Letter: Make Evergreen Highway safer

I agree with and endorse Steve Tubbs’ comments regarding paving the old Evergreen Highway (“Adieu, old Evergreen,” June 8, Our Readers’ Views). I was raised in a home along Southeast Evergreen Highway. I have fond memories of riding my bicycle up/down the highway and noting the dates on some of the concrete slabs. Living near the highway now, I still enjoy the dates on the slabs. I’m saddened they will be hidden by new pavement.

Then, there is safety. Most of the highway is posted as a 35 mph speed zone, often disregarded.

The highway is entirely residential. Why is a two-lane road without sidewalks posted with a speed limit of 35 mph, when most residential streets in Vancouver with sidewalks are posted at 25 mph?

Sidewalks are in city plans; however, funding is not in place. Yet funding is in place to repave?

The road is used by many as an exercise route. Sidewalks should be the priority, not repaving to facilitate speeding vehicles.

The city should postpone repaving the road until the sidewalks have been built. Sidewalks are more important to residents’ safety than a smoother road, which would most likely increase speeding.