Inland Empire’s growing pains and quality of life

Re “Inland Empire: Where the L.A. Dream Landed,” April 16

A dream? I lived in the Inland Empire for 31 years and finally got tired of what is now among the worst air in the nation and more than likely the worst traffic in the nation.

Say all you want about new atmosphere with L.A.-type attractions. If I live in Riverside and want to go to the Ontario Mills shopping mall, I should count on an hour’s (or longer) drive for what was a 25-minute drive just a few years ago. During rush hour, it takes an hour to get from the north end of San Bernardino to the heart of Riverside, just a 15- to 20-minute drive two years ago.

Why people would pay $400,000-plus for a basic home and this type of lifestyle is beyond me.

In the 1980s and ‘90s, we would avoid L.A. and Orange counties because the traffic was a nightmare; welcome to the Inland Empire dream.

ADRIAN FRISTENSKY

Pismo Beach

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Your article for the most part portrayed Ontario as a regional leader in jobs, housing and entertainment, but the city’s leaders should be more concerned about quality-of-life issues that accompany such rapid growth.

Having been a resident for 10 years, I have experienced the growing pains: increased street traffic, lack of sufficient road repairs and stringent residential parking regulations.

The city’s code enforcement bureau needs to be more aggressive in addressing violations that occur in residential and business districts. If not, we will be in the same predicament as some of the larger cities just west of us. Let the dream land somewhere else.

JUAN POWERS

Ontario