Proposition R

I ride transit. Mostly buses since there is no light or subway on the Westside of Los Angeles. I drive. I know gridlock as a bus passenger and as a driver. Gridlock is an economic and ecological catastrophe. Proposition R is one step to alleviate traffic and to expand mass transit with buses and rail.
I do have experience riding light rail, the Blue, Green and Gold Lines; and subway, The Red and Purple Lines. I am involved in grass roots transit agencies to promote mass transit, to which I devote a lot of my time.
From my observations in these transit groups, I seem to be one with more experience riding transit on a regular basis than other members. In meetings in person, on group boards, in e-mails, and wherever and to whomever I can get my message to, I am opposed to anymore light rail or bus lines in the middle of freeways such as the Green Line. To those of you who know me, this is not new. I feel adamantly that it is inhuman to have people wait for trains or buses in the middle of freeways. For those who don’t know what I’m talking about, I suggest you ride the Green Line. Buy and All-Day Metro pass and get off at various stations. The noise and exposure to the vehicle exhaust and dust in a confined train platform is something that should never be duplicated.
When the first commercial for Proposition R was on television, I took some comfort that a sensible approach was being taken by its supporters. My Yes vote was solid. However, after seeing the latest television Prop. R commercial, my vote is now quivering.
In the latest ad there is a shot of gridlocked freeway, and then drawn down the meridian came a single rail line, and then a light rail riding this line. I am now questioning where this proposition will be spending the money if approved. Does this mean that the plans of Metro are to put more light rails in the middle of freeways? If so, I am inclined to vote No. I cannot in good conscious vote for a proposition which is in favor of a type of transit system which I fundamentally oppose.
When I’ve raised my voice against any more transit systems in freeway meridians, I have been seconded in my view, which I take to mean that others share my view. If so, I am disturbed by who is running the campaign for this proposition. Did they do any research with transit groups regarding light rail systems? If so, whom did they talk with?
The light rail in the middle freeway is the height of “windshield estimate:” ideas on how transit should work concocted while driving. This type of think is completely removed from the transit experiences of transit riders. This ad signals the proposition’s support for more light rail in freeway medians. Do they really mean it? Or is this campaign being run by an agency which doesn’t know transit?
This latest commercial shows a single track line. Does the ad agency and Metro and other Prop. R backers have any idea of negative association of this image after the Metrolink disaster in Chatsworth? Anyone who even briefly followed that accident in the news, print or broadcast, knows full well that two trains collided because they were sharing a single track.
Yet, this single track image is shown in the commercial. This is a disastrous image to be presenting. Who is in charge of this campaign? Was Metro even consulted, and if so, how could they let this go through after the Chatsworth disaster? This ad is completely wrong headed and just wrong.
Perhaps as a mass transit advocate it would have been better to just remain silent and think that this commercial will quietly slide away. But there are times when silence is dangerous, and for myself, this is one of those times.
I am angered and mystified that 1.) This commercial is advocating an inhuman mass transit system (the middle of freeways) and 2.) That the ad agency and Prop. R backers could be so incredibly tone deaf (or is it indifference) towards the image of a single track rail line after the Chatsworth Metrolink disaster, an incident which can set back by years future mass transit projects under the perception of fear and incompetence.

Matthew Hetz