Two-Wheeling Tips for Energy Conservation

Here’s an energy conservation measure I’d love to see: once-a-month use of the freeways by bicycles only. Naysayers will, of course, argue that this would never work and that the city would shut down, but I would retort that we closed the freeway for the marathoners to run on during the Olympics and that we survived the loss of the Santa Monica Freeway after the Northridge earthquake. We need to try something radical like this to show people that we can indeed reduce our slavish dependency on our cars. Perhaps it could even rekindle the idea of a bicycle freeway, an idea that was discussed during the late ‘70s and early ‘80s but has since disappeared.

James Toomey

Gardena

To solve our gasoline problem we should convince our local government to select our less-used streets that follow our most-used commuter routes and convert them into bikes-only full-sized streets. People do not ride bikes on streets now because it is way too dangerous, but with light, chain-link-fence barriers separating opposing traffic--and with no autos--what could be safer?

Antonio E. Gallardo

Los Angeles