Sunday afternoon, Aug. 31, I took Larry Valdez Way to town. Lying at the highway intersection was a beautiful, large deer: dead.
Durango spends huge amounts on the River Trail: extending, concrete-paving, and building an underpass (humans don’t get hit by cars). When will we provide safe passage for wildlife that must cross the highway for a drink of water?
When will we change speed limits on the south edge of town just as they are on the north end of town? People on the south end are kept awake by the sound of heavy traffic. How many more crashes will happen before speeds are reduced?
Many big cities have low speed limits when you aren’t even close to the city. Why does Durango allow 50 mph highway speeds to continue up to Larry Valdez Way and the park?
I came here at one-third the salary offered elsewhere. I chose Durango over cities. I grew up in a small town and wanted that slower pace and different lifestyle. There was no four-lane highway then, and wildlife generally wasn’t killed in town.
It’s time Durango leaders become aware how they are changing this town. It’s time to focus on the welfare of the people and wildlife if Durango is to continue being “a good place for families.”
There’s still a chance for keeping that image. But the direction Durango has been heading is a poor copy of the cities many residents come here to avoid.
Pam Young
Durango
