Non-stop First Avenue work raises questions

How many times has First Avenue south of Collins Road been resurfaced since 2010? How many more times will it be resurfaced before it is finally done right?

How much money have merchants lost due to the continuous resurfacing of the same stretch of road? How many additional accidents or near-accidents have occurred due to the continuous resurfacing of the same stretch of road?

How many flood control projects have been completed so that we will not have a repeat of the floods of 1993 and 2008?

Is the mayor's favorite color red, as in the red of insolvency he is pushing us toward with all of the bonded indebtedness, or white, as in the color of the white elephant construction projects he has championed?

When was the last time anybody drove on First Avenue from the river to Marion without being impeded by a construction project? Who was the last person to drive (in a motor vehicle) on First Avenue from the river to Marion without being impeded by a construction project?

Can any city official prove that the flow of traffic at the Collins Road/First Avenue intersection will actually improve as a result of all the construction?

Mitchell A. Levin

Cedar Rapids