I'm just venting some frustrations with the way this city is going about solving traffic congestion.

I live in West Seattle and work in Ballard. I have watched Ballard being transformed from a nice neighborhood in to the Mega Condo Ghetto. From the information I've read in your paper, once the condos are finished we will have easily 2,500-plus new residents in Ballard. These new residents will have cars and traffic and parking will be a problem. As much as the mayor and the City Council want us all to take a bus or ride our bikes to work, we will still need roads that provide mobility.

The Bridge Way improvements are a prime example of how the traffic department has screwed up. I use this intersection every day for the last 10 years. It used to be easy to get on and off from 99, now it's a constant stop and go with northbound backup on Aurora Bridge that goes all the way to the Canlis restaurant during rush hour. Go see for yourself.

Then there's West Seattle. The Mega Condos from Hell will be arriving there as well and the traffic congestion we have on the West Seattle Bridge will only get worst. Buses will be stuck on the bridge with the rest of the traffic, so what's the point of taking the bus. I'd rather sit in the comfort of my car and listen to music of my choice instead of some loudmouth talking about his hemorrhoids or endure the stench of a transient who hasn't taken a bath in weeks. My other concern would be germs. With the raise of TB in this city, the last place I would want to be is on a bus. If this mode of transportation is so great how come the mayor doesn't do it. His time is more important than mine?

For a city with highly educated people common sense seems to be lacking.

Martin Wayss

Schmitz Park