The Everett City Council passing a resolution to lower speeds on Evergreen Way and Everett Mall Way is the equivalent of mowing your lawn while your house is on fire (“Lower speed limits move foward on dangerous stretch of Highway 99,” The Herald, May 12). Completely ignoring that these pedestrians are being struck and killed while illegally crossing the busy highway will not reduce the frequency.

The number of people congregating between Airport Road and 112th is growing, along with the number of people who bolt across the highway at night, not in a crosswalk, wearing dark clothing. I work swing shift and dodge people doing that a few times a week, so I use my high beams to see them better. Jaywalkers put the safety of drivers at risk because we have to swerve to avoid hitting them when they are in the middle of the highway; a change in the speed limit won’t stop that from continuing.

I used to get coffee at a place on the corner of Airport Road, but I couldn’t take any more seeing people urinating on the side of the building; standing in the drive-through area smoking meth; heroin nodding, and finally being threatened by them for kindly asking if I could move my car forward to order. Those businesses have lost staff due to legitimate safety concerns regarding these groups of people; having blinders on is making things worse.

Making a peripheral change by reducing the speed limit will enable, not deter, jaywalkers. In fact, the lowered speed limit will likely encourage more people to cross the middle of the highway illegally.

Something other than the speed limit really needs to change.

Andy Riley

Everett