The recent letter to the editor by Edgewater resident Brett Barnes arguing that “transit is valuable, but it cannot fully replace cars for workers, families and seniors” misses an obvious and crucial point: It already does in Tokyo, Hong Kong, London, Paris, Seoul and most major cities outside the U.S.
These are global cities where the majority of people move efficiently without relying on cars. Public transit there isn’t a fallback. It’s the backbone of daily life. Families take their kids to school on the subway. Seniors shop, visit doctors and see friends without needing to drive. Workers commute across vast metropolitan regions quickly and reliably — all without circling the block in search of parking.
Chicago has the bones of such a system but lacks the political will to make it happen. Instead, we continue to pour money and land into parking, which only encourages more driving, more congestion and less investment in transit. The “old-fashioned” insistence that cars are essential becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. If you keep designing cities around cars, people will need them.
The amount of space that devours our cities due to the unpleasant transport mechanism is insane. Parking garages and highways are ugly and unnecessary with top-level public transport.
The choice isn’t between cars or chaos. It’s between doubling down on outdated, car-dependent planning or learning from cities that have shown us a better way forward. Chicago can’t become Tokyo overnight, but it won’t get there at all if we let fear of change keep us idling at the curb.
Michael Davis, Humboldt Park
Quiet commentary
In the bottom half of the first inning in the recent Cubs games against the Rockies, I heard Jim Deshaies say something rarely heard in television commentary in response to a funny question from his fine partner: “I haven’t given much thought to that.” Might all our television pundits take a page from Deshaies’ good book. If you haven’t thought about it, shut up!
Jack Murphy, South Shore
Carp contention
Would someone please remind Donald Trump that the issue of invasive carp affects more than just Illinois? It affects every state bordering the Great Lakes, including those that, unfortunately, support him. It affects the ecosystem, the fishing industry, tourism, restaurants and more. Furthermore, the money to to help stop invasive carp from entering the Great Lakes was already approved. Knowing that Trump doesn’t care much for rules, just this once, maybe he could use some common sense, get over his petty personal gripes with Gov. JB Pritzker, and do something sensible and move forward with the plan?
Laurence Siegel, Manteno
School shootings, politicians’ response are both tragic
Once again we have to deal with another mass school shooting, this time in Minneapolis. Twenty-one people were injured and two children were killed. As sad as this is, many politicians in Washington, D.C., will do nothing but offer their thoughts and prayers. They are good at that, but not much else, unless you count being a lapdog to the president as a good thing.
Richard Barber, Mount Greenwood