Forum on Transit

* The essence of Ray Bradbury’s testimony to the MTA at its Dec. 7 hearing on technology and innovation was his experience of riding mass transit. It is very curious that the MTA must hold a hearing on how to improve service when its leaders should follow the example of Bradbury. It seems with the MTA that when projects are undertaken first priority goes to elected officials and their political motives and construction lobbyists, and low in the equation are the riders.

If the MTA board, management and decision-makers want to get ideas on how to improve service, and make transit-riding fun, which it can be unless you have to go to the toilet when riding the Red Line, they need to get out of their offices and ride the bus, light rail and subway.

MATTHEW HETZ

Los Angeles

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The MTA needs to implement those innovative ideas put forth by Bradbury and other original thinkers. A monorail system down the middle of the existing freeways is an excellent way to go. Make use of the brain power that is readily available and initiate a modern public transportation system using the best state of the art and technology. Look to the future and get going!

C.V. RUZEK JR.

Los Angeles

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A Dec. 3 letter writer suggested it would be wiser to buy buses with all the money we are spending on freeways. We already have buses. Nobody rides them because with the spread-out nature of Southern California it takes forever to get anywhere.

Where are we going to run all these buses? Sounds to me like a Catch-22. If we don’t build the roads to run them on, all the buses in the world won’t help. If we tried to run all the buses he’s talking about on local streets, with the resulting gridlock, it would take two days to get to the next town.

I lived in Anaheim and worked for years in the LAX area. I could have moved there, but people don’t stay at one company all their lives. About the time I moved near LAX I would get a job in Irvine. I am not sure who is responsible for our freeways, but I give them credit for realizing that in Southern California the automobile is, and will continue to be, the only useful mode of transportation.

JOHN WAUGEN

Anaheim