Want a hassle-free commute? Ditch your car.

The op-ed piece by Jonathan Rogers (“The daily hassles of life in Baltimore appear to be getting worse,” July 18) is a flagrant, although unlikely intentional, endorsement of prioritizing cars when considering transit inconveniences.

If I understand correctly, Mr. Rogers’ commute from Cross Keys to the Inner Harbor is a mere 6 miles. There are cities in the world that now ban those short-distance commutes due to burgeoning vehicular congestion and its negative impact on air quality. According to Google Maps, if Mr. Rogers rode his bicycle, it would take him 43 minutes to get to work. A safe cycling route would easily engender less hassle and a much better quality of life, two things Mr. Rogers is seeking during his daily commute.

Unfortunately, Google Maps does not offer a viable route option via bus, light rail for subway for Mr. Rogers. This is something about which our city and those who run it should be highly concerned: the lack of quality, reliable public transportation. In this day and age with so much widespread understanding of the ill effects of dependence on fossil fuel consumption, the citizens of Baltimore ought to be demanding our mayor and elected officials think outside the box when developing solutions to blocking the box and its inherent result in almost constant traffic delays.

Better roads in Baltimore is not just about fixing potholes, but making sure all streets are safe, efficiently used and suitable for everybody, no matter how we get around.