Good Intentions Give Way to Sprawl
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Re “Swallowed by Urban Sprawl,” Oct. 18: Riverside County Supervisor Tom Mullen says the solution to the sprawl problems in Riverside and San Bernardino is to spend $13 billion on four new highways. This is his “innovative way to deal with” the problem. His solution is like suggesting a heavy wire brush is the solution to poison oak.
More highways lower the time and cost of travel. Demand increases as costs are reduced. When people can travel farther in the same amount of time, they will live farther away. This will mean the demand for cheap houses on the current edge will increase, and sprawl will only get worse.
To those stewing in their own exhaust in Riverside while commuting to jobs in Orange County: Quit whining. That’s why your house was so cheap.
Alex Smith
Los Angeles
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