To the editor:

On July 4th, I was pleased to have a nice view of the city fireworks show on the drive back into town from the west around 10:30 p.m. I took the trafficway south to continue to view the display and exited at Clinton Parkway. That was a mistake.

All along the exit ramps on both sides were parked cars with people sitting in lawn chairs. I believe it’s illegal to stop on ramps except for emergencies. I turned onto Clinton Parkway to drive east into town, and as soon as the street widened to two lanes, the outer lanes on both sides became a parking lot. At least this time most of the people were sitting in lawn chairs on the sidewalk.

At the roundabout, cars had pulled up onto the grass, and, then again, cars filled the outer lanes, sometimes double parked, for at least two blocks. I understand there was limited parking at the show and no parking on the dam. Your article said that “parking will be available only in specified locations.” Were Clinton Parkway and the exit ramps specified locations? If not, where were the police and why weren’t they forcing people to move or giving out tickets?

Surely sitting on a lawn chair on a exit ramp isn’t any safer than standing on the bridge over the river, which I believe is the reason the show was moved to the lake in the first place. This whole mess needs serious rethinking for next year.

Laura Wilson,
Lawrence