Everett needs to spend money outside of downtown

In response to the recent story (“Bike lanes, sidewalks will get $8.5M in grants countywide,” The Herald, Oct. 4), the article says the City of Everett’s allocation of $2 million will be used for bike lanes near the Angel of the Winds arena. Really? Not sidewalks? Here we go again!

For well over 10 years I have complained to the Everett City Council about the absolute lack of sidewalks in the Delta neighborhood. The elderly are forced to ride their mobility scooters down the middle of 16th Street because there are no sidewalks. Bus riders walk through muddy trails to get to their bus stop on 16th Street. More development is planned in the Delta neighborhood which only increases density in our area of Everett.

Yet, $2 million will be spent on bike lanes for the benefit of a few able-bodied people! Is this what you elected this mayor to do? Focus on bike lanes for downtown? The City of Everett has essentially red-lined the Delta neighborhood as “the ghetto” and are only spending money around downtown Everett on ridiculous projects like bike lanes!

What about a city employee watering hanging flower baskets? Oh, that’s right! The hanging flower baskets are only in downtown Everett! It’s mostly volunteers that clean-up the city parks up in the Delta neighborhood. Only rarely does a city employee clean the park shelters in Delta. Yet, city employees are constantly putting in new plantings and pressure washing the pavement at that failing Village Theatre downtown.

How about start distributing money equally throughout all of Everett instead of just the precious downtown area.

Anthony Vicari

Everett

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