To the editor:

I read a chart in Thursday’s USA Today that described how commuters love their cars. Ninety-one percent go to work in their cars, 5 percent use public transit, and 3 percent walk. In Jane Holtz Kays’ book “Asphalt Nation,” she says, “We buy our cars to go to work, and then we work to buy our cars.”

This tells me that cars have contributed to our health problems. We read news reports about 60 percent of our adult population suffering from obesity. Those statistics tell me that more people walking could improve their health and also save lots of money by avoiding the cost of cars.

The front page article in Friday’s Journal-World once again tells me that our governor has ordered the sale of 739 under-used trucks and cars. It appears that the United States is becoming overcrowded with cars.

How can we solve this problem? The first step could be a change in the location of retail stores. The big-box retailers are built on the outskirts of cities, forcing shoppers to spend more time in their cars. The Lawrence City Commission can help solve this problem by continuing to oppose the new Wal-Mart store at Sixth Street and Wakarusa Drive. If citizens watch where they spend their money, that could be a step in the right direction.

Lester C. Marsh,

Lawrence