[Tobra]

The layout of the LA area has been repeated all over the state, indeed the country. Property developers pay(the legislature, city/county supervisors, whatever palm wants greasing) for the priviledge of building on land they purchased cheaply. In Sacramento, it is land aquired at a low price because it is a flood plain. Good for a few, bad for everyone else. Same way the airport here got built where it is. Terrible spot for an airport, but the county supervisors who owned it and chose the location were willing to sell the property to the county at a small premium. Bunch of freakin' crooks running the game.

There was a time when the lower deck of the Bay Bridge in SF/Oakland was 100% truck and train traffic. That went away, and it was not due to the public interest being served. Your friends at Goodyear, Firestone and the Petroleum Industry had a bit to do with that decision.

There are not going to be less cars and people anytime soon. If they are not getting from here to there on a train or bus, they are in a car. People in Cali are not going to ride their bicycles, it is that simple. It may not be a good answer, but mass transit is the only one out there. LA, San Diego and most of California are just not laid out for it. SF Bay Area has decent mass transit, but has the population density to support it.

Monorail does not solve the problem of crossings. Easier to have the cars go over the tracks than the tracks go over the cars. If we could just get enough of the right people to unsuccessfully attempt to traverse the existing RR crossings, the problem would be solved.