Put safety before greed

To the editor:

The state finally tries to do something right — the Parks Highway upgrade — and who should buck it? The city of Wasilla.

I guess safety is not the major concern for mayor Verne Rupright. Commercial expansion has a higher priority. The drive through downtown Wasilla is such a delightful experience that he would like it extended further. There are certainly commercial establishments on the other side of Wasilla with a limited access — Wal-Mart, two car dealerships and a number of smaller businesses, to name a few.

As someone who drives the Parks almost every day, I would appreciate a safer drive. Nothing could be used to advocate for a Wasilla bypass more than to extend the business district further along the Parks to slow traffic flow even further. I would like to see frontage roads on both sides of the highway, but I do understand the impact of right of way acquisition on adjacent landowners.

Don Hepler

Wasilla