Quality of mass transit must improve and would somebody





please kill the diamond lanes?


A study released earlier this week by the Census Bureau reveals that Southern Californians are carpooling slightly less these days and that use of mass transit is up only a little.


To nobody’s surprise, we’re spending more time on freeways.


Our love affair with the automobile (or more precisely, the SUV, minivan and car) isn’t slowing down, even if average commute times are.


What will it take to reduce solo motorists?


Two things could ultimately cause a revolution in mass transit: (1) when gasoline finally gets so expensive that only the wealthy can afford to drive long distances to their workplace or (2) the cost, convenience and quality of public transportation finally motivates us to use it.


If mass transit can move people in about the same time as private vehicles, if destinations can be readily reached without excessive transfers, if the cost is cheap and it’s clean, comfortable and safe, then people will use it. In the Bay Area and other parts of the country, mass transportation works.


But please, forget bad ideas like diamond lanes. It isn’t fair to have freeway lanes exclusively for vehicles carrying multiple passengers. Extra lanes should help everyone, not just carpools.


If the idea had worked, more people would be traveling together. It hasn’t worked and they aren’t.


So, kill the diamond lanes.



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