I’m a Mercer Island senior citizen, as is one-fifth of our population here. I can barely afford the property taxes on our Social Security income, but will be very burdened by the tolling tax. Please don’t put us all into a stereotypical socioeconomic bundle.

We are the only island community in the nation to be crossed by an interstate highway. It is our only access and egress off our island home. When the feds and state built it in 1940 and rebuilt it in 1985, there were promises made — that we “would not see it, hear it or smell it.” We also believed because of its cross-country status, the feds would not allow tolling on it. Promises unkept.

I also live parallel to I-90, which has become so heavily trafficked that we can no longer enjoy our backyard patio or garden because of the noise. Shame on you for not using quiet surfacing or buffering it somehow. I also wonder about the air pollution from such heavy traffic, as in each of 15 homes on our cul-de-sac have lived at least one person with cancer (if not multiples).

I-90 has become a noisy beast and a behemoth scar to our quality of life here. I’m hoping there can be a class action suit against your agency — or at least a peace offering to reinstate the ferry system here.

Nancy Hilliard