To the editor:

An Island voice spoke clearly when it elected three new council persons, all of whom campaigned strongly against the aptly named “Bridge to Nowhere.”

If the other voters’ reasoning was like mine, they were tired of our council caving to special interests. And yet, a handful of council sessions later, it’s happening again.

Last December, Brian Kelly, in his excellent article “Location of Proposed Highway Bridge Not so Dangerous After all” did his own research at little cost to the taxpayer. This statistics-based Bainbridge Review article corroborated the intuition of those of us who voted the new council in — that if a bridge were necessary, the proposed location is most likely not the best place to build it.

For decades I have walked my Winslow errands and hiked recreationally from one end of our island to the other, never wishing for a bridge across Highway 305. I have, however, dreamt of an underpass. Perhaps there exists a suitable location that would serve as a safe crossing for pedestrians, bikes and wildlife?

Could PSRC allocated federal funds be applied to an underpass, or to a bridge at a more useful location, or to an entirely different non-motorized infrastructure project?

In debating this important issue I hope our council remains clear-eyed while they are being lobbied, and I certainly hope they remember the voice of the people who voted them into office.

JULIE RIELY

Bainbridge Island