Closing Second Avenue would cause problems

The Gazette recently ran a story about the City Council giving initial support to the request of the Physicians' Clinic of Iowa to close down a major thoroughfare, Second Avenue, between 10th and 12th streets. This supposedly would be the start of the medical district proposed by PCI, St. Luke's Hospital and Mercy Medical Center.

Sometimes we look at the carrot on the stick instead of reality. Where do the citizens and taxpayers fit into this scenario?

In the early 1960s, the Cedar Rapids City Council said avenue thoroughfares should not be blocked. Fourth Avenue and Fourth Street SE were blocked by the old Union Train Depot, which stretched from Third to Fifth avenues. The council said the depot should be demolished for a free flow of traffic to the downtown. The depot, probably the most beautiful piece of city history as well as an architectural gem, was demolished and we gained two concrete parking ramps. A good trade-off?

It is time to think of the citizens and taxpayers, not special interest groups. Closing Second Avenue would create problems for motorists going downtown, not to speak of the cost to taxpayers for signage, engineering, traffic lights, etc., and overloading First Avenue traffic.

I believe a good solution would be an overhead skywalk like St. Luke's has on A Avenue.

John Doyle

Cedar Rapids