Finish the Green Line

While the debate continues as to whether to expand LAX (“Council Rejects Bid to Halt Spending on LAX Studies,” April 18), there’s no reason not to finish the Green Line light rail line, which remains stunted a little over a mile from the airport terminals. Transferring from the Green Line to the airport shuttle bus to complete the last bit of the trip can add as much as 30 minutes to the ride and makes a trip by public transport from downtown to LAX impractical.

All the expansion plans call for constructing at least one Green Line station inside the airport. Even if the airport isn’t expanded, nobody can disagree with this traffic-reducing measure. The airport authority should separate the Green Line expansion from this endless debate and bring the line to the current terminals now.

ROGER J. RUDICK

Los Feliz

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I spent the better part of the day on April 12 in the Southern California Assn. of Governments’ boardroom listening to testimony on the regional transportation plan, most of it having to do with LAX expansion. Everyone spoke of the burden of air travel and how the entire region should share it.

What I find really strange is, in the years that Los Angeles World Airports and Mayor Richard Riordan have been trying to ram the master plan down our throats, they have always equated expansion with economic benefit. We have heard, time and again, that the survival of Los Angeles as a world-class city rests directly on the expansion of LAX. Isn’t it time to share that incredible economic benefit with the entire Southern California region? It’s time for Los Angeles to be a good neighbor and share passengers and cargo with everyone.

JUDITH A. CIANCIMINO

Los Angeles