I read “Subway has L.A. deep in controversy” (Main news, Oct. 25) with shock. There was not one mention of the biggest fear I had when I took the completed section of the subway in downtown Los Angeles. That fear is my being trapped in the event of an earthquake.
How long would it take to find survivors buried so deep? It takes days, even weeks, to sort through the rubble of an above-ground collapsed building. If large bridges in the freeways of San Francisco can collapse and kill under stress from an earthquake, what is to prevent the collapse of a tunnel during an such an event? Building a subway system on and near major active fault lines is a waste of resources and time. The trains should be an elevated system only and never go underground. Were they thinking of the safety of the future riders (tourists, business people, students, children, etc.) when this was approved and construction began? Obviously not. If I ever return to L.A., I plan on staying above ground.
