Sierra
Club Supports Repairing Existing

"Repairing existing roads"
is first amongst Sierra Club's "environmentally sound, lasting
approaches to [DC's] traffic woes."*
Sierra Club also supports
"expanding public transportation to serve diverse populations"
and "encouraging walking and biking."*
These principles
are sound, and we agree: Repair
Klingle Road to maintain existing infrastructure. Improve public
transportation and provide diverse citizen access. Encourage
walking and cycling -- expand and enhance hiking and cycling in our U.S.
parks and other public lands, particularly Rock Creek Park.
Sierra Club's "Restore
the Core" campaign
against suburban sprawl encourages efforts so that "commuters can
move around as efficiently as possible in a changing city."
Sierra Club notes correctly that DC's "grid-patterned streets
provide alternative routes to help avoid congestion."
This is exactly why we need Klingle Road;
where there are few thoroughfares across Rock Creek Park, we need to
keep our alternatives. There now is only one road across the Park
serving Cleveland Park where there used to be two. We need this
road more than we need more green space. Besides, repairing
Klingle Road will not reduce green space.
Sierra Club also notes that "in
the District, traffic is the number one cause of ozone, and it is
estimated that ozone alone triggers 130,000 asthma attacks a year.
Car accidents cause about 60 deaths each year in DC."
The DPW study found that opening Klingle would reduce traffic delays and
accidents, particularly at Connecticut and Porter. It would also
reduce the amount of time we spend in our cars, thus reducing ozone
emissions.
Yet, inexplicably, Sierra
Club leaders would make Klingle Road a unique exception to their
principles of repairing existing roads and making transportation more
efficient and safe.
Moreover, a significant
number of DC Sierra Club members want Klingle Road repaired. If
you are one of them, please write and tell them your concerns.
* Steinzor, N. "Klingle Valley:
Beyond a Temporary Traffic Fix" Capital Sierran, v. 9, No. 1, p.
11, Spring 2001
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