About the editor: After numerous reports of deteriorating metro services in Los Angeles, UC Berkeley climate policy researchers

Ethan Elkind

roads with strong beliefs and weak logic.

Ignoring the appalling conditions the trains suffer and the challenges of retrofitting public transit in a sprawling, car-centric city, Elkind largely attributes the sharp drop in passenger numbers to a lack of housing within walking distance of subway stations.

Elkind ignores market conditions and government policies that favor high-end developments over affordable housing, then blames this housing shortage on “affluent” homeowners defending sparsely populated neighborhoods.

The progressive reflex, which attributes the demise of public transportation to NIMBYism, perfectly complements the right-wing reflex, which attributes the failure of the Silicon Valley bank to an “awakened culture.” It’s a hammer, everything looks like a nail. “

Shelley Laws, Los Angeles

..

About the editor: I just got back from a trip to New York City. On a system twice as long as our LA rail system, I encountered clean cars, respectful drivers, and no apparent drug use. Somehow New York manages to provide decent public transportation all over the city.

Why are our trains dirty?

Our why

do they attract drug use and enable people to verbally threaten drivers? Why are our public spaces magnets for dangerous behavior?

Has our mayor traveled a lot by subway? I predict if she does, we’ll have a second state of emergency in the city.

Esther Margulies, Venice