WILBUR: Root of traffic headaches

Two recent letters regarding the Wilbur and Government Way intersection point out the existing problems with traffic signals and interruptions to traffic flow on Government Way. What has not been mentioned though is the absurdly reckless scheme to extend Wilbur Avenue to U.S. 95. Once implemented, this ill-conceived plan will result in near constant peak hour backups at the Government Way intersection, negating any benefit from Government Way reconstruction. Further, there will be no discernible improvement to traffic flow on 95.

I believe the cause of this traffic is primarily the negligent, avaricious annexation of land into the cities of Hayden and Coeur d’Alene. Annexation typically occurs to extend water and sewer lines, without such urban infrastructure land is often deemed not profitable enough to develop into the dense subdivisions now favored by city planners. Once annexed, urban sprawl and big city levels of traffic inevitably follow, which is the problem experienced now. Attempting to mitigate the ensuing traffic problems never succeeds, simply because the root cause is not addressed.

It should be noted that the previous Dalton Gardens City Council was complicit in the extension of Wilbur to 95, re-aligning Wilbur in Dalton to connect with the as yet unbuilt Wilbur section between Government and 95. Why would they do this? There was nothing to be gained by encouraging traffic into Dalton Gardens. One wonders, who benefits?

Why is it that government solutions to problems created by government simply create more problems?

MIKE CHASE

Dalton Gardens