Letter: Safety suggestions for Columbia Trail Drive
I’m an old man with bad knees. I ride my bicycle daily as the only way I have to get any realistic exercise. I ride the bike along the river path, and on breezy days in Columbia Park (because the trees break up the wind).
The road through the park, Columbia Trail Drive, seems to have become increasingly popular as an automobile transit route.
I have some safety suggestions:
1) Close the vehicle gates at both ends of the road that runs along the south side of the fishing pond. This road was closed to vehicle traffic for years until the gates were opened for the hydro races two years ago. Someone forgot to close them.
2) Do the same thing with the vehicle gates near the restroom by the amphitheater. They were also always shut, and prevent autos from driving right down to the riverbank.
3) Reduce the speed limit in the park to 15 mph, and enforce it. This will frustrate the folks who are just using Columbia Trail Drive as a transit route, and maybe they will start going around on the freeway, which is more convenient in any event.
Eric Nordlof
Kennewick
This story was originally published October 4, 2015 at 6:48 PM with the headline "Letter: Safety suggestions for Columbia Trail Drive."