Letters (31)

Car Talk

“Carless in Cleveland” (April 2006) reminds me we all should consider our public transportation alternatives. Vir-tual-ly every city and suburb has some option such as bus, ferry, subway or commuter rail available. In most cases, these transportation systems are funded with your tax dollars. All of these systems use less fuel and move far more people than conventional single-occupancy vehicles. In many cases, your employer can offer transit checks, which help subsidize a portion of the costs. Utilize your investments and reap the benefits. You’ll be supporting a cleaner environment and be less stressed upon arrival at your final destination. Many employers now allow employees to telecommute and work from home. Others use alternative work schedules, which afford staff the ability to avoid rush-hour gridlock. This saves travel time and improves mileage. You could join a carpool to share the costs of commuting. The ability to travel from home to work, shopping, school or entertainment is a factor for moving into a new neighborhood. Economically successful communities are not 100 percent dependent on automobiles as the sole means of mobility. Seniors, students, those who earn lower incomes and others need these transportation alternatives. When visiting family in Cleveland, my wife and I have had no problems getting around town using your public transportation system.

Larry Penner

Great Neck, N.Y.

One wishes Ryan McKenzie well with his clear-headed City Wheels car-sharing venture. At first blush, the plan of action makes solid economic and environmental sense — circumventing insurance being the narrow end of the wedge. Ordinarily, the expensive car actually furnishes its owner with transportation for slightly more than an hour per day. There it’s parked, while the clock ticks, well insured, costly, on a patch of pavement that must be paid for to use. We’re told the Europeans have recognized the benefits of car sharing for a quarter-century. And so have the perhaps more alert municipalities of Seattle, San Francisco and Chicago. Rouse yourself, Cleveland to the 21st century.

William Dauenhauer

Willowick

Correction: Patience Myricks’ name was misspelled in our April “Style Symbols” story. We regret the error.