Letters to the Editors

U.S. 19 proposals will only increase risk of accidents

Re: Drivers aren't using right-turn lanes properly, letter, July 29, and Right turn lanes need barricades, letter, Aug. 4.

Making a continuous right-turn lane is like adding another through lane, making U.S. 19 an eight-lane road instead of six. The additional lane will be taken over by the speed demons for passing. As for educating the public in proper use of the right-turn lane, you can forget it.

Warning: There will be accidents and serious injuries or deaths of innocent persons because of the continuous right-turn lane.

Another stupid, crazy idea is the plan to add sidewalks alongside U.S. 19. It is like adding sidewalks to the interstates. This simply adds more danger to the pedestrian and to the driver negotiating a right turn or re-entry.

Both projects represent the height of stupidity and should be stopped immediately. Stop wasting money.
-- G.B. Middlekauff, Palm Harbor

Garage, trolley could fix beach parking problems

Re: Clearwater Beach parking problems.

It sounds to me like the Clearwater City Commission is beating a dead horse as far as beach parking is concerned. There is an easy solution to resolve this problem. Put the parking garage in the Coachman Park area downtown, charging a nominal fee that would include a Jolley Trolley or a ferryboat ride to move people to their beach destination.

This has been tried during a past jazz festival, and it was very successful.

As we all know, there are certain periods or seasons when heavy parking is not that necessary and adjustments would be simple. Also, shops built on street level of the garage would help defray any cost overruns.
-- Lee and Alex Matter, Clearwater

Paint would help ease McMullen-Booth congestion

Re: Seeking to ease road's load, story, July 27, and Planners' solutions fall short of solving traffic problems, letter, Aug. 15.

I have driven up and down McMullen-Booth Road from Drew Street to Tampa Road numerous times in the past few months, and it doesn't take a genius to see how easy it would be to solve some of the problems. All the city/county would need is about 20 or 30 gallons of paint.

Yes, paint! If they would restripe every intersection that has a stoplight so it would include a right-turn lane, the traffic flow could continue instead of slowing down for people to turn. The intersection of McMullen-Booth Road and Enterprise Road is a perfect example of where a right-turn lane is badly needed to keep everything moving along.

Paint could solve some of the traffic concerns and only take a day to complete. It would be a quick and inexpensive fix, but that's probably too easy a solution for government.
-- Maura K. Hedrich, Clearwater

Veterans of Korean War deserve recognition, too

Re: Veteran's project is one worth supporting, letter, Aug. 7, and Veteran, wife honor local war dead, story, July 12.

It was very nice of Pat Laursen of Dunedin to put up a memorial for World War II and Vietnam veterans. But I wish he would have also included Korean veterans.

When life is lost, especially when given for one's country, there should be some recognition. Even though most people called it a conflict, it was a war for those who were there and for those who lost their lives there.

I think it was an oversight. All should be recognized if a person gave his life for his country. I'm sure that there had to have been some from Dunedin who served in Korea and died there.
-- Ed Smith, Oldsmar

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