Counting minutes in ambulance, finding reasons for bridge
Published February 25, 2004
Re: Clearwater doesn't need bridge or more traffic, letter by Bernadette Menz, Feb. 17.
Ms. Menz, we have needed a new Memorial Causeway Bridge since I can remember, when I moved here from San Francisco back in 1988. The construction of the bridge would have cost $28-million back then.
The bridge was a pain back then and has been ever since. Why do we need a new bridge? Here's my heartfelt reason. In 1994 my father, who has since passed away, had a major stroke and we were stuck on the Memorial Causeway drawbridge for more than 10 very stressful minutes. Imagine being in an ambulance with your loved one hooked up to life-supporting machinery with precious minutes passing and no way out. That's the biggest reason I can think of, but that's my personal reason.
The roundabout is the biggest mistake of the century. I own a business on the south beach and live on the north beach. I hit the roundabout coming and going. My mother, who lives on south beach, doesn't like to visit me on the north beach because she hates the roundabout. It's very stressful, as there are too many exits and entrances. A friend of mine was injured on his motorcycle when he slipped on the spray from the fountain and broke his jaw.
Our family misses the library, the Memorial Civic Center, the Jolley Trolley station. I guess it made too much sense. There have been more than 500 reported accidents on the roundabout. How many before with the old way? Very few.
Ms. Menz, if you had attended any of the city meetings you would have known that ferries and monorails had been discussed but voted out due to expense.
-- Marlyn Tracey, Clearwater
Largo runs itself inefficiently
Re: Nightclub payments still due, city says, story, Feb. 21.
The efficiency of Largo government strikes again!
In business, if you have an agreement for ongoing services with another business, they are expected to pay periodically for the goods or services provided. A good business doesn't keep sending products and services to a customer that doesn't pay.
The city apparently felt that even though the customer (the Coliseum nightclub) didn't keep paying the bill for off-duty police protection, that they should keep showing up. What a great deal for the owners. Free security!
City Manager Steve Stanton, please take a look at the Police Department administration. This is another example of their failure to plan ahead, taking money from taxpayers' wallets.
-- Benjamin West, Largo
Walk signal means "Sprint for your life'
Re: Pedestrian accidents.
I happen to be one of those rare Pinellas birds who walks everywhere. Unfortunately, the bus system has too anemic a schedule to accommodate my needs, so I walk, which means I am very dependent on "walk light" signals.
May I suggest to the powers-that-be that if the walk signal button is activated, that the walk light appear for at least 20 seconds before the left-turn signal for traffic activates? This will give the pedestrian time enough (or so I hope) to cross a four-lane street before the left turning vehicles cut them off.
I would really appreciate this one concession for the pedestrian. Face it, the current 21/2 seconds is only long enough to put you in the path of an oncoming vehicle.
-- Maria Ladd, Clearwater
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