To the editor:

I am not aware of any discussions about traffic in relation to the library expansion proposals.

Surely someone is researching how an expanded library, 300 living units, 110,000 square fee of retail space and 800 or more parking spaces will alter downtown. These numbers were taken from one of the proposed plans.

Downtown is tightly situated between the river, South Park, Old West Lawrence and East Lawrence. There is no room to expand. Expanding up, as the developers suggest, will add square footage, but how do they propose to expand our street capacity?

Sixth Street near Kentucky Street has the highest traffic count in the city of Lawrence. According to the KDOT Traffic Count Map available on the City of Lawrence Web site, the traffic count on Sixth Street, at 32,900 cars a day, exceeds every count on 23rd Street. Aren’t some voices in our community crying out over the heavy traffic on 23rd Street? How can one location need a bypass, but the other location, with a higher traffic count and no expansion possibilities, is being considered for more development?

The Retail Market Survey of January 2006, also available on the city Web site, indicates a 7.2 percent vacancy rate for retail space downtown. This is the highest in the city.

Downtown development will affect many generations to come, and it is vital that traffic planning experts are part of the process.

Renee Marsh,

Lawrence