Skip to Content
Streetsblog Los Angeles home
Streetsblog Los Angeles home
Log In

Following up on a great editorial last week, the Star follows up the only sensible way it could, by printing an LTE by me.

http://www.venturacountystar.com/news/2007/oct/24/no-headline---ob7wclets24/

Driving the problem

Re: your Oct. 19 editorial, "Ride the rails into the future":

The editorial was absolutely correct. If Southern California is ever going to find its way out of perpetual gridlock, it's going to be by getting more people out of their cars, not by continually finding more ways to encourage driving.

On the East Coast, its somewhat older infrastructure has fallen into a state of disrepair while Department of Transportation officials tried to build their way out of congestion. Now, these governments are spending more and more money on maintenance with funds needed, and originally dedicated to, upgrading transit and local roads.

Hopefully, our elected officials will remember the lesson of Oct. 15 next time they'retempted to take funds dedicated to expanding transit and using them to balancethe general fund. If not, we'll find ourselves in the same position as ourfriends to the east — unable even to maintain the transit system that we have ascongestion and commuting times continue to rise.

Damien Newton, Los Angeles

(The writer is the author of the blog "Street Heat," which can be foundat streetheatla.blogspot.com. — Editor)

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog Los Angeles

Covina Residents Call on City for Protections from Immigration Raids

Community members took to city council to share their frustrations and demands.

July 8, 2025

This Week In Livable Streets

ICE protests and vigils, Culver City Better Overland, Metro NoHo-Pasadena BRT meetings, Metro Sepulveda Transit meetings, Metro PSAC, and more

July 7, 2025

Reclaiming Streets from ICE with Music, Dance, Altars, Mutual Aid, Community, and Resistance

The Mariachi Plaza event was one of four held across LA. Tuesday night. The June 19 abduction of street vendor Emma de Paz from the Hollywood Home Depot was a touchstone of the Eastside gathering.

July 4, 2025
See all posts