Willow Glen Resident

Letters & Opinions

Speak Out

Give us equality:
a full third lane

Joe Buczek's letter last week promoted diagonal parking on Lincoln Avenue as a solution. This idea may reduce the speeds on Lincoln, but it would create a succession of rear-ender accidents, which is not the answer. The answer is to eliminate the wasteful carpool lane proposed on Freeway 87. When 87 first opened south of Interstate 280, for two weeks, Lincoln Avenue was heaven on earth. Many do not recall, but the traffic immediately left Lincoln and used the new freeway--until the horrible traffic jam started. This jam still continues today because 87 is only two lanes. Lincoln Avenue, for a short period, experienced mainly vehicle traffic, which was "neighborhoodly," as it is supposed to be.

So-called environmentalists have never calculated the number of gallons of gas burned and wasted in the horrible southbound 87 evening commute. We also breathe that waste. Additionally, the cost of now adding the third lane, which is currently under construction, is probably almost the same in dollars as it took to build the entire freeway back then. That is how our elected representatives have treated us, the taxpayers, and around here; they're soon going to ask us for more. When the two-lane freeway was built, most of us with even half a brain knew that it should have been at least three lanes. As we saw, heaven on Lincoln only lasted two weeks. You could actually park near La Villa and buy your ravioli with a bit of joy and convenience.

Our neighborhood north-south streets, such as Meridian, Bird, Lincoln and Vine-Almaden, are still suffering from the traffic that should be on a six-lane Freeway 87, without wasteful carpool lanes.

Gary Jansen

Willow Glen