Freeway park idea and other options

Re “Hollywood plots a coverup -- to create a freeway park,” Nov. 1

Fantastic idea. I’ve thought of such a park over the 101 Freeway, but in downtown. The most ideal place would be between Grand Avenue and Hill Street, on one side of Our Lady of the Angels Cathedral and the other the new arts high school. The city could get an agreement with the cathedral to open up the plaza so the freeway park could eventually connect to the plaza.

The 110 and 101 are both below-grade freeways in downtown, and it wouldn’t hurt to cap them with green space, thus integrating the neighborhoods on both sides of the freeway.

GERALD SEQUEIRA

Las Vegas

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It seems the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce and Los Angeles City Councilman Tom LaBonge have a bad case of tunnel vision. The below-grade Hollywood Freeway is not “a giant scar through Hollywood.” It avoids the visual separation of the community caused by roadways on man-made 30-foot hilltops. Bob Hope is said to have been instrumental in placing the 134 Freeway through Toluca Lake below grade for the same reason.

The estimated $209 million would be better spent buying hundreds of half-million dollar properties and building multiple parks throughout the area. Those parks would serve more Hollywood neighborhoods than a 24-acre strip over the 101.

ROY W. RISING

Valley Village

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The money needed for a feasibility study regarding whether or not we could tunnel the 101 Freeway in order to provide more green space can be better spent. Given the tunnel collapses, cost overruns and scheduling nightmares of Boston’s Big Dig project, Los Angeles should not even be considering such a proposal when more suitable options already exist.

A project that has already had numerous feasibility studies and is cost-comparative is the re-greening of the Los Angeles River, a vision that would give Angelenos a public park more accessible to numerous city residents across economic lines, not just affluent Hollywood types. This project would provide a better quality of life for all, not just those burdened by traffic at Hollywood Boulevard.

MICHAEL FAULKNER

Los Angeles