Some observations

During the Fourth of July holiday, I participated in several pledges of allegiances to the flag of the United States.   I suspect that such a pledge is not only unusual but probably unique among the countries of the world.  We pledge allegiance to the flag.   We don’t pledge allegiance to the president – we don’t pledge allegiance to a political party – we don’t pledge allegiance to a particular ideology. The flag is a symbol of our form of government and thus we pledge allegiance to a democratic republicanism.

The recent ruling by the Washington State Court of Appeals that cities must make roadways safe for bicyclists is just the latest battle between the 98 percent of us who drive automobiles and the two percent who ride bicycles.   I firmly believe that bicycles and cars don’t belong on the same roads.  I fully understand the legal ramifications – but bike riders are at a severe disadvantage in any type of accident with an automobile.  Even if they are firmly in the right – – the injuries they suffer are far in excess of what the driver of the car would experience.   If bike riders must persist in using roads designed for cars, then they should be prepared for the inevitable.  I would rather spend millions of dollars to build separate bike trails that remove bike riders far away from cars.

Where’s the roundabout on College Street and 22nd Avenue?   The City of Lacey has developed a College Street Improvement plan which calls for widening College Street, adding designated left turn lanes, and constructing at least two new roundabouts.  The first phase of the plan calls for construction of a roundabout on College and 22nd.   Land has been purchased and money has been set aside for the construction.   Construction was originally planned to start in 2013, then 2014, then 2015 and then sometime this summer.   Nothing.   The original delay was blamed on the death of the city attorney who was engaged in land acquisition for the roundabout.   That was more than three years ago.  As I understand it – the city needs a few more feet of property to be able to build the roundabout and hasn’t been able to acquire it.   (I can’t think of anything that will screw up traffic in Lacey more than the construction of a roundabout on the city’s busiest street.)