American Notes CALIFORNIA

If Los Angeles were a human being, it would be suffering a near terminal case of arteriosclerosis. Last week Mayor Tom Bradley unveiled a proposal that is the equivalent of a low-cholesterol diet: banning 70% of heavy-duty trucks during morning and evening rush hours in the hope of unclogging the city's blocked traffic arteries and reducing Los Angeles' notorious smog. The plan would require the cooperation of many of the city's biggest businesses, which would be asked to stay open to receive and load goods for a four-hour period between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m.