Our systems are already overloaded

I would like to reply to Travis Snider’s June 22 op-ed column entitled “R-51 will address transportation mess,” as follows: It would probably take ten years before R-51 would make a noticeable difference in our traffic problems – even if then.

California built, built and built and they still found they were always behind. Travis Snider’s letter did not mention what brought this road congestion problem into such an advanced stage. There is one word that pretty well describes the reason: misrule. The authorities decide how many houses are to be built and where they can build them. They have been putting more and more people on a maxed out road system. The secondary roads are basically as they were 75 years ago when I was a kid. To further make my point, there is a back road I use to go to Arlington due to the lack of traffic. But now there are five large developments going in on this back road, and each house spells three cars. About a week ago they redid the railway crossing at north Lakewood. The traffic would quickly back up a mile. Can you possibly imagine what it will be like traffic-wise if they try to upgrade these maxed out roads? A horror story in the making.

Arlington