Life In Low Gear

Like other cities you mention in your article "Trapped Behind the Wheel," my former hometown, Washington, suffers from horrendous traffic jams ((LIVING, July 20)). The alternatives you offer commuters are to accept the situation or fight it with little chance of success. My advice: move to a small town. In my new hometown, Albion, Mich. (population approximately 10,000), a traffic jam occurs only when a train goes through, and even then the traffic is cleared in five minutes.

Maggie LaNoue

Albion, Mich.

You overlooked America's forgotten railways as an alternative to crowded highways. Tens of thousands of miles of underutilized railroads could be transformed into medium- to high-speed transportation networks, particularly in the Northeast, Midwest and Sunbelt. Similarly, the great railway capillary systems of cities like Houston, Los Angeles and Detroit, which were once used extensively for freight delivery, could be developed into useful commuter routes.

George Haikalis

New York City

Genentech Inc. has been purchasing a collection of recorded books for its commuting employees. Having a book read aloud while driving has become an addiction and a joy.

John Patton

South San Francisco

Your article did not mention one gridlock pastime that I have seen on several occasions: drivers saying the Rosary.

Mark D'Alfonso

Santa Barbara, Calif.