This letter was written to Mayor Greg Nickels, with a copy to this newspaper.

I am appalled with the condition of some of the arterials that we have in West Seattle. The Seattle Department of Transportation spent a lot of money on California Avenue, which was not in that bad of a condition. The speed bump for pedestrians in the Junction is a big joke, I darn near got hit there just last Monday by a driver that was high balling down the street, although I was in the cross walk area.

I believe that the pedestrian lights in the street on James Street (near Seattle University) would have served the purpose a lot more by making drivers aware that someone is in the crosswalk.

I also would like you to take a drive in your about new Toyota Highlander south on California Avenue and east on Morgan Street to Home Depot on Delridge and back. That section of road between 35th and Delridge is a disgrace. It has been that way for going on a year and it has been getting worse. The manholes along that way make it very uncomfortable as well as the sections of payment that are missing. It is dangerous to motorcycles and can damage vehicle tires.

Why can't we fix our streets instead of paying out for all that work that is done for bicycle paths and lanes? That does not provide any revenue to the city from the high gasoline taxes we have to pay.

Rodger Clement

Gatewood