To the editor:

The Journal-World editorial “Streets First” was a standard move-the-metal homage to the automobile, supporting a City Hall effort to move $1 million from a dedicated bike-pedestrian fund into the general transportation fund. At least that’s what Public Works Director Chuck Soules wants. He does have a valid point.

Sidewalk and bikeway construction does in many cases need to be coordinated with street construction. I also emphatically agree with city commissioners who want a long-range infrastructure plan so we can evaluate what to do next. However, disappearing the bike-ped money will just get us back to business as usual, which gave us a people-pushed-aside, auto-authoritarian cityscape. I say keep the dedicated fund. It will take years to develop a long-range plan. If we need more street money, find it elsewhere or raise taxes. Meanwhile, we have several opportunities for stand-alone trails, miles and miles of roadways with no sidewalks at all, even more miles with sidewalks on only one side, plus several hundred miles of dilapidated sidewalks. Also, nearly all of our street crossings are ill designed for handicapped people. I realize City Hall is conflicted about policy and priorities for these investment opportunities. However, we manage to spend tens of millions for cars without a long-range plan. While we wait for policy, let’s spend a million for people. Without dedicated funds, that won’t happen. With dedicated funds, there will be more pressure to develop policy and make it happen.