Island Crest Way pedestrian crossings are remedied by flashing lights at crosswalks or overhead pedestrian paths, not narrowing the road to three lanes and putting people behind garbage trucks, delivery trucks, waiting for work crews, street sweepers, etc. This is about giving a few people a 90-second shortcut (the time it takes to use the alternate route) to ICW and 40th. Put up a “No Left Turn” sign (the cheapest solution) or a traffic light at Merrimount to reduce accidents (the original motivation for the road narrowing). The light option costs are vastly overstated to regrade the road so that drivers can “gun it to make the green” east/west across ICW. None of the other options allow this travel. Why does a light require this path? It’s time to stop the oligarchy. If the Council is so certain that the citizens of Mercer Island want a three-lane road, they should have the courage to allow a meaningful vote of those same citizens.

Milford Walker