Transit Systems

Local transit officials are closely monitoring the investigation of Monday's deadly train wreck in Washington, D.C., because major parts of Los Angeles' subway rely on an automated train control system similar to the one targeted for scrutiny by investigators.

Demetrius McClain's late-morning commuter train sped smoothly past strip malls and palm trees, heading north to his job in Ft. Lauderdale, about 30 miles away. McClain, a Web designer, started riding the train in May. The choice between the train and his car was a no-brainer: Gas prices were more than $3.60 a gallon and climbing. His commute on the Tri-Rail -- which connects Miami to Ft. Lauderdale and points north -- cost him $4 per day.

Re " 'Subway to Sea' timetable too long for Villaraigosa," Jan. 7 The need for a comprehensive subway system in Los Angeles far outweighs the legal requirement for community input and environmental impact analysis. Our city cannot afford to waste decades debating where to lay the tracks. We deserve to have transit projects started immediately and completed on the scale of years, not generations. The hardships endured by commuters here are enough to justify the declaration of a state of emergency, which will expedite the construction of projects paid for by Measure R funds.

Scott Martelle's article ["Seeing Green in San Diego," Nov. 23] leaves the erroneous impression that the city's public transit consists solely of trolleys. In fact, the three trolley lines are integrated with an extensive bus system, and day passes access both. Frequent buses to the San Diego Zoo and SeaWorld connect with trolley stations throughout downtown, at the Amtrak depot and in Old Town. Tourists can reach all key attractions easily without needing a car. David Smollar San Diego

Federal authorities warned Wednesday that recent intelligence indicates that Al Qaeda may be plotting a terrorist attack on the subway or on other transit systems in New York City during the holidays. U.S. officials stressed that the information, gathered by the FBI, had not been corroborated and said there was no indication that the suspected plot had progressed beyond preliminary discussion among operatives linked to Al Qaeda.

One of the more intriguing mass transit projects that has been talked about for years -- they usually require decades of talk before actually getting built -- is the downtown connector, also known as the regional connector. It's a line that would connect present and future light-rail lines, the idea being to eliminate time-munching transfers.

Welcome aboard Metro -- the buses and trains that are boarded 1.4 million times every weekday. Once on board, you'll probably have to stand in the aisle, because thousands more riders have already crowded ahead of you. Daily boardings on Metro -- L.A. County's principal mass-transit system -- are rebounding after a 20-year dip. Passenger loads on commuter rail are up an average of 15% in 2008, while bus ridership has risen 8%.

Darryl Adams was an advisor to the school newspaper at South East High School in South Gate when he refused the principal's request to cancel publication of a student-written editorial criticizing random searches on campus. He was removed from the post last year after the confrontation, lost his basketball coaching position and was prevented from continuing to announce football games at school. On Monday, the state Senate approved a measure inspired by Adams' story that prohibits an employee from being dismissed or otherwise retaliated against for acting to protect a student's speech in school newspapers.

Last week, I took a ride on the Green Line, the light-rail line along the 105 Freeway that connects Norwalk and Redondo Beach. Well, sort of connects them. First, the line starts a mile short of the Norwalk Metrolink station, then steers clear of LAX and ends on the edge of Redondo Beach at a station surrounded by the 405 Freeway, a Volkswagen dealership, a utility substation and a Northrop Grumman plant.