Better use for Marion bypass project money

Marion citizens, stand up against the Seventh Avenue bypass (to Sixth Avenue). This $11 million money pit is the city council's idea for elevating traffic on Seventh Avenue. Cedar Rapids has a traffic snarl during rush hour on Collins Road but you don't see them routing all that traffic onto Blairs Ferry Road.

This money would be better spent on biking and hiking trails or providing some much-needed upgrading to our public pool or building a skate park where kids can be safe doing what they like.

This bypass would also bring a financial hardship on the residents of Sixth Avenue. With our present economic woes these people, many who are elderly and have been in their houses for many years.

Marion council members, heed the fact that our citizens want to live in a simple, small town that doesn't have the high crime rate that Cedar Rapids has. Please figure something out that our citizens could better use with $11 million.

Joe McElligott

Marion