PAUL GLOVER ESSAYS: community control of food, fuel, housing, health care, planning, education, finance.

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FROM FREEWAY TO FREERAY

The car-clogged road grid, using fifty percent of city land, gradually becomes orchard looped with bikeways and solar rail.
The process takes many decades. Shown here is the Pomona Freeway crossing one mile of Boyle Heights.

PRESENT: 3,000-pound cars propel 150-pound people along concrete and asphalt streets.

STAGE 1: Some alleys are depaved for shared vegetable cropping. Smaller cars are required. More bikes are used for travel within one mile.

STAGE 2: Most alleys are removed. Cars are parked at neighborhood's edge. Bus systems are expanded.

STAGE 3: All alleys are removed. Solar bikes are common.

STAGE 4: Progressive Street Reclamation continues as pieces of streets are replaced by fruit and nut trees. Rail systems start interneighborhood transfers. Bikeways are built just south of the freeway.

STAGE 5: Expanded rail network is powered by solar focal collectors. One lane of solar rail is installed on the freeway. Bikeways reach farther. Auto traffic is halved.

STAGE 6: Solar rail takes half the freeway. Bikeways are nearly complete.
The most travelled walks are relaid as brilliant mosaics.

STAGE 7: Most physical and emotional needs are met within walking distances.
Cars are gone.