from the revenues taken in and take millions of cars off our overcrowded freeways, who cares if the traffic projection guesstimates they made 10 years ago are accurate or not?

Perhaps your writers should visit the toll road people and get their facts straight in time for your next story.

DAN GREEN

Long Beach