Lawrence Journal-World letters to the editor

To the editor:

Disappointingly, Thursday night, Kansas Department of Transportation representatives did not have all the answers to reasonably support the plan to close access to the South Lawrence Trafficway from the Farmer’s Turnpike. The safety impact of this change caused by the increased traffic on deadly U.S. Highway 40, was not properly measured in its planning.

Residents are reasonably scared and angry. KDOT is convinced that its plan will be safer for SLT and Turnpike users. While perhaps not perfect, there is a middle ground to utilize that plan that was not offered by KDOT which our county commissioners should insist be part of the formula.

Simply, KDOT and the Kansas Turnpike Authority need to agree on a means of providing free access to the Turnpike to those persons getting on at the new proposed Farmer’s Turnpike exchange and off at the SLT exit, a distance of less than two miles. The free toll should go both ways.

This is not rocket science and is technologically relatively simple. Without a free pass, many of these individuals will burden U.S. 40 and further endanger both themselves and the residents who must already use it.  While some will say the cost of the toll will be modest, our knowledge of human behavior tells us that a toll will deter use, no matter how small.

Douglas County residents pay a substantial proportion of the Turnpike annual revenue, and this concession is only reasonable for the safety and good will of the residents of this county.