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Letter: Questions Need For Walkway Over Progress Parkway

To The Editor:

An elevated walkway over Progress Parkway between the community center and the waterpark? Seriously?

I’ve seen elevated walkways over interstates, but never over a two-lane county road.

I’ve never seen them over multi-lane highways.

You know what they use? Crosswalks.

Some paint, a few signs, and voila!  

Now let’s apply a bit of reasoning here: Who is going to climb a flight of stairs — 28 steps or more for clearance — walk over the two-lane road, then walk down 28 or more steps, when all they would have to do is cross the street?

Perhaps we want an ADA (Americans with Disability Act) compliant walkway?  The maximum slope is 1:12, so to have a 14-foot clearance, we would need 168 feet of ramp (plus landings, 5 feet by 5 feet). An elevator instead? Hmm.

You know what works at Country Mart and other grocery stores? A curb ramp and stop signs! Think traffic would not stop? Reduce the speed before the crosswalk and put in speed bumps.

People, there are safe, frugal alternatives to this elevated walkway.

The plan is a waste of money. Makes me wonder who benefits from the boondoggle.

Ed Taylor,

Ste. Genevieve County

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