Inspired by Bogotá’s TransMilenio!

(Photo: Scott Dalton for The New York Times)

While reading the New York Times online, I spied this picture and immediately my thoughts went to Los Angeles... this picture captures Bogotá’s rapid transit, TransMilenio, and it looks quite similar to the image in my brain. I have long thought that Los Angeles should put a major subway-type-system right down the middle of the freeways and cut back on lanes rather than adding more, which unfortunately they continue to do.

If you've been to Los Angeles, it's a safe bet you've witnessed or experienced the most horrific traffic of your life and it sucked. Not only a waste of time, but a waste of energy, increased pollution, fumes, less social interaction, and less use of one's own limbs.

I am not just singling out LA... all cities, towns and the like should adopt such programs. I have a few friends in Austin now and they constantly are telling me just how "green" it is. Though I agree for the most part, it's reliance on the car limits my ability to think of it as truly "green". Our independence from the car is closely connected and key to combating climate change.

I remain hopeful our country will pull itself out from under all this bureaucratic baloney and make some good + necessary changes. In the meantime it's inspiring to see developing countries take the lead.

Please check out the New York Times article and video (The Buses of Bogotá), HERE and HERE.