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Letter to the editor

Today's Letters: A new vision would free downtown of automobiles

If the owners of the Tampa Bay Rays want to create a new vision for downtown St. Petersburg, one that considers all of the residents of St. Petersburg rather than simply the baseball fans, one vision that will take us deep into the 21st century, then let's talk about a really new vision.

I suggest that the area from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Street to the bay, between Fifth Avenue N and Fifth Avenue S, be reconfigured as an automobile-free zone.

That immediately eliminates one of the most challenging problems facing the new stadium, that being how to get all of those people in and out of downtown and where to put all those cars.

Why redevelop a parking lot, then build new parking lots downtown, when you can instead park all of the cars at Tropicana Field and allow the people to walk or take electric trolleys into the heart of downtown?

Well-lighted walkways lined with shops and restaurants would guide baseball fans and all visitors to the downtown area and would provide the economic buy-in that otherwise is lacking in this plan.

Pedestrians are what make a downtown tick, not cars. Downtown transportation priorities would be pedestrians, bicycles, trolleys and buses, with automobiles as an afterthought.

Each of those four means of transportation would be allotted a dedicated throughway, with walking on the outside of each street, bicycles inside of that, a lane for buses, and rail in the middle. The rail could be confined largely to First Avenue N and S in a simple loop, and would serve only to move large numbers of people into a general area from which all of downtown would be within easy walking distance.

This plan also anticipates needed modifications to our approach to the global carbon budget by reducing automobile traffic and pollution. As far as the Tropicana Field site is concerned, at least 50 percent of that property would remain available for development, and since space must be allotted somewhere for downtown parking, why waste valuable downtown property in lieu of the Tropicana site?

Certainly this plan would entail some disruption to downtown life, but not nearly as much as will the present proposal and on a temporary, rather than permanent, basis.

Bill Arnold, St. Petersburg

Downtown parking

$17.50 tab added to meal

Three of us went to downtown St. Petersburg the other day for lunch. We parked in a 90-minute spot up the street from BayWalk, went to one of the restaurants and had lunch. We waited for 30 minutes for our order (they didn't know we were in a hurry), had our lunch and then walked around for a while looking in some shops. Then we stopped in the gelato store over by the bay, ate our gelato and then walked back to the car.

It seems we were 12 minutes over our 90-minute limit. We spent more than $50 and then had to pay $17.50 for a parking ticket.

I guess I'll be back - it's so nice - but only if I'm in a hurry.

Patrick Lucey, Palm Harbor

Stay away, beggars told

I certainly hope I can get somebody's attention regarding lone women and "beggars."

We do not like being approached by people, especially men, while we are out in public tending to our business - especially at night, for crying out loud.

Does anybody realize how traumatizing it is to be out alone (we can't always have someone by our side) after dark and have a stranger approach us?

To you who are living on the streets because you choose not to let yourselves be helped by the many organizations that are out there to help with your needs: Don't approach us women, please.

I hope among you there are at least some who are able to read and will see this letter, take it to heart and spread this message.

It isn't that we don't want to help you. All we want is to see you get help by taking advantage of the many organizations that we help support with our donations.

One other thing. If you must sleep on the sidewalks, which by the way I and all other taxpaying citizens help provide, have your stuff cleared by morning so that we can safely navigate the streets of St. Petersburg on pavement that is provided to keep pedestrians safe.

Anne Marie Jorgensen, St. Petersburg

Move ended paper career

I recently returned to this area and finally decided to let you know that a little over 50 years ago I worked for the St. Petersburg Evening Independent, your afternoon newspaper. I worked for them for about seven years. Of course, my "boss" may not have given them my name because I was just a "paperboy" then.

I began selling the newspaper when I was 7 years old in front of the Winn-Dixie food store on Madeira Beach. After about a year and a half, I began loading "papers" onto my bicycle and selling them around the beach at various businesses.

I then began to bicycle to a Treasure Island intersection, where I sold papers to the passengers/drivers of passing autos.

I did that for a couple of years before moving on to delivering the paper to residents of the Madeira Beach area.

I ended up moving to Boston when I was 14 years old, and thus ended my career with the Evening Independent - unfortunately. But that's another true story.

Best wishes to all for all the holidays.

R. "Larry" Woodard, Port Richey

'Black Nativity' praised

Thank you to all who made possible the production of Black Nativity. What a terrific holiday gift to the Tampa Bay area. The show was professional in every detail, exuded high energy and reflected an incredible amount of work on the part of many individuals.

Thanks to the performers and their families, to the directors and choreographer, to the Palladium, to the sponsors and producers and supporters. I had a smile on my face from the opening notes until the final curtain call.

The event is on my "must see" calendar for next year.

Kitty Pelster Rawson, St. Petersburg

[Last modified December 18, 2007, 21:20:28]