quote:
Originally posted by Emmanueld
quote:
Originally posted by cmaddox3
The smog in LA is as bad today as it's ever been. I first visited LA in 1974, made several trips out there in the 1994-1997 timeframe and a visit out there this February, and it's as bad or worse than ever. Between a dearth of rapid transit [which aren't extremely dirty diesel buses] the mountains which ring the metro area and the sheer mass of vehicles, short of everyone driving an electric or at least a hybrid car, there isn't much that the CARB [California Air Resources Board] can do that wouldn't prevolk a massive taxpayer uprising.
Cheers!
Chuck
Chuck, I don't know what you have been smoking but I want some!
"I wouldn't go banco on that, Mr. Bond!" -- Contessa Tracy Draco
Actually, Since I've never smoked, I'm not so sure you'd be satisfied with that.
quote:
Originally posted by Emmanueld
I have been living in LA since 1993 and I use to come over here regularly before. The quality of the air has improved significantly, so much so that smog alerts are now a thing of the past. Now granted, I reside on the west side near the ocean where the air quality is significantly better than in the valley. I remember coming here in the 70's and 80's and there was a blue haze all over the city, it has been gone for at least 10 years. By the way all city buses run on natural gas!
Ok, I'll be open and upfront about the buses... I'm sure they've improved from what I remember in the 1970's. Frankly when I was out in the 1990's what little attention I was paying to buses was in not hitting them while driving about. Although I remember getting caught in some nasty Diesel fumes in the Tustin area where I was doing some work.
I made three or four trips out to LA in the mid-1990's, I flew out one memorable week in February 1995 when I arrived a front had just passed through and the air was so clear that you could see mountains clearly all the way out to the horizon (this was in the Tustin area), by the second day, you could only see a hazy outline of the shapes of the mountains, by Wednesday, only the base of the mountains and a ceiling of smog... If I had arrived on that Thursday, I wouldn't have ever known the mountains were there because there was so much smoggy haze in the air: you simply couldn't see that far.
This February I was in a reasonably swanky part of LA... Wilshire and Rodeo Drive... I could see the Hollywood sign as I was out and about, but man I could see the smog between me and it too. I'll also note that I was pretty much pedestrian on that trip and Wilshire and Rodeo Drive probably doesn't see a lot of bus traffic either I'd wager. It's a little too high rent for that. So I don't have any first hand experience with current bus fumes. But I don't think LA's commuter rail infrastructure compares with NYC's, or DC's or Chicago's. LA is still a place where the car is king. You have that many people driving that many cars in an area bordered by mountains... Smog is going to happen even with comparatively clean running vehicles.
Admittedly, I was only out in LA for a week to 10 days as a near-teen in 1974, and about a week each of my 3-4 trips in the 1990's, and only five days this year. And it's very difficult to state long term progress based on such finite observations. But... I'm from Chicago, a place not exactly known for pristine natural beauty, lakes you can see clear to the bottom of, or a dearth of vehicular traffic. That's what I saw when I was out there. Over all, for a longer stretch of time, perhaps [and probably] the Air-quality is better. But If anyone is planning a trip, Don't be too surprised if you see some smog when you're there. Hmmm... Maybe there were some wildfires that contributed to some of the smog. I don't know.
quote:
Originally posted by Emmanueld
By the way, when you are in LA look me over, we can talk AC428!
Emmanuel
Sounds like a plan should I get out that way! Likewise if you ever find yourself in the Windy City!
Cheers!
-- Chuck