Spend freeway money on mass transit

Ahwatukee Foothills News
12-14-05

Dear Editor:

The money earmarked for the proposed Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway would be better spent on improving mass transit.

Jeff Ludwig [Ahwatukee Foothills News letters Nov. 25] correctly points out that there will be energy problems shortly after the proposed completion date of the freeway, but he overstates his case when he says that fossil fuel will be gone by the year 2019.

Many predictions indicate that the rate of world crude oil production will begin to decline sometime before 2019.

United States' natural gas production ­ but not the world production ­ may begin to decline even before crude oil. Prices for these commodities are expected to increase sharply after the production decline begins. The United States has large reserves of coal, but coal is not directly suitable for use as fuel for cars and trucks.

The increase in traffic volume predicted by ADOT will not happen. The city would be better off to spend the Loop 202 money for building an elevated train system on our existing freeways as Mr. Ludwig suggests, or perhaps to use it to develop commuter rail in the West Valley.

Jack Edmonds