Light Rail the Ticket?

* I find it interesting and amusing that there has been opposition in Anaheim to the CenterLine light rail for historic reasons. I just got back from London, where I always ride the underground system when in town. London and its train system are far more historic than Anaheim, and in London the subway goes near palaces, museums, etc. It’s a little hard to take Anaheim’s claim for history too seriously, considering London and Paris have extensive subway networks that go under and around some of Europe’s most significant historic and cultural landmarks. If Queen Elizabeth and Princess Diana could put up with subway stops outside royal residences, perhaps Anaheim could learn to adjust to having a light-rail line run past its great historic palaces dating back to such ancient times as 1920.

GREGORY E. MANTELL

Santa Monica

* Facts would demolish Shirley Grindle’s column against OCTA’s plans for light rail in Orange County (“Why Light Rail? So Agency Can Justify Existence,” Feb. 18). But it was followed quickly by reports of opposition from Anaheim and the Irvine Unified School District and the lack of support by major businesses, so it appears that there is no point in making factual arguments again. It is clear that Orange County simply is not yet ready to embrace light-rail transit.

This is a problem of perceptions and misconceptions, not of facts. Those who want a choice of clean transportation can only hope OCTA will grit its teeth and continue to plan and build a useful starter system, in the knowledge that opposition will melt away once people enjoy firsthand experience with light-rail transit. That is what happened in San Diego, San Jose, Denver, Salt Lake City, Portland, Ore., and Dallas.

RICHARD SCHUMACHER

Dallas

* Shirley Grindle is on point. The CenterLine trolley is a $2.3-billion bad idea that OCTA has bootstrapped from the 1990 voters’ approval of Measure M and its $340-million line item “High Technology Advanced Rail Transit.” Measure M mandate or not, under no circumstances should funds that could be used for street and highway improvements be identified to fund the CenterLine trolley.

WAYNE KING

Orange

* In spite of all of the negativity in the Grindle column, there is not only a great need for what was described as a “trolley line,” connecting Fullerton and Irvine via Disneyland, Main Place/Santa Ana, South Coast Plaza and John Wayne Airport (and many other places too numerous to mention), but it is an urgent need for the future growth of Orange County.

During the 20 years of Orange County studies, there have been mass transit systems built in many other cities, all of which have been very successful. Several of those were here in Southern California, including the Los Angeles blue and green lines and the San Diego system, which has been so successful that it is now being expanded in various directions.

Portland, Ore., was the only city specifically mentioned in the column as an example of a successful light-rail system, and it was correctly stated, “But Portland is not Orange County.” Portland is a city of about 500,000 compared to Orange County’s population, within the transportation corridor, of about 2 million. While Portland does have a central, downtown business district, the transportation area is spread out, much like that of Orange County, with many business, retail, sports, entertainment and amusement centers. Anaheim alone could generate more transit ridership than Portland.

Commuters need an alternative to the automobile and relief from the pollution created by it. We all need true leaders who will make bold decisions for the benefit of the future of all citizens and not just the few who speak the loudest.

DICK HUTCHINS

Fullerton