Editor’s note: The July 14 editorial did not advocate for open access to the Governors community. The editorial said gates should be considered on a case-by-case basis.
The Gazette’s July 14 editorial, “Connected communities better for emergency response times,” disregards the concerns expressed by members of our community, Governors, regarding the safety of our residents. The editorial correctly identifies the source of the problem – excessive traffic on the main roads, specifically Kings Highway – yet it fails to mention that alleviating congestion by allowing traffic to take shortcuts on our private roads, rather than on public roads under the jurisdiction of the state and county, would lead to unacceptable hazards for the children and adults who walk, bicycle and ride scooters in our neighborhood.
Interconnectivity clearly has many benefits for regions such as ours where rampant development has created a traffic nightmare, but it’s high time for the county and state to take responsibility by improving traffic flow on public roads rather than by diverting traffic through private communities where residents would not only face increased risks, but also bear the cost burden of maintaining those private roads.
The Gazette closed its editorial with the statement “People’s lives depend on it.” Nothing could be more true for the people who live on our streets. We cannot provide safe neighborhoods if the quickest way for people to get wherever they are going means cutting through our community. County council needs to develop a new plan for interconnectivity that truly puts safety first.
-
A letter to the editor expresses a reader's opinion and, as such, is not reflective of the editorial opinions of this newspaper.
To submit a letter to the editor for publishing, send an email to viewpoints@capegazette.com. All letters are considered at the discretion of the newsroom and published as space allows. Due to the large volume of submissions, we cannot acknowledge receipt of each submission. Letters must include a phone number and address for verification. Keep letters to 400 words or fewer. We reserve the right to edit for content or length. Letters should be responsive to issues addressed in the Cape Gazette rather than content from other publications or media. Letters should focus on local issues, not national topics or personalities. Only one letter per author will be published every 30 days regarding a particular topic. Authors may submit a second letter within that time period if it pertains to a different issue. Letters may not be critical of personalities or specific businesses. Criticism of public figures is permissible. Endorsement letters for political candidates are no longer accepted. Letters must be the author’s original work, and may not be generated by artificial intelligence tools. Templates, form letters and letters containing language similar to other submissions will not be published.
