High-Speed Rail Won’t Relieve Congestion

Re “Rail Issues Lack Easy Fixes,” Editorials, May 5:

Contrary to what your editorial states, high-speed rail will do little to relieve traffic congestion. Traffic is caused by too many commuters driving between their homes and jobs, not by vacationers traveling through the dairy farms and pistachio groves along Interstate 5 between Los Angeles and San Francisco. Spending $25 billion, or $35 million per mile, on a rail system of questionable benefit is insane. Dedicating the resources to developing, upgrading, and expanding urban, commuter-oriented transit systems, such as Metrolink, will do far more to relieve traffic problems and improve quality of life than high-speed rail ever will.

Jeff Diamond

Orange