The traffic mess takes its toll

Re “Diamond lanes for the rich,” April 26

Tim Rutten says the right words but reaches a false conclusion. Freeway lanes are a precious resource. Good economics requires scarce resources to be rationed.

When a motorist crowds his vehicle into a congested stream of traffic, he delays every other vehicle on that road just as they delay him. Why shouldn’t he (and others) pay for this imposition?

This is what congestion pricing is all about. It is fair and equitable. Also, it provides exactly the revenue needed to provide an optimum number of lanes. If people wish to save on housing costs by moving to Phelan and driving to work in Arcadia at peak times, they should pay the cost it imposes on the rest of us.

John Harding

Palm Springs

Rutten raises a good point about the toll lanes proposed by the MTA. Business owners and residents raise good points about the conversion of Olympic and Pico to one-way streets. Cheviot Hills residents raise good points about the Exposition rail line through their neighborhood. Others raise good points about the efficacy and the enormous expense of a subway to the sea.

The problem is that we will never build a mass-transit system, which we so desperately need as traffic moves toward perpetual gridlock, unless we as a region make tough decisions -- decisions that will inevitably have winners and losers.

No transit plan will ever be proposed that won’t inconvenience and, in some cases, severely affect motorists, neighborhoods and business districts. It is impossible to build the transit system the region needs without tremendous sacrifice that will be distributed differentially.

Rutten is a terrific columnist with whom I often agree, but here he pushes us away from real solutions to our traffic mess. Perhaps traffic still isn’t bad enough, and commutes are not long enough, for us to really consider making tough choices and sacrifices.

Jeffrey Prang

West Hollywood

The writer is the mayor of West Hollywood.

Re “MTA votes to levy toll on some carpool lanes,” April 25

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa calls charging L.A. residents more fees and taxes (this time in the form of freeway tolls) “a great opportunity to think outside the box.”

Mayor, go back to thinking inside the box. Please.

Jon Konjoyan

Toluca Lake

Regarding toll lanes on the 10 and 210 freeways: Way to go, MTA! I can afford it, and can’t wait to go flying by all the creeping peons.

Mike Kvammen

South Pasadena