Letter: LI must make it easier not to use cars

Happy Car Free Day, and many more! Getting out of our internal combustion cars and into alternatives, including electric ones, public transit, bikes and walking, isn’t just necessary for public health, but to counter the climate crisis [“LIers prepare for Car Free Day,” News, Sept. 18].

Less reliance on cars would mean radical change for Long Islanders. Our communities have been built to be navigated by car. But 29% of greenhouse gas emissions come from transportation, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, and the largest source is passenger cars and light-duty trucks. We can’t continue with business as usual.

Bus routes need to be beefed up and bike lanes improved. We must build an electric-charging infrastructure to encourage the purchase of electric cars. We need to encourage more development of housing near mass transit.

President Donald Trump’s efforts to claw back emissions standards notwithstanding, these are policies we must implement to reach the New York Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act’s goals of 85% reduction in greenhouse gases by 2050. I think Long Islanders are ready to be progressive on the climate crisis.

Jay Blackman,

  East Meadow

Editor’s note: The writer is a member of the Town of Hempstead’s Sustainability Leadership Team.

Let’s be honest, one needs a car on Long Island.

Our buses do not operate like those in Europe. Our trains do not always operate on time. Our trains run only east and west, not north and south. I’m all for conservation, but public transportation on Long Island is not user friendly.

Monica Klein,

  Deer Park

Saudis led attacks on Sept. 11, 2001

We seem to have a short memory of 9/11. Most of the hijackers who crashed planes into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, and who possibly intended to target the White House, were Saudi Arabians. They killed thousands of civilians.

It seems to me that they are perfectly capable of making war with Iran without our help [“U.S.: Iran’s attack ‘act of war,’  ” News, Sept. 19]. We need to keep out of this one.

Marilyn Gutierrez,

  West Islip