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Sandpoint’s short planners are at it again. For decades, the Highway 95 bypass was delayed because city leadership wanted to force traffic through town, using the reasoning that irritated and frazzled drivers would want to stop and shop.

The “Curve” project was skewered by the city. The reason stated by the then-city engineer was that the crosswalks would have been too long for city residents. Apparently the city believes that local pedestrians are more feeble than those of every other city in the world (and too stupid to use the crossing light button).

That brings us to the present. The Schweitzer Cutoff Road bridge’s demise was hastened by the truck traffic that should have been using the nixed “Curve” route. Is the bridge’s replacement of a design that will take into account traffic increases of future development on N. Boyer/Schweitzer? No, it is planned to be another two-lane bridge with bike lane. What? The new bridge should be at least three lane and hopefully four.

The city’s planned expensive roundabout at the intersection of Boyer and Schweitzer Cutoff and the one that they haven’t told you about at Division and Pine will effectively block delivery of modular homes to the Baldy area. Eleven-foot-wide roundabout lanes may be marginally navigate-able for eight foot wide semis but not for 14x70 modular homes. The commissioners need to step in and block this de-facto rezoning of the county by the city.

HERB WIENS

Sandpoint