Rail Service
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“Bad Rail Service Began L.A.’s Auto Obsession,” by Scott Bottles, (Opinion, Sept. 13), attempts to whitewash the intentional destruction of the prior transportation system by the auto, tire and oil industries. Much of this article is well thought out, but it “falls apart” when it conveniently omits discussion of the excellent, efficient and smokeless trolley buses which were extensively utilized on Los Angeles streets.
They drew their power from electricity and did not pollute the city as do the diesel-powered buses that we suffer with today. These trolley-buses were exterminated, as were the rights-of-way for the rail systems--rights-of-way that are prohibitively expensive today. Although some of the rail lines did indeed create traffic congestion on city streets, there were many rail lines to distant Southern California cities that used little street area.
EDMUND C. STANLEY
Los Angeles
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