L.A. Traffic

* Mayor Richard Riordan’s plan to convert Olympic and Pico to one-way “super-boulevards” (March 11) is excellent and will significantly reduce east-west traffic bottlenecks in the Los Angeles Basin.

The various environmentalists and “NIMBYs” arrayed against the plan are well-intentioned, but miss the mark. Their continued resistance to improved traffic flow throughout the city will not so much encourage Southern Californians to use public transportation as induce them to move to Phoenix, Denver, Portland and Seattle. Unfortunately those who leave will take their businesses (and critical jobs) with them.

Environmentalists and traffic planners are right to push for conservation and a cleaner environment. But their tools should be car-pool lanes and more stringent emission standards rather than opposition to the mayor’s quite sensible suggestions for better traffic flow.

TAD SMITH

Los Angeles

* The creation of one-way, seven-lane “super-boulevards” in Los Angeles to create “more efficient ways to transport people” seems to be a good idea. How about some “bicycle boulevards” too--multi-mile residential streets (not commercial thoroughfares) dedicated to bicycles, and possibly also mopeds. Let’s take a lead from our bicycle-aficionado Mayor Riordan, who said in that story, “we need to be more innovative.”

GREGORY WRIGHT

Sherman Oaks