Safety Demands A Wauwinet Bike Path

To the editor:
This responds to Monday's letter to the editor from Mr. John A. Martin of Wauwinet. My name is Richard Preston. We have a home in Pocomo, where we have spent summers (and some winters) since 1989. The purpose of this letter is to express our strong support for the proposed Wauwinet side path.

We are avid bikers and walkers, who often find ourselves hiking or biking on Wauwinet Road. Over the years, we have had numerous close calls with cars and SUV’s speeding around the many dangerous curves on Wauwinet Road, and we have observed many other such incidents where children and adults biking or walking on the road have been endangered.

One dear friend from Sconset was seriously injured by a drunk driver returning from Great Point on the Wauwinet Road on an otherwise quiet Sunday. Moreover, we have other friends in Polpis, Sconset, and Quidnet who would like to visit us by bike, but are afraid to do so because of the dangerous stretch on Wauwinet Road.

We are aware of, and sympathetic to, the financial, environmental, and easement concerns of homeowners in Wauwinet, along the proposed side path, and others. However, we are confident that these can be addressed with careful planning.

In any event, if the situation is not addressed, it is almost inevitable that a life will be lost in the not-too-distant future. This simply cannot be allowed to happen, no matter what other issues have to be addressed. Certainly the financial issues raised by Mr. Martin will not be at the forefront of anyone’s mind in the event of such a tragedy.

Sincerely,

Richard Preston