To the editor:

The recent tragic death of Steve Zinn has brought to light many safety concerns at the intersection of Kansas Highway 10 and 27th Street. Any discussion of this intersection between the city and Kansas Department of Transportation officials must also include the topic of the bike path. It is too horrific to imagine what the results might have been if a biker or runner had also been crossing the highway.

The entire area including the 27th Street and Wakarusa Drive intersection should be reviewed from the standpoint of the bike path. If you are traveling west on 27th Street you must maneuver a bike path that has traffic coming at it from three directions. Once you get to the light and “crosswalk,” you wait on a narrow sidewalk next to traffic entering a highway. The light itself is very brief.

There are no signs anywhere to indicate to drivers they may cross the bike path. For bikers unfamiliar with the bike path, there is no signage to indicate they will be crossing a highway. If you use this path, please share your concerns and experiences using the bike path with the city commissioners and KDOT.

Paula Pepin,

Lawrence