The colossal arrogance of the city of Sammamish traffic Planning Department and the Sammamish City Council’s lack of oversight for failing to stop the destruction of our Summer Ridge streets in a bone-headed attempt to restrict traffic in the name of “safety” only benefits the contractor doing the work.

The destruction of safe driving areas on our streets puts the children playing nearby at risk because it restricts line-of-sight for the children as well as drivers trying to safely drive on the streets. The streets are already too narrow to allow two-way traffic if cars are parked on both sides of the street, as is often the case.

And the city is installing curbside slower boxes and traffic circles for no other reason than to further obstruct traffic in a poorly-thought-out scheme centered around traffic obstruction to force traffic to proceed as slowly as possible.

Our streets are already safe for our neighbors to use for normal activities. They are not playgrounds. We have a centrally located park for children to safely play and run freely. Drivers are courteous and stop for pedestrians when they are present.

No one sought out the desires or opinions regarding the current rush to waste our taxes on such concrete monstrosities or even if we agree that such measures are desirable or needed to promote safety.

The City Council and traffic planning folks decided to do this “for our own good” because no one could possibly be doing this just to enrich the company that has been contracted to install these threats to our safety under the guise of “doing it to, er, for the children.” Right?

When something happens that nobody wants, then it is best to follow the money. Corruption, whether ideological or financial, is ever present and when it comes to elections we will remember and vote appropriately.

Charles Patten

Sammamish