Dear Editor,
Traffic World reported Oct.9 (page 15) that if we sent 213,000
truckloads annually via intermodal rail, rather than over-the-road,
we would
”
prevent 667,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide being released to
the atmosphere.
”
Dear Editor,
Traffic World reported Oct.9 (page 15) that if we sent 213,000 truckloads annually via intermodal rail, rather than over-the-road, we would “prevent 667,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide being released to the atmosphere.”
But we have had no intermodal facilities in either Silicon Valley or Salinas Valley for 25 years, so shippers and receivers have no choice to move freight except via highway.
In fact, this is the largest urban area in North America without intermodal facilities. Neither AMBAG nor VTA even know what one is, let alone having one on their long-range congestion management plans.
Instead, they blame “senior citizens driving their gas guzzlers to Safeway” for causing smog and air pollution. Then, the hypocrites to whom we have entrusted transport planning proclaim “free public transit” on “spare the air days.” George Orwell, author of the famous books Animal Farm and 1984, would recognize this newspeak from AMBAG and VTA. If true transport professionals were running things, then at that rate, in the past 25 years, we would have prevented 16,675,000 metric tons of CO2 from entering our air. So, is it we seniors and our gas guzzlers, or do we have incompetent transport planners at AMBAG and VTA?
Joe Thompson, Gilroy
