Slow Commuting Via MTA

Both my home in Burbank and workplace in Hollywood are within a couple of blocks of Metropolitan Transportation Authority bus stops. Due to my continuing concerns with global warming and air pollution and my growing hatred of sitting in rush-hour traffic, I decided that I would give our bus system a test try.

On a normal day, it takes about 25 minutes to drive to work and about 40 to get home. I studied the schedules so helpfully available on the MTA Web site and set out for my commuting experiment. Door to door, it took me one hour to get to work and 1 1/2 hours to get home.

Riding on the bus is a relatively pleasant experience but transfer times between lines was interminable and pushed the time required into the unacceptable range. Buses should come by every 5 to 10 minutes max, instead of every 20 to 25 minutes, like I experienced.

If the MTA and the other powers that be really wanted to improve the quality of life around here, they would try to create a system, bus and rail, that would entice people like me out of my single-occupant car. As it is, the system is a triage for those of us who have no alternative. We taxpayers deserve better. I want to leave my car at home but have no reasonable alternative! Today I will drive to work again.

SCOTT HERBERTSON

Burbank