Editor, The Smithfield Times:

I would like to endorse the idea presented by Bill Dancy to create a pedestrian and cycling path connecting Fairway Drive to Cedar Street (“Solution for park access,” Nov. 22).  

Such a path would involve only about 40 feet of pavement with a width of perhaps 8 feet, a culvert for the drainage ditch and some bollards to keep out cars. This would provide a safe and convenient path for residents of the Cypress Creek development to walk or cycle to downtown and to Windsor Castle Park. 

Additionally, this would provide a safer route for the groups of cyclists that assemble at Windsor Castle Park to access Great Springs Road when headed toward the southern part of the county. Presently, they have to ride on Main Street across the Route 10 intersection in order to access Great Springs Road.

There are many small projects that could greatly improve safety for pedestrians and cyclists that the town should be pursuing. These include a walk signal for the traffic light at South Church Street and Nike Park Road, a long-promised traffic light at South Church Street and Smithfield Boulevard and perhaps a path connecting Colonial Avenue to Nike Park Road that would allow pedestrians and cyclists to avoid using South Church Street to access the Food Lion shopping area.

 

Greg Vassilakos

Smithfield