Published January 26, 2006, in issue 0504 of The Hook

When City Council reconsiders the Fourth or Fifth Street Mall crossing, could it also please provide details explaining the estimated $800,000-$970,000 (just shy of $1 million) price tag?

Two other articles in the January 19 issue of the Hook list costs for the elegant New Street Garage in Staunton and the North Grounds Connector-- surely involving far more time, space, and heavy lifting-- as only about four times as much as that estimated to enable a brief trip across the narrow Mall. The Garage and NGC also have vastly more to show for their investment.

As a whimsical start toward fiscal sanity, a local kindergarten class might enjoy trying its hands-- guided, of course-- at a "paint the (pedestrian) lines" field trip at whichever crossing is eventually chosen.

Constance Cohen
Charlottesville

#