Unfettered Letters

McGee Street bridge

Why tear down the McGee Street bridge? (1/3, Opinion, “A blot on downtown’s beauty”) View it as a cornerstone for future enclosure of the highway from Bartle Hall to Oak Street. Use it now for pedestrian traffic by fencing the guardrails and blocking the vehicle access.

James L. Kies
Kansas City

All roads should lead to beauty

I see the “green” initiatives listed on MoDot’s Web site, but conspicuously missing is roadway design. There is nothing more wasteful (and ugly) than unnecessarily blasting away tons of rock (as we’ve done in the Ozarks) so that a roadway can be a laser-beam constant slope and straight as an arrow. Neither is necessary, and neither is elegant design.

Our engineers should be looking at grades in three dimensions and working with the contours instead of simply connecting point A to point B.

Curbing waste in times of declining resources makes good sense in strictly economical terms, but recognizing and working to preserve beauty that already exists really should just be a matter of course.

Aaron Dougherty
Kansas City

Paseo Bridge needs bike lane

I had always expected gasoline prices to set new records, but I still was shocked to spend more than $4 a gallon. Then the Big Three automakers simultaneously needing a bailout certainly was a bigger surprise than that.

Paseo Bridge project director Brian Kidwell needs to take a close look at current events and stop thinking of cycling as recreational (11/18, FYI, “Cyclists push for right of passage; New Paseo Bridge over the river will not have a bike/pedestrian lane”). It’s beyond that for a lot of people, and a dedicated Paseo Bridge bike and pedestrian lane is a definite worthy cause. It’s certainly not too late in the planning to take care of this.

Out in here in the backwoods (Independence) better foresight has been shown. When the Bundschu Bridge was rebuilt a couple of years back, it received dedicated walkways going both ways. And this is in an area that is probably decades from development.

I think the record gas prices will be back sooner than later. The money for the bike lane can be found and would benefit more and more people for years to come.

Mark Breeding
Independence

Tearing up Grand Boulevard

Your article (7/9, Local, “New Grand Boulevard quickly not so grand”) on Grand Boulevard’s asphalt overlay being torn up after recent laying points out a significant lack of cooperation between the permits and public works department. To us this just shortens the life of the overlay by cutting it out. The replacement usually will not last as long.

Hope they get their act together so this does not occur again.

Dean and Ginny Trenter
Kansas City

Repairs to I-435

For the last three years, I have continually called the area MoDOT about the deplorable conditions of the exit and entrance ramps off of 169 Highway onto I-435 in either direction.

Some of them had so many holes and a few were down to the rebar. I have even written to Gov. Matt Blunt and the MoDOT director about this problem.

Finally, after all these years of complaining to anyone who would listen, I can say at last:

“Thank you, MoDOT for doing such a good job on the I-435 and the ramps as well as the resurfacing project with is still ongoing. It is a real pleasure to finally be able to drive on a decent road again.”

Sherry Pierce
Smithville, Mo.

No new parkway needed

In his “As I See It,” Norm Bowers says the southern part of the Kansas City area needs a new parkway (5/31, Opinion). I live near 199th and Metcalf. If I travel east on 199th Street, I come to State Line Road. I make a left to 193rd Street and make a right to Holmes Road, (State D highway), a turn to the left on D Highway, and I am at U.S 59 and a direct route to U.S. 71.

I do not consider this a disjointed system, nor do I consider this a substandard route. I have never felt unsafe at any time. I have never found any gravely roads as was stated. I can make this trip in 15 to 20 minutes doing at or under the speed limit.

The only ones I see to benefit from this parkway are the intermodal park and hundreds of truckers going from I-35 to U.S 71.

This is just another example of government exerting its power over the voters. We have already voted this project down, and here it is again. What part of “no” do you not understand?

Gerald C. Magnenat
Stilwell

Blue Parkway bridge

Michael Foster (5/11, Letters) hit the nail on the head about the bridge over Blue Parkway taking too long to complete. The bridge has been out of commission for nearly two years, and rarely are workers seen at the site (at least not during prime commuting hours).

Adding to the frustration of having a single lane in each direction is the poor traffic control employed on the eastbound side of the bridge. Blocking the center lane east of Cleveland Avenue would be a far better method of forcing cars to choose to turn into a business on the south side of Blue Parkway or be in the correct lane to cross the bridge. Instead, there are three lanes of traffic trying to merge at the last minute.

Since the same traffic crew has blocked the center lane on the westbound approach, it would seem logical to employ it on the eastbound side as well.

Gail Metcalf Schartel
Independence

Bridge taking too long

It’s really great that the Noland Road bridge project was completed before the projected date (4/10, Local, “Span set to reopen — early!”). My concern is the amount of time it is taking to complete the bridge at Blue Parkway and Elmwood Ave. This is ridiculous, especially considering the same company has been contracted to do both bridges.

To leave the Plaza area and drive eastbound, just to have to get into a single-file line (through intersections with traffic signals that are not very well coordinated) during rush hour is cruel and unusual punishment.

Why, oh, why must we continue to suffer? How much longer will it take?

Michael Foster
Kansas City

Where are the bicycle paths?

I attended a public hearing in Jefferson City where Missouri Department of Transportation officials promised members of the Missouri Senate that MoDOT would include bicycling and walking facilities in every project around the state where appropriate.

MoDOT recently presented its plans for Route 45 through an area of Parkville lined with homes, apartments and businesses. Not a bike lane, path or sidewalk is in sight.

Can we trust MoDOT to keep its word when what it says and what it does are so different?

Brent Hugh
Executive director, Missouri Bicycle Federation
Raytown

Illegal U-turns

Jeers to the Lenexa Police Department for allowing all the illegal U-turns at the 95th and I-35 construction site. I work by this area and have come close to having an accident every day of the week. Won’t someone do something to stop this?

Thomas Henry
Overland Park