To the editor:

Thomas Langas’ letter in support of the T was certainly refreshing. As he notes, one does not expect a car dealer to come out in favor of alternatives to private vehicles for transportation. But his comments also point out how some of the first people to feel the benefits of public transportation are drivers.

How many cars does each full T bus replace on the road? Twenty? Thirty? I know the T is never full, but imagine that it was. That would mean less emission and cleaner air for all of us. Less traffic. More professional drivers and fewer cell phone talkers pulling out onto Iowa. More ways for people to get home from the bar without driving through your lawn or killing you. Did I mention less traffic?

We should all support and improve the T even if we don’t ride, because we all benefit. At the moment, I support the sales tax initiatives because you can’t improve a system that’s not there, though I do have to grit my teeth to vote for a regressive tax. As a vehicle owner myself, I would rather see a personal property tax associated with new car purchases to fund the T. After all, who among us will enjoy those empty streets and clean air the most on a perfect October Sunday for an afternoon drive?

Ben Chappell
Lawrence