California IN BRIEF : SAN FRANCISCO : Tobacco Ads Ordered Off Transit Vehicles

Tobacco ads have been ordered off city buses and light-rail cars in a move proponents hope will steer passengers away from smoking. Cigarette and alcohol ads were banned from city public transportation by a vote of the Public Utilities Commission a year ago, but because of various contract regulations, the ban did not take effect until the beginning of the year. Dan Liebert, a leading proponent of the ban, said he was inspired by his own .

Don't Move Transportation Funds

I am writing to urge elected officials to vote against transferring transportation funds into the Orange County general fund for the purpose of reducing the deficit. I have several reasons for being adamantly opposed to this plan for solving Orange County's financial crisis. Not only will it result in halting construction of needed freeway modifications, but will decimate the public transportation system. I and my son who lives in the city of Orange both ride the buses and have no alternative to public transportation.

$2 billion to go to update transport

Cuba will spend more than $2 billion over five years to upgrade its dilapidated public transportation system. The Communist Party newspaper Granma quoted Transportation Minister Jorge Luis Sierra as saying the improvements include adding 1,500 buses to the fleet. Other plans include extensive repairs to the potholed main highways across the Caribbean island and the addition of more than 1,000 taxis to urban streets in the coming year.

Can a Car Culture Cure Its Bus Problems?

As a single 60-year-old white female who has used the MTA for more than 10 years as my only source of transportation, I am sympathetic to the plight of Bernadette Murphy's l4-year-old son Jarrod ("You Can't Get There From Here," Metropolis, Nov. 30). I speak English, Spanish and a third language, which I (politely) call "aggression"--an absolute necessity while navigating the bus system. The problem with L.A.'s public transportation is not only the myriad legitimate complaints about the service.

Some Senior Citizens Just Want Equality, Not Privilege

Regarding the article by Van A. France "Senior Citizens Shouldn't Gripe About Nickel Bus Fare Hike (June 2)": Surely he jests. Welcome to the largest lobby group in the whole U.S.A.: Grey Panthers, AARP, etc. On July 1, fares for senior and disabled will be frozen indefinitely at 45 cents peak hours and 15 cents during non-peak hours. Measure M, just voted in, designates $20 million for holding down senior and disabled fares on all public transportation in Orange County. Sorry, Mr. France.

Ticket to ride?

Re "Making Metro grow up," Opinion, Dec. 11 Matthew DeBord's article is noble in its efforts to encourage the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority to become "a mature partner in our transportation destiny," but he incorrectly targets the installation of turnstiles as a means to achieve that maturity.

MTA may create a court for offenses on buses and trains

In an effort to collect fines from scofflaws cited for munching on chips, playing loud music and riding without a ticket on Los Angeles County's commuter trains, officials are considering creating a special court for transit-related offenses. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority collects about $1 million a year in fines, an average of $12 per citation, mostly from passengers caught riding the rails for free. Anyone caught on board without a $1.