Sandpoint's traffic is nothing but headaches

I recently drove a van full of kids to a field trip in the Sandpoint a few days ago. This was the first trip to Sandpoint in at least two years. You live in a beautiful area of Idaho. Before that, I regularly drove to the Sandpoint area for my job. Two years ago, as I remember, there was a great deal of debate about the Highway 95 bypass. Traffic was becoming a problem in Sandpoint then. Because I enjoyed the Sandpoint area so much when I worked there, I continued to read the local Daily Bee. I was amazed at the continued debate, but with all the politics I dealt with, I didn't expect any less.

Fast forward two years and I drove through a beautiful town behind two semi-trucks that could not make it safely around the "S" corners on a state highway. I was in stopped traffic on this same state highway. It took me 20 minutes to get back out of Sandpoint because of the traffic jam I experienced. I read about the opposition to the bypass saying a bypass would be detrimental to the environment, that the bypass will be an eyesore or that the native plants/animals/mud (whatever) will be damaged.

I say, from the exhaust fumes I had to breathe, the environment is being damaged, the cars sitting in park on the city streets of your beautiful city is already an eyesore, and from all the cars sitting, not moving, spilling oil and blowing exhaust, are already killing the animals, plants, mud (whatever). A bypass would keep vehicles moving, create a safer "walking town," and remove the large semi-trucks from your downtown area.

I for one (and I know a few would say good riddance) will not be visiting your beautiful city again because I can't handle the traffic to get to it. You need to do something about it soon, because it will only get worse the longer you argue and do nothing.

GEORGE MAY

Post Falls