The New York Times has an article on the reconstruction of “the 405” in West LA (we’re surprised the Grey Lady even knows where it is), and appears to be taking any opportunity to twist the knife into LA. Some choice quotes:
- “What looms is an alleged three-year marathon of [… littany of woes…], and a reminder of the price paid for the absence of meaningful public transit.”
- ““It’s going to last for three years, but it’s going to take 23 years off my life,” said Jake Lawson, a 40-year-old actor who lives in the San Fernando Valley and now adds an hour to his regular trips to Santa Monica for acting auditions. “I’ve begun turning to my favorite radio station, contemporary Christian, so I can pray to the good Lord to just let me get through this as I’m sitting in traffic for three hours.””
- “There is nothing unusual about people in Los Angeles complaining about traffic (it is not as if they would dare complain about the weather).”
- “(As is the case with most highways in Southern California, this one is referred to simply as “the 405,” rather than “Interstate 405” as it would be called in most other states.)”
- “Private elementary schools are considering how they are going to get school buses across another bridge on Mulholland Drive over Interstate 405 (sorry, the 405) in time for morning classes. Supporters of the Getty Museum are worried that visitors will find another museum to visit during the construction snarls.”
- “Debbie Nussbaum, who lives in Westwood Hills — basically, ground zero for this project — said a driver lost in her neighborhood the other day went winging by at an excessive speed, clipped a bumper on a parked car and flipped over. Ms. Nussbaum said the woman had to be cut from the wreckage, but declined medical treatment and asked only for help in escaping the neighborhood and getting home.”
- “That said, there has always been a sizable contingent, including the author Joan Didion, who spent much of her adult life in Los Angeles, who question the value of even having a car-pool lane, calling it something that does not translate from the neat theory on an engineers’ drafting table to the complicated arteries of Los Angeles.”
If you hadn’t guessed, yes, I’m going to write a rebuttal defending my city. [ETA: Hmmm, they didn’t provide the ability to provide comments. So I emailed the author of the post. NYC may have a better subway system, but dammit… you don’t insult our freeway system. That’s our job.]
