Dear Editor:
Several weeks after the tragedy of the fatal hit and run of Shirley Kitchens, traffic is still speeding near the Medical Center.
I and other activists spoke at public hearings in the late 1980s and early1990s against relocating the Medical Center on Grand St. I said the infirmed and the elderly are the main users of hospital care, and they would have a difficult time crossing Grand St.
In a bizarre manner, our city has made the traffic problem worse by removing parking spaces near the hospital. The lack of parking makes Grand St. feel wider, like a highway. Furthermore, the location of the bus stops at the Medical Center also is part of the problem. One bus stop is in the middle of the block, encouraging people to walk or run in the middle of the block.
I have two suggestions: first, return parking to the street, the city could put in meters and receive extra revenue and second, have the buses loop in front of the hospital.
It would be nice if our city would stop helping out developer friends and start listening to the public.
Yvonne Balcer