Subway expansion would improve city
The proposed subway expansion into West Los Angeles (“Senate to vote on subway expansion,” News, Feb. 12) would benefit local, regional and national economic interests.
According to data from the U.S. Census Bureau, Wilshire Boulevard is one of the most densely populated streets in America.
Thus, Wilshire is the most ideal corridor for the first East-West subway in Los Angeles.
Recently, the city council of Beverly Hills passed a ringing endorsement for the inclusion of two subway stops in their city.
The leaders of Beverly Hills correctly believe that subway expansion is a key to the continued economic growth of the region. For example, getting people out of their cars and into the subway will lead to more customers for local businesses.
In addition, the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation reports the number of jobs in the West Side exceeds the residential population. Many of these jobs are held by workers who commute east to west.
Extension of the subway along Wilshire to the beach will allow workers to spend less time negotiating traffic and more time working and spending time with loved ones.
Also, traffic on the freeways will be reduced once the subway is up and running.
Reduction of traffic on these roads is vital to our national economic interest. Nearly 75 percent of the cargo entering the U.S. from the east comes through the L.A. and Long Beach ports.
If the amount of traffic the trucks have to contend with is reduced, the distribution of goods across the country will become more efficient.
This will benefit the national economy and guarantee our city’s continued relevance in the arena of international trade.
The long-term benefits to our local communities far outweigh the initial investment in a subway system.
The subway extension will form the backbone of a regional subway and light-rail network that should have been constructed a generation ago.
Makan Mohageg
Graduate student, physics