Eco-Village

Kudos for putting the words “auto-free” on the front page (“In Germany, Auto-Free Enclave Hits Bump in Road,” May 9). Many residents of the two-block Los Angeles Eco-Village are engaged in our own local experiment in auto-free living here in the Wilshire Center/Koreatown area. In one of our apartment buildings, the 37 residents have gone from 16 cars down to 13 in just six months. We hope to cut that in half in the next six months. We can walk to 25 bus lines and two subway stops. Our quality of life has gone up. We spend more time with neighbors and working on improving our neighborhood. We’re in better physical shape from walking and biking. And we are no longer afraid of our neighbors.

We encourage other neighborhood groups that have access to good transit to work toward becoming car-free. Everywhere in Los Angeles, neighborhood groups want to reduce congestion. People can walk, use bicycles, create car co-ops and informal car-sharing groups. In the process, people will rediscover civic life in our city, and neighbors can reclaim their streets for human uses.

LOIS ARKIN, Exec. Director

Cooperative Resources & Services Project, Los Angeles Eco-Village