Stress in Encinitas

The Encinitas City Council budgeted megabucks for sidewalks on 15 streets around town, which these neighborhoods needed like San Francisco needed an earthquake. The city attempts to disguise its well-known lust for public works by dreaming up poetic euphemisms such as “Safe Route to Schools.”

An engineering consultant hired in 1989 told the city that sidewalks were expensive and unnecessary. If there were potentially catastrophic traffic problems, why not have clearings, speed bumps or traffic signs? As this firm’s sensible and cost-effective advice was incompatible with the city’s dedication to the asphalt industry and squandering, they did it “their way.”

Ask long-time property owners if they feel safer these days. These good citizens have lost forever 5 feet of parking area, or in most cases, all of the front-street parking that has become appurtenant to their properties over long periods of established usage.

This project fails to address the safety of kids on bikes. Where is their “safe route to school?” The side opposite the “safe route” is now the neighborhood parking lot.

With this “safe route,” tiny walkers now have to cross at a blind corner to get to Capri School. They used to walk and cross on the east, which now goes for parking. They could travel in the middle of the road with the student bikers, I suppose.

CAROL LAW, Leucadia